Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity

I respect and enjoy Robert Swoboda's writing and knowledge of all things Vedic, so I was utterly taken aback and frustrated that Svoboda chose to omit all sanskrit terms from this book! You will see only English descriptive equivalents for terms like prakriti, srota, guna, mala, and so on. It is a thorough overview but not useful because he throws out the necessary terminology and language of Ayurveda. Its like someone writing about sailing ships and refusing to use words like rudder, sail or windlass and instead substitutes descriptions like the steering thing, the cloth that catches wind and the gizmo that you use to haul the anchor.

If you are wanting a quick easy read on Ayurveda to self diagnose, this is not it; instead this is a robust beginners guide to begin to scratch the service on all things Ayurvedic. I am looking forward to reading more of Svoboda's work to get further into the subject. Again this is not for someone who wants to diagnose and treat themselves based on a quick self help book. It explores the subject to provide a comprehensive smattering of the subject.

For a long time I was looking for this book, because the author is the first is one of the first Western physicians who has seriously studied Ayurvedic medicine: actually he studied his career in India . Anyway, the book I was looking was the Penguin edition of 1992, becausa I was unaware that there was a new edition. The edition I bought recently has a more convenient format, as it is not Pocket, yet it is very well priced.

25 years ago I would have given it 4 stars, but nowadays a lot of it has become common knowledge for many people. $15 is a little steep for what it offers. Similar content can be gained for free online. $8.00--$10 would have been a more appropriate price.

Very disappointing that R. Svaboda 'carted out' the same old and UTTERLY DISPROVEN theory of the Aryan invasion. At no time in history (except if you consider British occupation an 'Aryan invasion') was there an invasion from the high desert plains into northwest India. Archeological evidence has proven that the Harrapan cities show no evidence of a warlike invasion. It's the same for linguistic similarities that British 'spin doctors' such as Sir William Jones and Max Mueller who sought to reinforce their 'white superiorty'. I was frankly surprised that he would not do his own research. Very very sad.

If you want to understand the history of Ayurveda and the basic concepts of this science of life, read this book. I'm presently reading several ayurveda books and this one has impress me very much with its clarity and Dr. Svoboda way of writing. There are other great books on this subject by Dr. Vasant Lad.

A fantastic book, very well written and provides readers with great insight and knowledge on Ayurveda.

The book that arrived was true to its description. It was in perfect condition and had no creases or smudges. The book was fascinating and an easy, but very informative read. Great quality!

It is a very basic book and every Indian household by default follows basic rules of Ayurveda. So, Indians shouldn't consider buying it. I returned it and received refund.

Questo libro mi ha appassionato come un romanzo. Altre volte avevo provato a leggere libri di introduzione all'Ayurveda, ma a parte la questione dei tre dosha da riportare in equilibrio, non mi pareva di ricavarne molto.Qui invece l'autore ci introduce alla scienza dell'Ayurveda in modo accessibile anche a non specialisti e allo stesso tempo molto profondo, mantenendo sempre i riferimenti sia alla civiltà indiana che al nostro mondo attuale.Certo, in termini pratici non è di facile applicazione e il capitolo sul cibo, ad esempio, l'ho trovato un po'difficile da "digerire" (sia perchè i cibi vengono classificati in modo che mi risulta non facile da comprendere, sia perchè si parla di alcuni cibi che da noi non ci sono o sono rari).Nel complesso, anche se devo ancora finirlo, mi sento di dire che è un libro veramente affascinante, lo raccomando vivamente.

Amazing book.

For a foreign language writer , it is a brilliant work as getting to the depth of Indian sciences is never easy.

Covers every aspect of Ayurveda...a must for everyone seeking good life, health n longevity