Total Health Promotion: Mental Health, Rational Fields and the Quest for Autonomy

Physical health is continually affected by the mind. Positive thinking, learning to deal with anger and malice, and being a part of creative social networks can extend life and lessen our chances of becoming ill. But despite overwhelming scientific evidence that mind and body are integrally related, health promotion is split into separate specialisms: mental health promotion, exercise and nutrition, social health promotion, health education and many other categories.

In this unique and remarkable book David Seedhouse argues that health promoters must spurn these artificial distinctions. Instead, health promotion should aim to enhance the human experience, free from restrictive classifications and false images.

In this book Professor Seedhouse has developed an exciting and potentially revolutionary health promotion tool - the rational field. Simple to use (the book contains a rational field template that can be applied by any health worker in any setting) rational fields enable health promoters to plan and act in total honesty, using whatever methods are best-suited to their quest to create autonomy.

Total health promotion is:

• A groundbreaking approach to health promotion theory and practice

• Written by the world's leading philosopher of health

• An exhilarating read

Seedhouse's argument is straightforward, impressive and written with typical elegance and clarity. But Total Health Promotion is much more than an academic text-book. It should be essential reading for all courses on health promotion and is a fantastic guide for all health promotion practitioners.