Based upon the title and description, I suspected this book would have something to do with the work of Dr. Sarno. I was intrigued, and immediately requested access to the ARC via NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group.
Although this is a firsthand account of debilitating pain, the focus is truly on the hard work and victory of self-healing. Branching out from Dr. Sarno’s work, Mr. Murray overcomes insufferable pain and anxiety through the work of calming his own nervous system.
This book was truly a joy for me to read, as I’m on a similar journey. I found it hard to relate only in that the author is clear about how well-off he is financially. “Self”-healing actually requires quite an enormous sum of money, and very few would be able to access the advisors who assisted Mr. Murray. I’ll chalk that up to envy on my part, since it’s clear that this extremely difficult emotional and spiritual work can only be done by oneself, regardless of who you can afford to guide you.
Overall, I found the book inspirational, and am thrilled for Mr. Murray.

Phenomenal....Great memoir offering hope and an alternative to western medicine. One man's story of not giving up and blindly accepting that what we are told by physician's is truth.

This book is a memoir of Murray’s descent into chronic physical pain and the measures he took to help heal. He found that his pain was greatly related to psychological issues so he found his greatest relief from therapy, meditation and other mind techniques. This is the author’s first book and the writing goes in to too many tiny details at times. It could be useful for others dealing with chronic pain issues, though,

This wasn't really what I expected. It was about a man with chronic pain, as well as his determination to keep living a productive life. He shares some of the insight he learned about mind-body connection and how it's not widely accepted in western medicine. However, I'm quite familiar with much of the insight gained, including things on yoga and meditation, so it wasn't as helpful as I'd hoped, and some parts were a bit repetitive. For someone knew to this area, it could be of value.

I had high hopes on something original with this book regarding pain and solutions. Instead it was a foray into a very self-centered man who also seemed to be rather un-self-aware. The author retired in his early 40s after a partnership yielded a lucrative payout. After 10 years of a whole lot of skiing, he develops body pain that moves all around his body. The book is his quest to be 'diagnosed'. After visiting a fair amount of doctors, I realized the author had psychological issues to work through. I found the book highly repetitive and boring. I also think his wife is a saint. The author 'discovers' that there IS a connection between the mind and the body. And here I'd thought everyone knew about that, e.g. the placebo effect comes to mind. He finally finds peace turning to Eastern medicine via yoga, meditation, and the like.

Thank you to NetGalley and River Grove Books for providing me with a copy to read.

Michael Murray’s ‘solution’ takes the reader across an icy landscape of relentless pain that reveals itself as with-holding emotions, or denying the ‘pain body’, as coined by Eckart Tolle.

As he learns, he guides us through the truth that although we humans cannot avoid pain while living in bodies, we can deny and increase our emotional distress and our physical pain. The good news is there is a way we can handle and heal this ‘second arrow’ of added pain and suffering.

Mr. Murray’s abiding desire to ‘solve’ his pain problem and bring it to others, is nicely crafted into a memoir that bravely goes through much discomfort by confessing his blind spots, his remorse in hurting his loved ones, and his willingness to learn, be honest, and make amends -- all essential to healing -- as wholeness.

His learning and sharing some of the places where he learned deeper listening to his body and feelings and to explore willingly, expands the value of a personal account in giving these others due credit and providing readers with tremendous resources without having to replicate his long search (such as, Kripalu, yoga, meditation, Buddhist wisdom, Tension Myositis Syndrome).
I will offer this book to many men I know that may relate to Mr. Murray’s experience and solving, through a relatable life story.
I hope many readers will carry Mr. Murray’s insight that it is sane, imperative, and necessary to feel and respond emotionally in appropriate and healthy ways. May we all continue to open our hearts to the suffering of life and to offer our self and others more compassion. In this, we may become more whole as a country and as a species.
 
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3783219825

I expected to read a novel about a man dealing with chronic, debilitating pain and how his determination allowed him to live in spite of his pain. What I found instead was a man dealing with debilitating pain, inexcusable advice from physicians, and insight into the mind-body connection and how western medicine has not accepted this idea. Michael Murray was one of the lucky few, who through advice from his friends learned his mind could be his body's worst enemy.