The Soul of Care: The Moral Education of a Doctor

(Paperback)

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The moving memoir of a doctor who became a family caregiver and learned why care is so central to all our lives When Dr Arthur Kleinman, an eminent Harvard psychiatrist and social anthropologist, began caring for his wife, Joan, after she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, he found just how far the act of caregiving extended beyond the boundaries of medicine. In The Soul of Care, he delivers a deeply inspiring story about what it means to grapple with illness from both sides, as an experienced doctor and a loving husband. Caregiving is long, hard, unglamorous work - at moments joyous, more often tedious, sometimes agonizing, but always rich in meaning. Describing the practical, emotional and moral aspects of caring, Kleinman explores how we must ask uncomfortable questions of ourselves and of our doctors. Poignant and honest, The Soul of Care is an uplifting story about what really matters in our lives.

Reviews

One of the most humane doctors and profound thinkers, Arthur Kleinman has insightful, moving, and novel things to say about our capacity to give and get care. Powerful, intimate, poignant, and helpful -- Nicholas A. Christakis, author of Blueprint
Beautiful and deeply moving. A truly extraordinary work that will change how we think about our lives and the society we live in -- Michael Puett, author of The Path
A personal and professional memoir like no other: how the founder of the field of medical anthropology learned that caring meant listening, and how at the peak of his career, when personal tragedy struck, Kleinman learned the deepest meanings of care -- Ellen Winner, author of How Art Works
At once a manifesto for decent health care and a brave exposing of an inner life, The Soul of Care gives language for what we all crave - effective, generous health care that nourishes those who give and those who receive until they recognize their oneness -- Rita Charon
Deeply affecting. . . A testament to the human capacity to draw sustenance from the memories of love, even as those memories are disappearing in the person loved. It is an important book -- Kay Redfield Jamison, author of An Unquiet Mind
Heartfelt, beautifully written, incredibly moving, and so instructive . . . This story will stay with me -- Abraham Verghese
One of the most moving books I've ever read. Unforgettable . . . Arthur Kleinman reminds us of what truly matters in work, life, and death -- Howard Gardner, author of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed

Author Bio

Arthur Kleinman is one of the most renowned and influential experts on psychiatry, global health and cultural issues in medicine. He is currently a professor of psychiatry and of medical anthropology at Harvard Medical School and Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor of Anthropology. Having spent decades doing field research in China and Taiwan, he is also a leading expert on East Asia. He is the author of The Illness Narratives- Suffering, Healing and the Human Condition, now widely used in medical schools.