Table of contents: Acknowledgements Introduction: The Serpent - Mythical Symbol of Life and Renewal PART I: TIMELESS TEACHINGS Chapter 1: A World of Magic - Medicine´s Prehistoric Origins Chapter 2: The Healing Heavens - Medical Foundations in Mesopotamia Chapter 3: Priests and Papyri - Egypt´s Mystical Heritage Chapter 4: Divine Instructions - The Medicine of Ancient Israel Chapter 5: Quetzalcoatl´s Legacy - Medical Practices in the Pre-Columbian Americas Chapter 6: Sacred Hymns, Rational Techniques - Indian Medical LoreChapter 7: The Harmony of Life - China´s Unique Wisdom PART II: CLASSICAL MASTERS Chapter 1: An Oath for All Time - Medical Art in Ancient Greece Chapter 2: Healing an Empire - Roman Therapeutical Concepts Chapter 3: New Religions, Prominent Physicians - Byzantium and the Islamic World Chapter 4: Illuminating the Darkness - The Middle Ages and the Renaissance PART III: HEALING IN A TECHNOLOGICAL AGE Chapter 1: Fervour and Intuition - The Dawn of Modern Science Chapter 2: The Power of Knowledge - Contemporary Dilemmas Chapter 3: Epilogue - A View to the Future Illustrations Bibliography Index

Mia Sperber is a medical doctor who studied and specialised in diagnostic radiology in Europe and the USA. She has written and edited several leading medical textbooks - one of her most recent, "Radiologic Diagnosis of Chest Disease", 2nd edition, was published by Springer-Verlag, in New York. She has also a great interest in history, philosophy and comparative religion, and has written books and screenplays on the history of medicine, the power of the human mind in healing processes, and on such famous historical figures as Pythagoras, Dante Alighieri and Emperor Charlemagne of France, currently serving as the basis for the production of major motion pictures and television documentaries. Dr. Sperber appears on television, participates as an invited speaker at many international conferences and is a member of the British Society of Authors and of the Medical Writers Group. A Belgian national, she currently lives with her family in London.