The Holistic Handbook of Sauna Therapy contains a detailed index. However, the chapters are already sensibly arranged to help you learn about sauna and apply its benefits to your life:

Chapter 1: The History of Saunas—Social and medical uses of heat therapy around the world from ancient times to the present, including sections on steam baths and hydrotherapy.

Chapter 2: How and Why We Sweat—The physiology of sweating, what heat therapy can and cannot do, dispelling myths about saunas.

Chapter 3: What We Sweat—The effects of harmful chemicals and pollutants; where they come from; and scientific studies on the elimination of heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants during sweating.

Chapter 4: The Three Types of Heat—Comparing far infrared, light steam, heavy steam, and conventional dry heat; understanding the electromagnetic spectrum, including its infrared and far infrared portions; dangers of most ELF fields; and how to apply heat transmission principles to your therapeutic needs and choice of sauna.

Chapter 5: Construction of the Sauna—The sauna building materials most compatible with your chosen heat source; and the sauna type best suited to your heat source, toxicity level, and spatial comfort.

Chapter 6: Who May Use the Sauna and Who Should Not—Medical conditions helped by sauna therapy, when it’s safe to use the sauna, when precautions are advised (and what kind), and when to seek supervision from a health care practitioner.

Chapter 7: How to Take a Sauna—What to do before, during and after a sauna session; how to recognize overheating and heatstroke; and care of the sauna.

Chapter 8: Detoxification Programs for Getting Well and Staying Well—The physiology and biochemistry of detoxification, how to support the liver, suggested nutrients during your detox program, and individual detox protocols that include sauna use from medical specialists across the United States.

Appendix A: A Brief Summary of Ozone—Myths about ozone dispelled, the properties of ozone and how it can heal, and the many applications of ozone (including ozone in sauna cabinets).

Appendix B: Resources—Sauna manufacturers, spa and health organizations, spa-related products, and spas and medical clinics (domestic and international) that use sauna and other heat treatments.

The book is very user-friendly despite its scope and depth. Combining her obvious love of the natural sciences with a talent for presenting complex information in a readable and engaging style, Dr. Sylver explains concepts clearly enough for the layperson, yet with enough scientific documentation to satisfy the most exacting health care practitioner. She literally sweated over this book for three years—almost daily, she took a break from her writing with rejuvenating saunas. Her first-hand knowledge of this wonderful modality, plus her understanding of small details along with the big picture, make this one book you’ll want to read and reread many times.

If you have a health concern or know someone who is ill, if you are curious about how sweating eliminates toxins and the relationship of toxic overload to disease, or if you could use some tips on how to optimize your sauna experience, you will love this book. And if, after your appetite is whetted, you decide to buy your own sauna—or install one in your practice, if you’re a health care provider—you will find this book indispensable. After reading The Holistic Handbook of Sauna Therapy, your relationship to sweating will never be the same.