general

damn! this book is fantastic! i am 18 and stumbled across reid's 'complete book of chinsese health and healing' at barnes and noble a year ago. i then searched for 'the tao of health sex and longevity.' both books are a must for the depressed, sick, chronically sick and everyone else. i was deeply depressed before reading this book and used many illegal drugs to forget about it. but since reading his books, i have changed my diet, started the breathing exercises, practicing controlled fasting and taking tai chi lessons. i no longer use drugs and the world isn't a sad, gray place anymore, nor is my body an aching mess. this book is crammed with practical information much of which can start being practiced the very day you read it. you won't look at health care the same way ever again. also it is a greater intro to TAOISM. once you become accquainted with that word you will smile every time you read it or hear it. this is the best 12 bucks you will ever spend.

Whether you are a beginner on the path, or a more advanced person looking for a reminder, this book will become a lifelong friend. A historical and philosophical understanding of the Tao, life altering dietary suggestions, and a plethora of immortalist techniques. Breathing exercises, Sexual Yoga, Fasting and the ills of the modern diet---loaded with outstanding information! Any book that serves Mind, Body and Spirit should be lauded, and this book delivers. Keep your mind open when reading this, and don't be alarmed by the Enemas!!! This book has helped my health, my sex life and call me in 300 years to find out about the longevity part. Good companions are Fit for Life (which deals with the proper food combination issue) and Leonard Orr's Breaking the Death Habit. And for the bold mental astronauts, throw in a little Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger series to feed your head.

For the critic below/above who said that this book is misleading, (and who claims that Reid encourages people to take drugs and use sex toys etc,)... I would say that his review is the only miselading one since in the book Reid never encourages the use of drugs, instead Reid stresses again and again that according to the ancient Taoist, food is the best "medicine". Reid doesnt even encourage the use of medicine (as the western doctors will give you eg antibiotics etc) let alone drugs. Reid encourages the use of natural food and fruits for one's diet to cure ailments such as headaches, obesity etc.

The best chapters in the book is the book on Breathing and Chi, where he explains what chi is, and how it works to energize the body. The second best chapter will be the one about sexual secrets of the Taoist - particularly for male. Men seems to be the gender that has more disadvantage in sex than females, since men think about sex most of the time, have great drive towards it, yet without knowing the Taoist secrets, men are disillisioned about it since he gets less satisfaction, and is left enervated (fatigue) after sex. Reid explains the ancient Taoist secret to avoid those disadvantages and turn it around.

The 3rd best chapter is the one on Food Combination. I have been following it for a few year, and what a difference it makes. After lunch, I see my friends feeling sleepy that they find it hard to stay awake, yet i feel energized.

This is a great book, read it with an open mind. It is certainly much better than Dr Atkins or Carbohydrate Addict books which have much negative side effects.