REVIEW by Cynthia Tenen
from Meru Foundation eTORUS Newsletter #18

Most of the books reviewed so far in eTORUS have been works of biography, mathematics, or history -- all of which have an objective approach. In contrast, "Sign Language of the Soul: A Handbook for Healing," by chiropractor Dale Schusterman, is an example of responsible presentation of subjective material. Dr. Schusterman presents a method for encouraging healing developed empirically through years of experience as a practitioner. He bases this method on hand-gestures developed from his inner practice, within a structure based on his own understanding of the Tree of Life. For him and for his patients, this method works, and Dr. Schusterman's examples drawn from case histories enliven and personalize this book.

"Sign Language of the Soul" is written as a working handbook for chiropractors and other hands-on healers. It is beautifully illustrated; the hand-gestures are clear and easy to learn. Schusterman's approach is practical, with exercises and detailed explanations. It is not peer-reviewed research -- Schusterman himself is clear about this, explaining on his website that "there have been no blind, randomized control studies performed. These methods are based on empirical observations, trial, and error performed over many years."

Because "Sign Language of the Soul" is so honestly, carefully, and clearly presented, this is the sort of learning from personal experience that can be valuable and helpful to others. Dr. Schusterman's empirically-developed "Sign Language of the Soul" is not the same as the Hebrew alphabet hand-gestures discovered in Meru Foundation research. But the observation that how we hold and use our hands is directly related to our feelings, underlies both. In fact, Dr. Schusterman's chapter on the relationship of hand motion to brain function relies on many of the same references we also use in our discussions of language and gesture, such as Dr. Frank Wilson's book, "The Hand,"(1) or Prof. Ullin Place's paper, "The Role of the Hand in the Evolution of Language."(2) This is why we want to refer eTORUS readers to Dr. Schusterman's work, and why we are offering it on www.meetingtent.com.

--Cynthia Tenen