The age of diagnosis : how our obsession with medical labels is making us sicker / O'Sullivan, Suzanne
How our obsession with medical labels is making us sicker
"From a neurologist and award-winning author of The Sleeping Beauties, a meticulous and compassionate exploration of how our culture of medical diagnosis can harm, rather than help, patients. I'm a neurologist. Diagnosis is my bread and butter. So why then would I, an experienced medical doctor, be very careful about which diagnosis I would pursue for myself or would be willing to accept if foisted upon me? We live in an age of diagnosis. The advance of sophisticated genetic sequencing techniques means that we may all soon be screened for potential abnormalities. The internet provides a vast array of information that helps us speculate about our symptoms. Conditions like ADHD and Autism are on the rapid rise, while other new categories like Long Covid are driven by patients themselves. When we are suffering, it feels natural to seek a diagnosis. We want a clear label, understanding, and, of course, treatment. But is diagnosis an unqualified good thing? Could it sometimes even make us worse instead of better? Through the moving stories of real people, neurologist Suzanne O'Sullivan explores the complex world of modern diagnosis, comparing the impact of a medical label to the pain of not knowing. With scientific authority and compassionate storytelling, she opens up new possibilities for how we might approach our health and our suffering"--

Air-borne : the hidden history of the life we breathe / Zimmer, Carl

"The fascinating, untold story of the air we breathe, what lives in it and can make us sick, and the men and women who devoted their lives to showing us how"--

Booster shots : the urgent lessons of measles and the uncertain future of children's health / Ratner, Adam J.

"A pediatrician and infectious disease specialist warns of the resurgence of measles, the anti-vax movement, and how we can prepare for the next pandemic"--

A history of the world in six plagues : how contagion, class, and captivity shaped us, from Cholera to COVID-19 / Bonhomme, Edna

"Epidemic diseases enter the world by chance, but they become catastrophic by human design. With clear-eyed research and lush prose, A History of the World in Six Plagues shows that throughout history, outbreaks of disease have been exacerbated by and gone on to further expand the racial, economic, and sociopolitical divides we allow to fester in times of good health. Princeton-trained historian Edna Bonhomme's examination of humanity's disastrous treatment of pandemic disease takes us across place and time from Port-au-Prince to Tanzania, and from plantation-era America to our modern COVID-19-scarred world to unravel shocking truths about the patterns of discrimination in the face of disease. Based on in-depth research and cultural analysis, Bonhomme explores Cholera, HIV/AIDS, the Spanish Flu, Sleeping Sickness, Ebola, and COVID-19 amidst the backdrop of unequal public policy. But much more than a remarkable history, A History of the World in Six Plagues is also a rising call for change"--

Pieces you'll never get back : a memoir of unlikely survival / Ali, Samina
Pieces you will never get back
"At 29, as a young writer working on her first novel, Samina Ali nearly died giving birth to her son. Miraculously, she survived the unchecked eclampsia that had endangered her pregnancy, instead sustaining major brain injury and falling into a coma as she gave birth. When she woke up, only her deepest memories were intact. Her husband was a stranger to her, she didn't remember having a baby, and any language other than her native Urdu was foreign. Medical consensus was she would never recover -- much less write -- again. Advised to think of her brain as a shattered puzzle, Ali began the long and difficult journey of piecing herself back together: learning to walk, speak, and accomplish basic human tasks alongside her newborn. She attempted to reckon with her past identity as a writer and a wife, and her new identity as a mother. Despite her miraculous survival, the disconnect between the old and the new self was devastating. It would be three years before she felt remotely normal, and seven before she was mended and could fully connect with her son. Ali pairs the story of her "death" and recovery with the parallel narrative of her relationship to her Islamic upbringing and her fluctuating connection to her faith, incorporating meditations on religious narratives of death, the afterlife, resurrection, and reincarnation. Both deeply personal and steeped in religious thought, Pieces You'll Never Get Back is a uniquely propulsive, searching, and ultimately, inspiring work of memoir"--

Stronger : the untold story of muscle in our lives / Gross, Michael Joseph

An account of the history and science of muscle and weight training, from the Trojan War to modern-day research, highlighting how strength-building exercises can prevent and treat chronic diseases, improve quality of life, and challenge age-old biases against muscle.

Unlearn your pain : a 28-day process to reprogram your brain / Schubiner, Howard

"Do you suffer from chronic pain that appears to have no medical cause? So many suffer needlessly from pain diagnosed as migraines, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, or chronic neck, back, abdominal, and pelvic pain, when the real cause is Mind Body Syndrome. Using cutting-edge research, this book shows that the pain is real and that the underlying cause is often due to learned neural circuits in the brain, rather than actual tissue damage. Dr. Schubiner has used this new understanding to develop a unique program to actually reverse pain and research studies support the effectiveness of the program. By reading this book, you'll be able to determine if you have this syndrome and how to overcome it."--Back cover.

Be your own healer : an intuitive doctor's guide to activating your innate abilities through mindbody medicine / Menounos, Maria

Dr. Kim D'Eramo explores the body's ability to heal itself and the role of consciousness in health and well-being, offering techniques for mind-body medicine and personal empowerment.

Just one heart : a cardiologist's guide to healing, health, and happiness / Fisher, Jonathan

"In Just One Heart, Dr. Jonathan Fisher, a cardiologist and mindfulness teacher, reveals an integrated approach to wholehearted living and shares the "seven timeless traits of the heart" for holistic health and vitality. Bridging the gap between Western science and Eastern wisdom, this book empowers readers with simple tools and daily practices to manage stress, cultivate lasting joy, and connect with what truly matters. This book is filled with lessons learned from his own struggles through anxiety and burnout, inspiring patient stories, and conversations with more than fifty experts in mind-body health. It is a must-read for healthcare professionals and their patients, compassionate leaders, and anyone seeking to awaken the mind-heart connection. Discover the power of living and leading with just one heart, and take the first step towards a happier, healthier you"--

Get grounded, get well : connect to the Earth to improve your health, well-being, and energy / Sinatra, Stephen T.

"Grounding, the simple act of connecting to the always abundant, nourishing energy of the Earth's surface, has been scientifically and medically proven through numerous studies to have significant positive effects on our physiology. It helps to restore energy, heighten feel-good endorphins, improve circulation, calm heart rates, alleviate stress, and help ensure a better night's sleep, returning the body to a naturally balanced state of homeostasis the way nature intended. It also reduces inflammation-the culprit behind rising health problems today, including heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and even cancer.