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Cover of Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient by Norman Cousins

Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient

  • 176 pages · about 3 hours
  • First published 1979
  • 12 editions

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1 About this book

The basic theme of this book is that every person must accept a certain measure of responsibility for his or her own recovery from disease or disability. This notion of patient responsibility is not new, of course, but the general philosophy behind the notion has seldom been stated better than in this book. Though the author is a layman, his ideas have achieved wide acceptance by the medical profession. His perceptions about the nature of stress and about the ability of the human mind to mobilize the body's capacity to combat illness are in accord with important findings at leading medical research centers.

The author recounts his personal experiences while working in close collaboration with his doctor to overcome a crippling and supposedly irreversible disease, and illustrates the life-saving and ultimately life-prolonging benefits to be gained by taking responsibility for one's own well-being.

Good for readers who want: a true life story, philosophy, and psychology.

  • Biography
  • Healing
  • Holistic medicine
  • Medical Philosophy
  • Medicine
  • Mind and body
  • Philosophy
  • Psychology

2 About Norman Cousins

1912–1990

Norman Cousins (June 24, 1915 – November 30, 1990) was an American political journalist, author, professor, and world peace through world state advocate.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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