Book excerpt: Ayurveda, which literally means "the science or knowledge of life”, is the traditional medical system of India. Its origin dates back an estimated 5-10,000 years, and it is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world. Ayurveda is based on the premise that disease is the natural end result of living out of harmony with our environment. 'Natural' is an important word because Ayurveda understands that symptoms of disease are the body's normal way of communicating disharmony. With this understanding of disease, Ayurveda's approach to healing becomes obvious: to reestablish harmony between a person and environment. Once reestablished, the need for the body to communicate disharmony diminishes, symptoms dissipate, and healing is said to have occurred. Through various chapters, the author Dr.Murli Manohar gives out the Ayurvedic concepts of health & treatment, diagnosis by Ayurveda, role of diet and season in health & disease, symptoms & causes, prevention & treatment, nutrition & diet, herbal therapies & nature cure for common and chronic ailments.