Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATE: Please ensure you read the update at the bottom of this post after reading the review. I had originally confused this book with The Quieting Reflex by Charles Stroebel. There is no older edition by Benson describing the 15-second technique. I originally read The Relaxation Response when I was serving in Somalia in 1993. There was a table of free books donated from the states and the title peaked my interest....given the environment. The original edition outlined an amazing technique to trigger the response (alert mind, relaxed body) several times a day, a technique that only took about 15 seconds and could be repeated over and over. It so attuned me to the effects of stress that I'd catch myself clenching my jaw/tightening my shoulders/etc...throughout the day, and sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night and immediately notice I was clenching my teeth, etc...) You can probably understand the value of a technique such as this for someone who doesn't have the time, place or wherewithal to meditate during the day. This was a practical exercise that could be performed several times a day while going through life. I would do the exercise while on patrol-to keep my mind sharp. Not so-the new edition! The new edition is about 95% a medical discussion about the effects of stress on the body with only the most general discussion on how to use relaxation techniques. There is no discussion on the 15 second technique which is covered in great detail in the original edition. I have to give Benson credit though...this is an extremely responsibly written book, with no hidden agendas. (Unlike Bob Cooley who talks about flexibility like it is the ultimate panacea to all of life's ills.) Benson explains, based on the latest medical research, what relaxation/meditation will, and will not, do for you in terms of blood pressure, brain waves, breathing, oxygen intake, etc... Do you know the difference between sleep, meditation, and hibernation? (if this were possible for humans) Benson explains the difference, and why one CAN NOT be a substitute for another. (Debunking the claims of TM practitioners in the 1970s who stated that 15 minutes of TM (trancendental meditation) was the equivalent of 4 hours of sleep.) Benson also explains how other practices (yoga for example) have been proven to elicit the same benefits as the relaxation response. I'd recommend this book to anyone, but try to find an older edition explaining the 15 second technique. Given the brevity of these books, try to get both editions: the new edition with the latest scientific findings, and the older edition for the actual relaxation response exercise. UPDATE: It's important to note that I confused this book with The Quieting Reflex by Charles F. Stroebel M.D., out of print, but can still be found online, which details the 15-second technique. Read through the comment thread below for more information.