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IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CORD: Solving the Mystery of Spinal Cord Regeneration
by Luba VikhanskiIn Search of the Lost Cord is a scientific detective story, the stuff of science fiction en route to science fact. People trapped by the limitation of paralyzed limbs, rendered useless by devastating, catastrophic injuries to their spinal cords, may one day walk again. If the research is successful . . . if the scientists hit on the right strategy for approaching the problem, we may yet see miracles happen.In her new book, science journalist Luba Vikhanski profiles the rapidly developing field of spinal cord injury research. She explains the field’s greatest scientific challenges and introduces us to the pioneers who are working toward what would be a startling breakthrough. Perhaps the most riveting aspect of this international effort is the fact that each of these scientists is approaching the problem in very different ways. In the worldwide race to claim the prize of a cure, we witness a drama in the making.Who will cross the finish line first? Will it be the Swiss scientist Martin Schwab, who has actually managed to heal spinal cords in rats and has restored their ability to walk? Will it be Wise Young, a Rutgers scientist who is pinning his research hopes on drug therapies? Or could Lars Olson of the Swedish Karolinska Institute hold the key to success in his efforts to construct a bridge of slender nerve filaments to connect a once-severed spinal cord? His rats are already flexing their legs.These scientists, and others with unique and creative approaches of their own, have dared to tackle this seemingly unsolvable problem of spinal cord regeneration. Like all major medical and scientific breakthroughs, the “Eureka” moment often seems obvious in hindsight. Perhaps we’ll have the same perspective when the puzzle of spinal cord regeneration is solved and the nerves are indeed healed. Until that time, there’s a race to the finish line, and suspense is building. In Search of the Lost Cord is a trackside seat.
In Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope
by Rana AwdishA riveting first-hand account of a physician who's suddenly a dying patient and her revelation of the horribly misguided standard of care in the medical worldDr. Rana Awdish never imagined that an emergency trip to the hospital would result in hemorrhaging nearly all of her blood volume and losing her unborn first child. But after her first visit, Dr. Awdish spent months fighting for her life, enduring consecutive major surgeries and experiencing multiple overlapping organ failures. At each step of the recovery process, Awdish was faced with something even more unexpected: repeated cavalier behavior from her fellow physicians—indifference following human loss, disregard for anguish and suffering, and an exacting emotional distance. Hauntingly perceptive and beautifully written, In Shock allows the reader to transform alongside Awidsh and watch what she discovers in our carefully-cultivated, yet often misguided, standard of care. Awdish comes to understand the fatal flaws in her profession and in her own past actions as a physician while achieving, through unflinching presence, a crystalline vision of a new and better possibility for us all. As Dr. Awdish finds herself up against the same self-protective partitions she was trained to construct as a medical student and physician, she artfully illuminates the dysfunction of disconnection. Shatteringly personal, and yet wholly universal, she offers a brave road map for anyone navigating illness while presenting physicians with a new paradigm and rationale for embracing the emotional bond between doctor and patient.
In Sickness and In Health
by Richard K. ThomasThe increasing importance of sickness and disability data across health-related disciplines is the focus of this concise but comprehensive resource. It reviews the basics of morbidity at the population level by defining core concepts, analyzing why morbidity has overtaken mortality as central to demographic study, and surveying ways these data are generated, accessed, and measured. Subsequent chapters demonstrate how this knowledge can be used to better understand--and potentially solve--critical public health issues, benefitting not only populations served, but also areas such as health services planning, resource allocation, and health policy-setting. To make this material useful to the most readers, this reference: Explains why and how morbidity data are categorized by health professionals and other data users. Examines various methods of identifying and measuring morbidity data. Identifies demographic and non-demographic factors associated with morbidity. Describes and evaluates sources of U. S. morbidity data. Reviews the current state of morbidity in the U. S. , and what it means for healthcare and society in general. Suggests future uses of morbidity data in reducing health disparities and improving population health. In Sickness and In Health is uniquely relevant to demographers and demography students, public health professionals, and epidemiologists. Its presentation of concepts and applications makes the book a valuable classroom text and a useful guide for those addressing challenges facing U. S. healthcare.
In Sight: My Life in Science and Health Innovation
by Julia LevyIn Sight is a memoir about how a love of science and discovery drove Julia Levy, a celebrated scholar and biotech CEO, to work her way through gender bias in order to achieve academic and professional recognition. Her story traces the unconventional invention of a breakthrough drug treatment from its development from laboratory research to its application as a medical treatment for vision loss. Told from a female perspective, In Sight is a unique and personal story covering Levy’s early years as a refugee, her university training in the UK and her appointment as professor at the University of British Columbia. Years spent as an academic led the author to unexpected exposure to the biotechnology industry and a chance meeting with colleagues that led to the formation of a lucrative biotechnology company, known today as QLT Inc. The bulk of the book covers the years spent building the company, and Levy’s surprising transition from chief scientific officer to CEO. In Sight is an honest description of the trials of drug development, the tensions inherent in the commercialization of health innovations, and the truly remarkable hurdles faced by women in the scientific community.
In Silico Dreams: How Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology Will Create the Medicines of the Future
by Brian S. HilbushLearn how AI and data science are upending the worlds of biology and medicine In Silico Dreams: How Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology Will Create the Medicines of the Future delivers an illuminating and fresh perspective on the convergence of two powerful technologies: AI and biotech. Accomplished genomics expert, executive, and author Brian Hilbush offers readers a brilliant exploration of the most current work of pioneering tech giants and biotechnology startups who have already started disrupting healthcare. The book provides an in-depth understanding of the sources of innovation that are driving the shift in the pharmaceutical industry away from serendipitous therapeutic discovery and toward engineered medicines and curative therapies. In this fascinating book, you'll discover: An overview of the rise of data science methods and the paradigm shift in biology that led to the in silico revolution An outline of the fundamental breakthroughs in AI and deep learning and their applications across medicine A compelling argument for the notion that AI and biotechnology tools will rapidly accelerate the development of therapeutics A summary of innovative breakthroughs in biotechnology with a focus on gene editing and cell reprogramming technologies for therapeutic development A guide to the startup landscape in AI in medicine, revealing where investments are poised to shape the innovation base for the pharmaceutical industry Perfect for anyone with an interest in scientific topics and technology, In Silico Dreams also belongs on the bookshelves of decision-makers in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, technology, venture capital, and government.
In Silico Methods for Predicting Drug Toxicity
by Emilio BenfenatiThis detailed volume explores in silico methods forpharmaceutical toxicity by combiningthe theoretical advanced research with the practical application of the tools. Beginning with a section covering sophisticated models addressing the bindingto receptors, pharmacokinetics and adsorption, metabolism, distribution, andexcretion, the book continues with chapters delving into models for specifictoxicological and ecotoxicological endpoints, as well as broad views of themain initiatives and new perspectives which will very likely improve our way ofmodelling pharmaceuticals. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series,chapters include the kind of detailed implementation advice that is key forachieving successful research results. Authoritative and practical, In Silico Methods for Predicting DrugToxicity offers the advantage of incorporating data and knowledge fromdifferent fields, such as chemistry, biology, -omics, and pharmacology, toachieve goals in this vital area of research.
In Silico Methods for Predicting Drug Toxicity (Methods in Molecular Biology #2425)
by Emilio BenfenatiThis fully updated book explores all-new and revised protocols involving the use of in silico models, particularly with regard to pharmaceuticals. Divided into five sections, the volume covers the modeling of pharmaceuticals in the body, toxicity data for modeling purposes, in silico models for multiple endpoints, a number of platforms for evaluating pharmaceuticals, as well as an exploration of challenges, both scientific and sociological. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include the kind of detail and implementation advice necessary for successful results. Authoritative and comprehensive, In Silico Methods for Predicting Drug Toxicity, Second Edition aims to guide the reader through the correct procedures needed to harness in silico models, a field which now touches a wide variety of research specialties.
In Silico Modeling of Drugs Against Coronaviruses: Computational Tools and Protocols (Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology)
by Kunal RoyThis essential volume explores a variety of tools and protocols of structure-based (homology modeling, molecular docking, molecular dynamics, protein-protein interaction network) and ligand-based (pharmacophore mapping, quantitative structure-activity relationships or QSARs) drug design for ranking and prioritization of candidate molecules in search of effective treatment strategy against coronaviruses. Beginning with an introductory section that discusses coronavirus interactions with humanity and COVID-19 in particular, the book then continues with sections on tools and methodologies, literature reports and case studies, as well as online tools and databases that can be used for computational anti-coronavirus drug research. Written for the Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology series, chapters include the kind of practical detail and implementation advice that ensures high quality results in the lab. Comprehensive and timely, In Silico Modeling of Drugs Against Coronaviruses: Computational Tools and Protocols is an ideal reference for researchers working on the development of novel anti-coronavirus drugs for SARS-CoV-2 and for coronaviruses that will likely appear in the future.
In Silico Models for Drug Discovery
by Sandhya KortagereInfectious diseases caused by viruses, parasites, bacteria, and fungi are the number one cause of death worldwide. Although new technologies have improved diagnosis of infectious diseases, the efficacy of all known current anti-infective agents is threatened by the spread of drug-resistant forms of the pathogens. Hence, there remains an urgent need to develop anti-infective agents that target drug-resistant pathogens. In Silico Models for Drug Discovery presents a comprehensive look at the role in silico models play in understanding infectious diseases and in developing novel therapeutics to treat them. Written by leading experts in the field, chapters cover topics such as techniques to derive novel antimicrobial targets, methods of interpreting polypharmacology-based drug target networks, and molecular dynamics techniques used to compute binding energies of drugs to their target proteins, to name a few. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series or in review article format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, In Silico Models for Drug Discovery seeks to serve both professionals and novices involved in the study and treatment of infectious diseases.
In Silico Tools for Gene Discovery
by Marcus Hinchcliffe Bing YuAs functional genomics has become one of the major focuses in molecular biology, the need for more sophisticated tools to assist in the identification of the functionality of undefined genes and the correlation of DNA variants with a particular phenotype has increased greatly. In Silico Tools for Gene Discovery collects many common and useful in silico tools available today. The volume begins by investigating locus mapping information on linkage analysis, association mapping, integrative analysis, and exome analysis as well as tools for DNA marker selection, in silico PCR, and statistical analysis. It continues with a section on gene discovery from a defined locus, including gene prioritization, knowledge tracking, and data mining, and concludes with several useful in silico tools presented for the functional characterization of genes, which include DNA sequencing analysis, variant characterization, as well as RNA and protein analysis. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and vital notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Resourceful and easy to follow, In Silico Tools for Gene Discovery seeks to facilitate scientists with further key research on locus mapping, to accelerate gene identification, and to help ascertain the functionality of DNA variation.
In Situ Bioavailability and Toxicity of Organic Chemicals in Aquatic Systems (Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology)
by Thomas-Benjamin Seiler Markus BrinkmannThis detailed volume examines the complex study of the assessment of in situ bioavailability and toxicity of organic chemicals in aquatic systems with a toolbox of reliable techniques. Beginning with a section on approaches for chemical analytical and bioanalytical techniques in bioavailability research, the book continues with methods to monitor effects in situ and conduct bioassays to assess the effects of complex environmental samples. It concludes with descriptions of various computational models. Written for the Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology series, chapters feature the kind of expert implementation advice that leads to greater success in the field. Authoritative and versatile, In Situ Bioavailability and Toxicity of Organic Chemicals in Aquatic Systems serves as an ideal guide to aid in tackling the challenge of analyzing and understanding chemical pollution in aquatic systems.
In Situ Hybridization Protocols
by K. H. ChooThirty-one detailed, practical chapters many by the originators themselves present easy-to-follow protocols of in situ hybridization techniques for mapping DNA sequences onto chromosomes, quantitation/localization of RNA in tissues, and detection of virus nucleic acids. The methods serve molecular biologists in most areas of basic and applied research, and in every sort of organism ranging from viruses to Drosophila to humans. The expert contributors provide step-by-step instructions for the preparation of probes for DNA, teleomeric repeats, cDNA sequences, small synthetic oligomers, whole cosmids, mega-size YACs, and chromosome-specific paints from somatic cell hybrids and flow-sorted chromosomes. They also present radioactive and nonradioactive probe labeling procedures with the use of nick translation, random priming, multicolor labeling, PRINS labeling of DNA and RNA, and PCR in situ hybridization. Color illustrations enhance the text. Troubleshooting tips, alternative ways of doing things, and informative explanations of why certain steps are done -- aids not usually found in standard journal recipes -- guarantee a significant difference in the outcome of experiments.
In the Blink of an Eye
by Andrew W. ArtensteinThis book is an account of a major historical event, in the world of medicine. As the son of one of the lead scientists who developed the vaccine for meningococcal meningitis, Andrew Artenstein has a unique perspective on the story. In the Blink of an Eye shares his experience.
In the Blood: How Two Outsiders Solved a Centuries-Old Medical Mystery and Took On the US Army
by Charles BarberThe "high-stakes" true story of how an absent-minded inventor and a down-on-his-luck salesman joined forces to create a once‑in‑a‑generation lifesaving product: "Suspenseful storytelling helps us see and feel the struggle and frustration, the sweat and tears . . . Inspiring&” (Robert Kolker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road). At the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, dramatized by the popular film Black Hawk Down, the majority of soldiers who died were killed instantly or bled to death before they could reach an operating table. This tragedy reinforced the need for a revolutionary treatment that could transform trauma medicine. So, when Frank Hursey and Bart Gullong—who had no medical or military experience—discovered that a cheap, crushed rock called zeolite had blood‑clotting properties, they brought it to the military's attention. The Marines and the Navy adopted the resulting product, QuikClot, immediately. The Army, however, resisted. It had two products of its own being developed to prevent excessive bleeds, one of which had already cost tens of millions of dollars. The other, "Factor Seven," had a more dangerous complication: its side effects could be deadly. Unwilling to let its efforts end in failure—and led by the highly influential surgeon Colonel John Holcomb—the Army set out to smear QuikClot&’s reputation. Over the course of six years, Hursey and Gullong engaged in an epic struggle with Holcomb for recognition. Ultimately, a whistle‑blower inside the Army challenged the Army&’s embrace of Factor Seven, which resulted in a massive lawsuit led by the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit focused further attention on the financial ties between the pharmaceutical company that produced Factor Seven and Holcomb&’s research institute. By withholding QuikClot—which later became the medical miracle of the Iraq War—and in the use of Factor Seven with its known, life-threatening risks of heart attacks and strokes, the lives of countless soldiers were imperiled. Using deep reportage and riveting prose, In the Blood recounts this little‑known David‑and‑Goliath story of corruption, greed, and power within the military—and the devastating consequences of unchecked institutional arrogance.
In the Body of the World: A Memoir of Cancer and Connection
by Eve EnslerFrom the bestselling author of The Vagina Monologues and one of Newsweek's 150 Women Who Changed the World, a visionary memoir of separation and connection—to the body, the self, and the worldPlaywright, author, and activist Eve Ensler has devoted her life to the female body—how to talk about it, how to protect and value it. Yet she spent much of her life disassociated from her own body—a disconnection brought on by her father's sexual abuse and her mother's remoteness. "Because I did not, could not inhabit my body or the Earth," she writes, "I could not feel or know their pain."But Ensler is shocked out of her distance. While working in the Congo, she is shattered to encounter the horrific rape and violence inflicted on the women there. Soon after, she is diagnosed with uterine cancer, and through months of harrowing treatment, she is forced to become first and foremost a body—pricked, punctured, cut, scanned. It is then that all distance is erased. As she connects her own illness to the devastation of the earth, her life force to the resilience of humanity, she is finally, fully—and gratefully—joined to the body of the world.Unflinching, generous, and inspiring, Ensler calls on us all to embody our connection to and responsibility for the world.
In the Company of My Sisters: My Story, My Truth
by Karen Eubanks JacksonDance as though no one is watching you Love as though you have never been hurt Sing as though no one can hear you Live as though heaven is here on earth - Anonymous For millions of women, the words "You have breast cancer" are a harsh reality. For Black women, those words hit especially hard as the mortality rate for Black women is staggering. It's a battle Karen Eubanks Jackson knows all too well. A FOUR-time breast cancer survivor, Jackson has used her triumphs, tragedies and lessons learned to inspire others. Now, she’s sharing it all in this evocative new book, In the Company of My Sisters. First diagnosed in 1993, Jackson knew little about the disease, despite the fact that she’d had a relative die from breast cancer. It was, after all, a silent shame the family kept. Determined to educate herself, Jackson devoured herself in research. And when she couldn’t find information or support specifically for Black women, she set out to fill that void, creating Sisters Network Inc., the only national survivorship-run organization designed to increase local and national attention to the devastating impact that breast cancer has in the Black community. In the Company of My Sisters is Jackson’s story. Her truth in battling the disease for 27 years. How she survived. How she succeeded and built a national sisterhood of Black breast cancer survivors. How she hopes to continue inspiring and educating others along the way. The book is filled with personal experiences and observations from Jackson as well as other survivors, this book will give insight into what shaped Jackson into a woman able to beat breast cancer – again and again and again. And with all the valuable information Jackson has accumulated over the years, the book will also serve as a one-stop resource for all your breast cancer questions. For those battling breast cancer, those walking the journey with survivors, and those who just want to educate themselves, In the Company of My Sisters will inspire you by the beauty and strength of the human spirit and why Jackson has made it her life’s mission change the course of the narrative surrounding the disease and help Black women take action to beat breast cancer.
In the Footsteps of the Yellow Emperor
by Peter EckmanAcupuncture now enjoys immense popularity as a major form of alternative healing in the West. Once considered mysterious and exotic, acupuncture dates from before the first century BC and the Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic), one of ancient China's earliest philosophical and medicinal texts. What makes it so popular today? How did the traditions of acupuncture evolve, migrate, and adapt to different societies worldwide?Originally published in 1996 to great acclaim, this updated paperback edition of In the Footsteps of the Yellow Emperor offers a fascinating and highly readable account of one doctor's personal and professional quest to explore the healing traditions of Asia, its rich historical lineage, and its subsequent transmission to contemporary Europe and North America. It is a must-have book in the healing arts for all practitioners and general-interest readers. Peter Eckman, MD, PhD (New York University), MAc (College of Traditional Acupuncture, Leamington Spa, England) is editor of The Essential Book of Traditional Chinese Medicine and co-author of Closing the Circle: Lectures on the Unity of Traditional Oriental Medicine. He has a medical practice in San Francisco.
In the Kingdom of the Sick: A Social History of Chronic Illness in America
by Laurie EdwardsThirty 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. <p><p> 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. <p><p> 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.
In the Land of the Living: A Novel
by Austin RatnerA dazzling story of fathers, sons, and brothers - bound by love, divided by history The Auberons are a lovably neurotic, infernally intelligent family who love and hate each other-and themselves-- in equal measure. Driven both by grief at his young mother's death and war with his distant, abusive immigrant father, patriarch Isidore almost attains the life of his dreams: he works his way through Harvard and then medical school; he marries a beautiful and even-keeled girl; in his father-in-law, he finds the father he always wanted; and he becomes a father himself. He has talent, but he also has rage, and happiness is not meant to be his for very long. Isidore's sons, Leo and Mack, haunted by the mythic, epic proportions of their father's heroics and the tragic events that marked their early lives, have alternately relied upon and disappointed one another since the day Mack was born. For Leo, who is angry at the world but angrier at himself, the burden of the past shapes his future: sexual awakening, first love, and restless attempts live up to his father's ideals. Just when Leo reaches a crossroads between potential self-destruction and new freedom, Mack invites him on a road trip from Los Angeles to Cleveland. As the brothers make their way east, and towards understanding, their battles and reconciliations illuminate the power of family to both destroy and empower-and the price and rewards of independence. Part family saga, part coming-of-age story, In the Land of the Living is a kinetic, fresh, bawdy yet earnest shot to the heart of a novel about coping with death, and figuring out how and why to live.
In the Mind Fields
by Casey Schwartz"Everywhere I looked it seemed that we were being defined by what our brains were doing . . . Everywhere, there were hucksters and geniuses, all trying to colonize the new world of the brain." "I'd never been a science person," Casey Schwartz declares at the beginning of her far-reaching quest to understand how we define ourselves. Nevertheless, in her early twenties, she was drawn to the possibilities and insights emerging on the frontiers of brain research. Over the next decade she set out to meet the neuroscientists and psychoanalysts engaged with such questions as, How do we perceive the world, make decisions, or remember our childhoods? Are we using the brain? Or the mind? To what extent is it both? Schwartz discovered that neuroscience and psychoanalysis are engaged in a conflict almost as old as the disciplines themselves. Many neuroscientists, if they think about psychoanalysis at all, view it as outdated, arbitrary, and subjective, while many psychoanalysts decry neuroscience as lacking the true texture of human experience. With passion and humor, Schwartz explores the surprising efforts to find common ground. Beginning among the tweedy Freudians of North London and proceeding to laboratories, consulting rooms, and hospital bedsides around the world, Schwartz introduces a cast of pioneering characters, from Mark Solms, a South African neuropsychoanalyst with an expertise in dreams, to David Silvers, a psychoanalyst practicing in New York, to Harry, a man who has lost his use of language in the wake of a stroke but who nevertheless benefits from Silvers's analytic technique. In the Mind Fields is a riveting view of the convictions, obsessions, and struggles of those who dedicate themselves to the effort to understand the mysteries of inner life.From the Hardcover edition.
In the Mind's Eye: Visual Thinkers, Gifted People with Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities, Computer Images and the Ironies of Creativity
by Thomas G. WestExposes myths about conventional intelligence by examining the role of visual-spatial strengths and verbal weaknesses in the lives of 11 gifted individuals, including Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison. Examines research in neuroscience that shows a link between visual talents and verbal difficulties, and discusses developments in computer technology that herald a shift toward the increased use of visual approaches in business and science. This revised edition offers an expanded list of national and international organizations, and an updated bibliography. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
In the Name of Entrepreneurship?
by Susan M. Gates Kristin J. LeuschnerWhat are the differential effects of regulation and policy on small businesses? What is the impact of special regulatory treatment for small businesses? This book sheds light on these issues through analysis of the regulatory and public policy environment with regard to small businesses, including focused studies in four key areas: health insurance, workplace safety, corporate governance, and business organization.
In the Palaces of Memory: How We Build the Worlds Inside Our Heads
by George JohnsonEven as you read these words, a tiny portion of your brain is physically changing. New connections are being sprouted--a circuit that will create a jab of recognition if you encounter the words again. That is one of the theories of memory presented in this intriguing and splendidly readable book, which distills three researchers' inquiries into the processes that enable us to recognize a face that has aged ten years or remember a melody for decades.
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
by Peter A. Levine Gabor MateBased on Gabor Maté's two decades of experience as a medical doctor and his groundbreaking work with the severely addicted on Vancouver's skid row, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts radically reenvisions this much misunderstood field by taking a holistic approach. Dr. Maté presents addiction not as a discrete phenomenon confined to an unfortunate or weak-willed few, but as a continuum that runs throughout (and perhaps underpins) our society; not a medical "condition" distinct from the lives it affects, rather the result of a complex interplay among personal history, emotional, and neurological development, brain chemistry, and the drugs (and behaviors) of addiction. Simplifying a wide array of brain and addiction research findings from around the globe, the book avoids glib self-help remedies, instead promoting a thorough and compassionate self-understanding as the first key to healing and wellness. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts argues persuasively against contemporary health, social, and criminal justice policies toward addiction and those impacted by it. The mix of personal stories--including the author's candid discussion of his own "high-status" addictive tendencies--and science with positive solutions makes the book equally useful for lay readers and professionals.From the Trade Paperback edition.
In the Shadow of Diagnosis: Psychiatric Power and Queer Life
by Regina KunzelA look at the history of psychiatry’s foundational impact on the lives of queer and gender-variant people. In the mid-twentieth century, American psychiatrists proclaimed homosexuality a mental disorder, one that was treatable and amenable to cure. Drawing on a collection of previously unexamined case files from St. Elizabeths Hospital, In the Shadow of Diagnosis explores the encounter between psychiatry and queer and gender-variant people in the mid- to late-twentieth-century United States. It examines psychiatrists’ investments in understanding homosexuality as a dire psychiatric condition, a judgment that garnered them tremendous power and authority at a time that historians have characterized as psychiatry’s “golden age.” That stigmatizing diagnosis made a deep and lasting impact, too, on queer people, shaping gay life and politics in indelible ways. In the Shadow of Diagnosis helps us understand the adhesive and ongoing connection between queerness and sickness.