Purchase
Celebrity Patients and How We Look at Medicine
Johns Hopkins University Press
December 2006
On Sale: November 20, 2006
342 pages
ISBN: 0801884624
EAN: 9780801884627
Hardcover
Add to Wish List
Non-Fiction
Steve McQueen had cancer and was keeping it secret. Then the
media found out, and soon all of America knew. McQueen's
high profile changed forever the way the public perceived a
dreaded disease. In When Illness Goes Public, Barron H. Lerner describes the
evolution of celebrities' illnesses from private matters to
stories of great public interest. Famous people who have
become symbols of illness include Lou Gehrig, the first
"celebrity patient"; Rita Hayworth, whose Alzheimer disease
went undiagnosed for years; and Arthur Ashe, who
courageously went public with his AIDS diagnosis before the
media could reveal his secret. And then there are private
citizens like Barney Clark, the first recipient of a
permanent artificial heart, and Lorenzo Odone, whose
neurological disorder became the subject of a Hollywood film. While celebrity illnesses have helped to inform patients
about treatment options, ethical controversies, and
scientific proof, the stories surrounding these illnesses
have also assumed mythical characteristics that may be
misleading. Marrying great storytelling to an exploration of
the intersection of science, journalism, fame, and legend,
this book is a groundbreaking contribution to our
understanding of health and illness.
Comments
No comments posted.
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
| 
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy