Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer
From the celebrated author of Nickel and Dimed , Barbara Ehrenreich explores how we are killing ourselves to live longer, not better. A razor-sharp polemic which offers an entirely new understanding of our bodies, ourselves, and our place in the universe, Natural Causes describes how we over-prepare and worry way too much about what is inevitable. One by one, Ehrenreich topples the shibboleths that guide our attempts to live a long, healthy life -- from the importance of preventive medical screenings to the concepts of wellness and mindfulness, from dietary fads to fitness culture. But Natural Causes goes deeper -- into the fundamental unreliability of our bodies and even our mind-bodies, to use the fashionable term. Starting with the mysterious and seldom-acknowledged tendency of our own immune cells to promote deadly cancers, Ehrenreich looks into the cellular basis of aging, and shows how little control we actually have over it. We tend to believe we have agency over our bodies, our minds, and even over the manner of our deaths. But the latest science shows that the microscopic subunits of our bodies make their own decisions, and not always in our favor. We may buy expensive anti-aging products or cosmetic surgery, get preventive screenings and eat more kale, or throw ourselves into meditation and spirituality. But all these things offer only the illusion of control. How to live well, even joyously, while accepting our mortality -- that is the vitally important philosophical challenge of this book. Drawing on varied sources, from personal experience and sociological trends to pop culture and current scientific literature, Natural Causes examines the ways in which we obsess over death, our bodies, and our health. Both funny and caustic, Ehrenreich then tackles the seemingly unsolvable problem of how we might better prepare ourselves for the end -- while still reveling in the lives that remain to us.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN-10
1455535915
ISBN-13
9781455535910
eBay Product ID (ePID)
240340549
Product Key Features
Book Title
Natural Causes : An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Topic
Gerontology, Death & Dying, General, Healthy Living, Disease & Health Issues
Publication Year
2018
Genre
Family & Relationships, Psychology, Health & Fitness, Social Science
Number of Pages
256 Pages
Dimensions
Item Length
8.5in
Item Height
1in
Item Width
6in
Item Weight
13.5 Oz
Additional Product Features
Lc Classification Number
Ra776.5.E38 2018
Reviews
"[Ehrenreich] offers a healthy dose of reformist philosophy combined with her trademark investigative journalism. In assessing our quest for a longer, healthier life, Ehrenreich provides a contemplative vision of an active, engaged health care that goes far beyond the physical restraints of the body and into the realm of metaphysical possibilities."-- Booklist
Copyright Date
2018
Target Audience
Trade
Lccn
2017-041893
Dewey Decimal
155.2
Dewey Edition
23
