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A Social History of Chronic Illness in America
Walker & Co.
April 2013
On Sale: April 9, 2013
243 pages
ISBN: 0802718019
EAN: 9780802718013
Kindle: B009SJZIE2
Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction
Thirty years ago, Susan Sontag wrote, "Everyone who is born
holds dual citizenship in the kingdom of the well and the
kingdom of the sick ... Sooner or later each of us is
obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as
citizens of that other place." Now more than 133 million
Americans live with chronic illness, accounting for nearly
three-quarters of all health care dollars, and untold pain
and disability.
There has been an alarming rise in
illnesses that defy diagnosis through clinical tests or have
no known cure. Millions of people, especially women, with
illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain,
and chronic fatigue syndrome face skepticism from physicians
and the public alike. And people with diseases as varied as
cardiovascular disease, HIV, certain cancers, and type 2
diabetes have been accused of causing their preventable
illnesses through their lifestyle choices.
We must
balance our faith in medical technology with awareness of
the limits of science, and confront our throwback beliefs
that people who are sick have weaker character than those
who are well. Through research and patient narratives,
health writer Laurie Edwards explores patient rights, the
role of social media in medical advocacy, the origins of our
attitudes about chronic illness, and much more. What The
Noonday Demon did for people suffering from depression,
In the Kingdom of the Sick does for those who are
chronically ill.
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