Author Vinton McCabe uses his extensive experience with homeopahy to give a fully rounded assessment of the principles of homeopathy and the manner in which it is practiced today. He combines a psssionate argument for a mode of healing that is "rapid, gentle, and permanent: in its action with personal insights, explaining classical homeopathy and how its treatments differ from those of allpathic (traditional medicine) treatments. There are three distinctive forms of homeopathic treatment, McCabe points out: 1. acute treatment, when there is a sudden onset of symptoms and the goal is to restore the status quoe 2 constitutional treatment, for chronic conditions when the goal is to fundamentally improve the patient"s overall health 3. miasmic treatment, which goes deeper than constitutional treatment and seeks to transform the paitent into a healthier, stronger being Many examples of patients and treatments are provided, clearly illlustrating how homeopathy works to heal a person with symptoms, instead of merely treating the sympton. "The Healing Enigma" Speaks as much to the practitioners and patients of tradtional allopathic medicine as it does to those interested in alternative medicine. While the"enigma" of the title speaks most directly to the practice of homeopathy, the underlying mystery has to do with the nature of healing itself and the methods that can be used to encourage the healing process.