Wellness is more than just the absence of illness. It incorporates the whole being, body, mind and spirit. Physicians and psychiatrists have studied and written about wellness for decades (at least), so we know their interest in wellness is far from being some new-fangled, new-age fad.

When you're ready to dive deeper into the subject, here are just a few highly recommended books about getting and being wholly well to get you started.

"Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" by Robert M. Sapolsky (Holt Paperbacks, third edition 2004, $19)
"This book is a primer about stress, stress-related disease, and the mechanisms of coping with stress. How is it that our bodies can adapt to some stressful emergencies, while other ones make us sick? Why are some of us especially vulnerable to stress-related diseases, and what does that have to do with our personalities?" —from the book

"Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness" by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Hyperion, 2005, $24.95)
"In a passionate tour de force that blends personal experience with cutting-edge science (his own and others'), poetry and insights culled from many traditions, Kabat-Zinn sets out to awaken us to the true potential and value of a gift that most of us take for granted: sentience." —Publishers Weekly

"Eating Well for Optimum Health: The Essential Guide to Bringing Health and Pleasure Back to Eating" by Andrew Weil (Harper Paperbacks, 2001, $14.95)
"Weil illuminates the often confusing and conflicting ideas circulating about good nutrition, addressing specific health issues and offering nutritional guidance to help heal and prevent major illnesses." —Publishers Weekly

"The Emotional Wellness Way To Cardiac Health: How Letting Go Of Depression, Anxiety & Anger Can Heal Your Heart" by Arthur Nezu, Christine Nezu and Diwakar Jain (New Harbinger Publications, 2005, $16.95)
"In this book, the first of its kind, experts on the effects of emotions on physical health adapt the latest research on how anxiety, anger, and depression contribute to heart disease into a program readers can employ to achieve a healthier heart." —Publishers Weekly

"Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition" by Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno (Three Rivers Press, 1997, $26)
"[T]his classic naturopathic reference by two naturopathic physicians is still one of the best books on natural medicine for consumers. Comprehensive and easy to use, it discusses some 70 health problems." —Publishers Weekly

"Healing and the Mind" by Bill Moyers (Main Street Books, 1995, $22.95)
"Moyers explores the roles of thoughts and emotions in illness and health through interviews with 16 doctors and scientists. He visits stress-reduction clinics and a cancer patients' support group, and he investigates the new field of psychoneuroimmunology, which emphasizes the importance of patients' attitudes to optimal immune-system functioning." —Publishers Weekly

"The Healthy Mind, Healthy Body Handbook" by David Sobel and Robert Ornstein (Time Life Medical, 1997, $22.99)
"This book not only explains the important benefits of a healthy mind and body in simple, understandable language, but gives you practical ways to improve how you feel today." —from the book

"Minding the Body, Mending the Mind" by Joan Borysenko (Da Capo Press, revised edition 2007, $16.95)
"[A] classic in the field, with time-tested tips on how to take control of your own physical and emotional well-being." —from the book