For years, I suffered from extremely painful periods and terrible mood swings before my period. I chalked this up to being a bad person. When I was in my thirties, I found out I had PMDD: premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Researchers have known about PMDD for years, yet it still takes over a decade to get a diagnosis. I got mad, and I got curious. What was going on? I went hunting for books to explain what we know about periods and why we don’t talk about them. The books on this list answered many of my questions—I hope they answer yours.
In a world where women’s reproductive health is stigmatized, under-researched, and subsequently untreated, Dr. Karen Tang is a breath of fresh air. She’s the gynecologist we all deserve.
Her book walks through gynecological disorders in clear, easy-to-understand language, with doses of humor. I wanted to bring it with me to every appointment I’ve ever had (and maybe throw it in the face of one or two unsympathetic doctors.)
An inclusive and essential new resource for reproductive health—including period problems, pelvic pain, menopause, fertility, sexual health, vaginal and urinary conditions, and overall wellbeing—from leading expert and fierce advocate Dr. Karen Tang
Did you know that up to 90% of women experience menstrual abnormalities or pelvic issues in their lifetime? Yet these conditions are overwhelmingly misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or dismissed. The root causes for these issues, such as PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, PMDD, or pelvic floor dysfunction, don’t receive the stream of funding for research and new treatments that other conditions do, despite affecting up to half the population.
At age 36, I was juggling work as a family doctor and clinic director for people without insurance while raising two young daughters. It was exhausting and often demoralizing, but at least I had my health. Until I didn’t. I woke up dizzy one morning, and then developed double vision and taste changes. It was multiple sclerosis, a leading cause of disability in young adults. As I started to process my new “life sentence” with MS, I turned to medical memoirs, as sources of inspiration and validation. I then started to share my own story – part of my healing – in articles, blogs, and now a book, Up the Down Escalator.
Dr. Rana Awdish, a critical care physician, describes the sudden and catastrophic illness that causes a miscarriage and lands her in the ICU, in multi-organ failure, at the hospital where she works.
Her arduous recovery is nothing short of a miracle. I appreciated her perspective as a physician, trying to advocate for herself, even while she is seriously ill. She draws on stories of her patients and shares her well-founded frustrations with our healthcare system.
This powerful story will be appreciated by those who have experienced a serious illness and anyone who works in health care.
'Tense, powerful and gripping... her writing style is often nothing short of beautiful - evocative and emotional.' Adam Kay, Observer
At seven months pregnant, intensive care doctor Rana Awdish suffered a catastrophic medical event, haemorrhaging nearly all of her blood volume and losing her first child. She spent months fighting for her life in her own hospital, enduring a series of organ failures and multiple major surgeries.
Every step of the way, Awdish was faced with something even more unexpected and shocking than her battle to survive: her fellow doctors' inability to see and acknowledge the pain of loss and…
Rina Raphael discusses what's wrong and right about the wellness industry. She cites research articles and studies all throughout the book, not something you see in your fitfluencers post or hear on The Today Show. She tells us why a study wasn't significant or how savvy marketing somehow became known as a scientific fact.
I've accidentally shared some of the misinformation she discusses and feel duped for believing it. But I'm much more informed now. I resisted some of it but checked my bias at the door several times. I threw away my embarrassment of what I believed. I told everyone that we can no longer have grocery-shame, fit-shame, and self-care shame after reading this book!
'An excellent expose of the "wellness" industry' Daily Telegraph
'Revealing' Sunday Times Style
'Excellent ... Rina really knows her sh*t' Jameela Jamil
'Next level revelatory' Sarah Knight, internationally-bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck
What happens when the cure becomes as bad as the disease?
Women are pursuing their health like never before. Whether it's juicing, biohacking, clutching crystals, or sipping collagen, today there is something for everyone, as the wellness industry has grown from modest roots into a $4.4 trillion movement, promising health and vitality in the most fashionable package. So why are we suddenly…
Born and raised in the Chicago area, I worked in the automotive industry as a car salesperson and racing team manager, financial services as a Registered Representative, and a member of the Chicago Board Options Exchange. An expat in Panama since 2004, I worked in business development for several healthcare products and co-founded an air medical transport service. Over the last decade, I’ve represented two businesses delivering protective medical care to high-net-worth individuals where I learned care’s gold standard from former White House physicians. My research included the books I recommend here and inspired me to write the Expat Health Guide for current and future expats.
Ever hear of MLR or Medical Loss Ratio? I had, but it didn’t click why it was a cruel joke on American healthcare consumers until I read Marshall’s book. His give a kid a bowl of ice cream analogy is so spot on that I asked for and received his permission to quote it in my book. My dad used to say that a sure sign of genius is making a complex subject understandable to an eighth grader. Marshall’s a genius. His insights stem from over 15 years of investigative reporting on the healthcare industry are critical to combatting a downright evil billing system. Whenever a friend mentions they’ve been in the hospital, or will be, I tell them to read this book.
From award-winning ProPublica reporter Marshall Allen, a primer for anyone who wants to fight the predatory health care system--and win.
Every year, millions of Americans are overcharged and underserved while the health care industry makes record profits. We know something is wrong, but the layers of bureaucracy designed to discourage complaints make pushing back seem impossible. At least, this is what the health care power players want you to think.
Never Pay the First Bill is the guerilla guide to health care the American people and employers need. Drawing on 15 years of investigating the health care industry, reporter Marshall…
My mother wanted me to be a physician, but as a child I was very squeamish about human biology and knew that wasn't for me. In college I was exposed to economics and found it, and the policy debates about national health insurance, fascinating. So, maybe with my mother’s wishes in the back of my mind, I became a health economist. I was privileged to direct a large randomized trial called the RAND Health Insurance Experiment, which varied the cost of medical care to families. This project lasted more than a decade and got me so deep into the economics of health and medical care that I became a professor of health policy and management.
This book, by three eminent economists who themselves have advanced the theory of insurance markets, describes in non-technical terms exactly what its title promises, why insurance markets fail.
In other words, it describes why public intervention is necessary to make insurance function well. The public intervention can take many forms, ranging from subsidies to national health services, but no industrialized country leaves health insurance entirely to a private market.
An engaging and accessible examination of what ails insurance markets-and what to do about it-by three leading economists
Why is dental insurance so crummy? Why is pet insurance so expensive? Why does your auto insurer ask for your credit score? The answer to these questions lies in understanding how insurance works. Unlike the market for other goods and services-for instance, a grocer who doesn't care who buys the store's broccoli or carrots-insurance providers are more careful in choosing their customers, because some are more expensive than others.
Unraveling the mysteries of insurance markets, Liran Einav, Amy Finkelstein, and Ray Fisman…
It’s hard to say I love this
book because it is not an easy book to read—even though I read it compulsively.
Beth Macy is a great journalist who spent years covering the opioid crisis as
it was developing. It is tricky to turn social ills into narratives in
non-fiction, but Macy doesn’t use cheap tricks to grab her readers by the
throat.
Her research and compassion—and well-placed anger—drive this
investigation of a terrible epidemic driven by greed. Yet Macy paints with a
nuanced brush, delving into the complexity of modern life that paved the way
for this heartbreaking and horrifying scourge.
Journalist Beth Macy's definitive account of America's opioid epidemic "masterfully interlaces stories of communities in crisis with dark histories of corporate greed and regulatory indifference" (New York Times) -- from the boardroom to the courtroom and into the living rooms of Americans. In this extraordinary work, Beth Macy takes us into the epicenter of a national drama that has unfolded over two decades. From the labs and marketing departments of big pharma to local doctor's offices; wealthy suburbs to distressed small communities in Central Appalachia; from distant cities to once-idyllic farm towns; the spread of opioid addiction follows a tortuous…
I am the former president of Pfizer Global Research, where I led research groups around the globe in finding new medicines to treat cancer, addiction, AIDS, immunological diseases, and pain. After retiring from Pfizer, I have been closely involved with biotech companies that also are seeking breakthrough drugs. This industry is a crucial part of the healthcare ecosystem, as evidenced by the remarkable response and, ultimately, the crushing of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, it is not just underappreciated but is treated with scorn by many. This booklist provides sources from which the reader can gain a full understanding of the value of the biopharmaceutical industry, the challenges it faces, and its importance to the world’s health.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been burned into the memory of the world. While millions died as a result of this virus, many more would have died if not for the discovery, development, and deployment of the mRNA vaccines. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla takes you behind the scenes of the race to find this breakthrough vaccine, detailing the risks undertaken, the challenges that were faced, and the crises that were ultimately overcome to save the world.
I found this riveting account inspiring from both a scientific and leadership perspective.
The exclusive, first-hand, behind-the-scenes story of how Pfizer raced to create the first Covid-19 vaccine, told by Pfizer's CEO Dr. Albert Bourla
A riveting, fast-paced, inside look at one of the most incredible private sector achievements in history, Moonshot recounts the intensive nine months in 2020 when the scientists at Pfizer, under the visionary leadership of Dr. Albert Bourla, made "the impossible possible"-creating, testing, and manufacturing a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine that previously would have taken years to develop.
Dr. Bourla chronicles how the brilliant, dedicated minds at Pfizer, under the enormous strains of the global pandemic, overcame a…
I am the former president of Pfizer Global Research, where I led research groups around the globe in finding new medicines to treat cancer, addiction, AIDS, immunological diseases, and pain. After retiring from Pfizer, I have been closely involved with biotech companies that also are seeking breakthrough drugs. This industry is a crucial part of the healthcare ecosystem, as evidenced by the remarkable response and, ultimately, the crushing of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, it is not just underappreciated but is treated with scorn by many. This booklist provides sources from which the reader can gain a full understanding of the value of the biopharmaceutical industry, the challenges it faces, and its importance to the world’s health.
Legislators and healthcare insurers are seeking ways to slash healthcare costs, often focusing on cutting the costs of medicines through schemes like price controls. Yet, drugs make up only about 13 percent of the money paid on healthcare. This book does a great job of explaining what is behind the pricing of new drugs but, more importantly, shows that all life-saving drugs eventually become low-cost generics – truly a Great American Drug Deal.
This book scrutinizes all players in the healthcare industry and offers new ideas for cost-saving measures, such as closing loopholes, dealing with bad actors, and educating consumers. If you want to understand how best to balance innovation and affordability, this book is a must-read.
Developing life-changing drugs is risky and expensive—but that’s not what makes them unaffordable.Drug pricing is a staple of every news cycle and political debate. And while we’ve struggled for decades to agree on solutions that serve all patients without jeopardizing the invention of new medicines, many Americans suffer because they can’t afford the drugs they need.Do we really have to choose between affordability and innovation?In The Great American Drug Deal, scientist and industry expert Peter Kolchinsky answers this question with a decisive No. The pharmaceutical industry’s commitment to creating new lifesaving drugs destined to become inexpensive generics can be balanced…
To me, good non-fiction is as page-turning as the most captivating fiction. Michael Lewis’s books do just that, and The Premonition is no exception.
Much like he did in The Big Short, Lewis offers an insight into how the unthinkable can happen and happen quite easily.
In this case, a global pandemic is seen coming by some very smart people, but people who are considered outsiders to the powers that be: big business, the CDC, the World Health Organization, state governments, and the US government, especially the Trump administration. Had these so-called outsiders - with their clear-cut proof, exceptional experience and intellect, and stellar reputations - been listened to and their advice acted upon, the greatest pandemic in US history could have been avoided.
Lewis’s tale is told at the personal level, revealing that no one is in charge when it comes to health care at the national and…
Fortunately, we are still a nation of sceptics. Fortunately, there are those among us who study pandemics and are willing to look unflinchingly at worst-case scenarios. Michael Lewis's taut and brilliant nonfiction thriller pits a band of medical visionaries against the wall of ignorance that was the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of COVID-19.
The characters you will meet in these pages are as fascinating as they are unexpected. A thirteen-year-old girl's science project on transmission of an airborne pathogen develops into a very grown-up model of disease control. A local public-health officer uses her worm's-eye…
