Health Sociology

Birth control offers women the opportunity to prevent pregnancy, plan and space their births, or have no births at all. And yet, in the United States, half of all pregnancies remain unintended, and access to birth control is beset by inequities in education, access, and coverage. Birth Control: What Everyone Needs to Know will offer more than a user's guide to available means of contraception: it will examine how supported family-planning infrastructure impacts society as a whole.

Every day we speak to ourselves and to each other, about ourselves and about others. Whether ruminating on a past event alone or gossiping with a group of friends, we move through life in a state of near-constant chatter - even during those moments we profess to wanting nothing more than some peace and quiet. So, why do we do it, and what purpose does talking serve? In this paean to conversation, neuroscientist Shane O'Mara encourages us to marvel at our brains distinct mechanisms for communicating.

We've decided by consensus that consensus is good. In In Defense of Troublemakers, psychologist Charlan Nemeth argues that this principle is completely wrong: left unchallenged, the majority opinion is often biased, unoriginal, or false. It leads planes and markets to crash, causes juries to convict innocent people, and can quite literally make people think blue is green. In the name of comity, we embrace stupidity. We can make better decisions by embracing dissent. Dissent forces us to question the status quo, consider more information, and engage in creative decision-making.

A study of individuals who miraculously recovered from terminal illnesses draws on medical, genetic, psychological, and spiritual profiles to argue that the key to healing lies in the functioning of the immune system.

There are as many diets and fads in today's health-conscious world as there are days in the year. They can be used for all sorts of reasons, not just weight loss, and it's true that many people will try one at some time in their life. It's also true that many will fail to lose any weight at all. One of the things which is often overlooked when someone is trying to combat things such as weight loss is the importance of amino acids, without which our bodies cannot survive.

In a pharmacy in Kermit, West Virginia, 12 million opioid pain pills were distributed in just three years to a town with a population of 382 people. One woman, after losing her brother to overdose, was desperate for justice. Debbie Preece’s fight for accountability for her brother’s death took her well beyond the Sav-Rite Pharmacy in coal country, ultimately leading to three of the biggest drug wholesalers in the country. She was joined by a crusading lawyer and by local journalist Eric Eyre, who uncovered a massive opioid pill-dumping scandal.

What really drives success and failure? Can I trust you? It's the question that strikes at the heart of human existence. Whether we're talking about business partnerships, romantic relationships, child-parent bonds, or the brave new world of virtual interaction, trust, when correctly placed, is what makes our world spin and lives flourish. Renowned psychologist David DeSteno brings together the latest research from diverse fields, including psychology, economics, biology, and robotics, to create a compelling narrative about the forces that have shaped the human mind's propensities to trust.

Despite billions of dollars invested in medical research and technological breakthroughs in American healthcare made to prolong and improve the lives of patients, a devastating statistic remains. Two thirds of Americans die in healthcare institutions tethered to machines and tubes at bankrupting costs, despite research that shows 80 percent of Americans would prefer to spend their last days in their homes surrounded by loved ones.

Do you have a friend or loved one who has breast cancer, and you are unsure of the best way to support them? Are you aware of the risk factors associated with developing breast cancer? If you knew of specific changes you could make today that would reduce the risk of breast cancer, would you put plans in place to make those changes? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this book is for you.

A family tragedy, the loss of his youngest brother at the age of 18 from an osteosarcoma of the skull, triggered Dr. Drouin’s interest in studying medicine. Unsatisfied with the model of healing he encountered in medical school, he explored many other models of medicine that eventually led him to practice what is now called integrative medicine. He soon realized that for these complementary modalities to be accepted and integrated into our healthcare system, they must be scientifically recognized and become part of the curriculum in medical schools.

In Distracted, journalist Maggie Jackson ponders our increasingly cyber-centric world and fears we're entering a dark age of interruption that will render us unable to think critically, work creatively or cultivate meaningful relationships.

Those who work in health and social care give inspiring support for the health, happiness and well-being of all – communities, societies and nations. Yet their workplaces often harm their own health and well-being, affecting care quality, motivation, patient satisfaction and corroding cultures of compassion. In these pages, an evidence-based approach to transforming the leadership and cultures of health and social care teams and organisations is described.

You absolutely can reverse your diabetes. At last, a breakthrough program that's been proven to work better, faster, cheaper, and safer than prescription drugs. If you or someone you love is struggling with diabetes, then this audiobook is for you. It will provide you with the practical answers you have been looking for. A proven step-by-step plan to normalize your blood sugar within days (that’s right, days) and reverse your diabetes in three weeks or less.

This Is Your Brain on Sports is the audiobook for sports fans searching for a deeper understanding of the games they watch and the people who play them. Sports Illustrated executive editor and best-selling author L. Jon Wertheim teams up with Tufts psychologist Sam Sommers to take listeners on a wild ride into the inner world of sports.

For years we have been told to make lists and obsessively monitor when we’re angry, what we eat, how much we worry, and how often we go to the gym. So why isn’t everyone healthy? Now based on the most extensive study of long life ever conducted The Longevity Project reveals what really matters across the long run—the personality traits, relationships, experiences, and career paths that naturally keep you vital.

The search for hope is most urgent at the patient's bedside. The Anatomy of Hope takes us there, bringing us into the lives of people at pivotal moments when they reach for and find hope, or when it eludes their grasp. Through these intimate portraits, we learn how to distinguish true hope from false, why some people feel they are undeserving of it, and whether we should ever abandon our search.

As a man, are you suffering from melancholic depression and have been for a long time? Are you constantly lethargic, off your game, and continuously short-fused? If you feel deflated and have lost your vigor, there may be issues within your endocrine system that public health does not make you aware of. In Testosterone & Depression, Luke Warren presents a case you may never have considered.

By following all the evidence-based tips and practices provided in this guide, you’ll gain all the knowledge you need to make healthier decisions for your gut. So you can stop starving yourself and start eating again, without fearing food.

As the world gets smaller, hotter, and flatter, people from different cultures are colliding like never before. However, many modern conflicts stem from the same root cause: the tension between people using the independent, separate, and in-control side of their selves, versus people using the interdependent, connected, and adjusting side. We also show how people can nudge their cultures to call forth their best selves. By knowing when and how to use our different selves, we may not just survive, but thrive in the 21st century.

An eye-opening, groundbreaking tour of the purpose of work in our lives, showing how work operates in our culture and how you can find your own path to happiness in the workplace.