Health as Expanding Consciousness

This book is essential to understanding the Newman Method. Pleasant reading and very informative. Illustrations of the choice point and definitions of praxis and other key terms are included. Together with "Developing a Discipline", this is a wonderful way to understand the guts of Newman's thinking.

Dr Newman has an insightful theory. Much to ponder over the next few months. If you are a nurse trained before 1985 this would be new theory to read.

The book was easy to read, understand, and help to clarify Margaret Newman's Theory. Being written by Margaret Newman, i was able to use the book citing it as a primary source when writing my research paper.

Dr. Newman meticulously articulates her meaningful process in developing the theory health as expanding consciousness that engages the reader in a `side by side' journey of the unfolding of the theory. In the introduction she provides the significant sources that are accompanied by her perspectives of how they influenced her work- -an authentic revealing which validates for the readers that there is a beginning and a shaping in knowledge development. The language is clear, succinct, useful, and straightforward. The first time reader does not need to concern themselves with being bogged down in the murky waters of scientific language. In fact Dr. Newman writes, "...this book is not about science in the traditional sense, but rather about meaning: The meaning of life and of health and of what those of us in the health professions can do about it " (p.xxiv). Yet, this work follows the scholarly tradition for good science to occur of defining concepts and paradigmatic view- -facilitating another view of health as "...pattern of the whole" (p.10). Dr. Newman's focus on the process in expanding consciousness gains clarity via the definition of consciousness "...as the information of the system: ...capacity of the system to interact with the environment ....that includes nervous system, the endocrine..." (p.33)- - engaging the reader in creative and imaginative possibilities for the application of this theory across settings. Dr. Newman's text offers substance that the first time reader may want to review and reflect on. She stimulates how we view nursing, health, person and environment; i.e. what it means to provide nursing care and participate in research that focuses on the human health experience. Health as Expanding Consciousness is about what it is to be a nurse in a paradigm of relatedness.