The Health & Medicine Collection showcases hand-picked fiction and nonfiction titles that focus on the physical and mental health of the human body. This diverse Collection represents the breadth of literature examining human health throughout history, from nonfiction accounts of historical epidemics to novels whose protagonists face mental health conditions.
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Health / Medicine, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Science / Nature
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Self Help, Sports, Food
Publication year 2006
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants
Tags Food, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan is an exploration of what people eat and why. Pollan is an immersive journalist who has studied and written on a wide range of topics including gardening, food, architecture, and psychedelics. Pollan is the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Each of Pollan’s books examines the intersection of humans and nature. Pollan’s 2001 book... Read The Omnivore's Dilemma Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags LGBTQ, Romance, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Race / Racism, Crime / Legal
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Health / Medicine, History: World
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation
Tags Anthropology, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Education, Education, Anthropology, Social Science, Psychology, Social Justice
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Health / Medicine, Absurdism, French Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Philosophy
The Plague, a philosophical novel by French author Albert Camus, was first published in 1947 and immediately won the prix des Critiques, a literary prize awarded to Francophone authors by the French publishing industry. Having also published The Stranger, The Myth of Sisyphus, and The Fall, Camus, an absurdist writer who wrote extensively in support of the French Resistance against Nazi Germany’s occupation of France, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957. In... Read The Plague Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Health / Medicine
The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York is a 2010 non-fiction book by science writer Deborah Blum. This guide follows the first edition of the book. In The Poisoner’s Handbook, Blum explores how Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler laid the foundations for the modern field of forensic science in New York in the 1920s. Through Norris and Gettler’s stories, Blum also narrates a number of important social... Read The Poisoner’s Handbook Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: U.S., Food, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Relationships, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Politics / Government, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: World, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, History: World, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Relationships, WWI / World War I, LGBTQ, Irish Literature
Publication year 1994
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Biography
The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness is a 1994 memoir that chronicles the years-long struggle of Lori Schilling, a bright, promising, high-achieving Jewish woman, born to affluent parents and afflicted with schizophrenia. Ultimately, Schilling will emerge triumphant from her journey, which includes many stints, both voluntarily and involuntarily, in mental hospitals, several suicide attempts, and a constant battle with hallucinated voices that viciously assail Lori and bid her to kill... Read The Quiet Room Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Health / Medicine, Psychology, Disability, Japanese Literature, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography
Publication year 1999
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Education, Education, Health / Medicine, Biography
The Scalpel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing (1999) is the autobiography of Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord. It details her journey to become the first Navajo female surgeon, overcoming the challenges presented to her by her own Navajo culture as well as the prevailing stereotype at the time that only men could be surgeons. Along this journey, Lori realizes that western medicine is facing a crisis... Read The Scalpel and the Silver Bear Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, Health / Medicine, Roaring Twenties, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Romance
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, History: World, Technology
Publication year 1997
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Sociology, Immigration / Refugee, American Literature, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, History: World, Biography
Anne Fadiman’s nonfiction book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures chronicles the life of Lia Lee, a Hmong girl who lives with her family in Merced, California, in the 1980s and 1990s. The book examines the cultural misunderstandings and conflicting belief systems that result in Lia’s poor medical treatment after she is diagnosed with a severe form of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome... Read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary