From reviews of the first edition:
"[Brody] shows us how literary criticism and social sciences can be applied to the tales of illness that doctors and patients tell one another....This rational, compassionate book should serve as a splendid text for courses in the medical humanities as they are now taught in medical schools....A pleasure to read."--Gerald Weissmann, M.D.,
New York Times Book Review"A detailed, internally consistent philosophy of illness that can structure clinicians' observations and understanding of their patients' unique stories."--Anthony L. Suchman, M.D.
Annals of Internal Medicine"Brody skillfully blends literature, philosophy, and medicine in this volume to illustrate the concept of sickness and its effect upon the person....This book contains remarkable contributions to our philosophical and clinical understanding of the relation between the healing process and the patient narrative."--
Choice