The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness (Unabridged)
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
A landmark exploration of one of the most consequential and mysterious issues of our time: the rise of chronic illness and autoimmune diseases
A silent epidemic of chronic illnesses afflicts tens of millions of Americans: these are diseases that are poorly understood, frequently marginalized, and can go undiagnosed and unrecognized altogether. Renowned writer Meghan O’Rourke delivers a revelatory investigation into this elusive category of “invisible” illness that encompasses autoimmune diseases, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, and now long COVID, synthesizing the personal and the universal to help all of us through this new frontier.
Drawing on her own medical experiences as well as a decade of interviews with doctors, patients, researchers, and public health experts, O’Rourke traces the history of Western definitions of illness, and reveals how inherited ideas of cause, diagnosis, and treatment have led us to ignore a host of hard-to-understand medical conditions, ones that resist easy description or simple cures. And as America faces this health crisis of extraordinary proportions, the populations most likely to be neglected by our institutions include women, the working class, and people of color.
Blending lyricism and erudition, candor and empathy, O’Rourke brings together her deep and disparate talents and roles as critic, journalist, poet, teacher, and patient, synthesizing the personal and universal into one monumental project arguing for a seismic shift in our approach to disease. The Invisible Kingdom offers hope for the sick, solace and insight for their loved ones, and a radical new understanding of our bodies and our health.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Not being able to diagnose an illness doesn’t make it any less real, as Meghan O’Rourke explains in her compelling memoir of chronic illness and autoimmune disease. O’Rourke’s myriad symptoms began in the late 1990s, and after years of trying to navigate the medical maze, she was eventually diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease. O’Rourke is completely unfiltered, dealing with her experiences openly, honestly, and in often-graphic detail. You can hear the frustration and loneliness in her voice as she narrates her ordeals with modern medicine and the culture surrounding it. Peppered with scientific deep dives into topics like the immune system and the body’s microbiome, The Invisible Kingdom is a stunning listen that makes a strong case for why our approach to health and illness needs to change.
