AT THE WILL OF THE BODY: Reflections on Illness

by Arthur W. Frank ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1991

The ultimate value of illness is that it teaches us the value of being alive,"" maintains Frank, a medical sociologist who twice experienced serious illness and found the experience a rewarding opportunity for self-reflection. To learn from illness, Frank says, one must experience it actively: think about it, talk about it, and, in his case, write about--and then let go of it and move on. Frank includes details of his own illnesses when they are relevant, but this is by no means a case history. Rather, it is a thoughtful exploration of what it means to be ill and what can be learned not just about illness but about life itself from the changed perspective illness affords. Rejecting the metaphor of illness as a fight, he sees it instead as a long struggle in which one must trust the body's will (while getting as much medical help as possible). He rejects the idea of control, by doctor or by patient, recommending that one ""recognize the wonder of the body"" and acknowledge its control. He legitimizes the patient's feelings of loss, fear, and frustration, and exposes the costs of the cheerfulness and bravery that society demands of the ill. Frank takes care to distinguish between treatment of disease and care of the ill, and also cautions against expecting medical personnel to be adept at the latter. A deeply personal and well-considered look at the nature of illness by one whose life has been changed by it.

Pub Date: March 1, 1991

ISBN: 0618219293

Page Count: -

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1991

Categories: NONFICTION