Book excerpt: Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The traditional approach to medicine does not seem to be able to explain the current problems with our health. We are beginning to realize that the brain and the gut communicate with each other, and that their cross talk is important for our health. #2 The medical system’s disease model worked extremely well for certain acute diseases, such as infections, heart attacks, and surgical emergencies. It did not work so well for chronic health problems, such as cancer. #3 The old mechanistic disease models did not consider the brain, and did not consider the changes in technology over the last forty years. They did not consider the brain’s computing power or intelligence. #4 The traditional view of disease as a breakdown of individual parts of a complex mechanical device that can be fixed by medications or surgery has spawned a continuously growing health care industry. But while the U. S. health care system is the most expensive per capita, it ranked 37th by overall performance and 72nd by overall health among 191 member nations in a report by the Commonwealth Fund.