Firewalking and Religious Healing: The Anastenaria of Greece and the American Firewalking Movement

I was sorry to see only one, rather negative, review for this book. I have used it in college classes for several years, and most students enjoy reading it. It is a good example of how studying the same activity (firewalking) in two different contexts (Greece and the U.S.) can shed light on the practice in both cultures. The author is respectful about both Greek Christian and American New Age firewalkers, and reveals how the ritual is transformative for both groups... but, as you might expect, in very different ways! It will also tell you something about how rituals heal, and about medical anthropology.