The foundations of health sciences need rethinking. The mechanistic biomedical model, apparently so successful in the past, is now criticised for failing to explain what health is and how it can be preserved. The world's major health problems no longer seem so controllable.

A new science of health is needed, a radical spirit of inquiry which draws on a broad knowledge base and a variety of approaches, a science which does not balk at reconceptualising health and building on innovative research.

Towards a New Science of Health provides a radical alternative to current biomedical thinking. Presenting an overview of all major paradigms in the health sciences, their historical development, socio-cultural background and value, the book provides a framework for innovative thinking in health. Drawing on a range of disciplinary perspectives and focussing on a variety of approaches - systems theory, human experience and biography, the healing process and social relations - the authors aim to bridge the gap between personal experience and scientific knowledge.