Menasha Public Library (Elisha D. Smith)

Natural causes, an epidemic of wellness, the certainty of dying, and killing ourselves to live longer, Barbara Ehrenreich

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-234)

no index present

non fiction

Natural causes

bibliography

1029552797

Barbara Ehrenreich

an epidemic of wellness, the certainty of dying, and killing ourselves to live longer

A razor-sharp polemic which offers an entirely new understanding of our bodies, ourselves, and our place in the universe, Natural causes describes how we over-prepare and worry way too much about what is inevitable. One by one, Ehrenreich topples the shibboleths that guide our attempts to live a long, healthy life--from the importance of preventive medical screenings to the concepts of wellness and mindfulness, from dietary fads to fitness culture. But Natural causes goes deeper--into the fundamental unreliability of our bodies and even our 'mindbodies,' to use the fashionable term. Starting with the mysterious and seldom-acknowledged tendency of our own immune cells to promote deadly cancers, Ehrenreich looks into the cellular basis of aging, and shows how little control we actually have over it. We tend to believe we have agency over our bodies, our minds, and even over the manner of our deaths. But the latest science shows that the microscopic subunits of our bodies make their own "decisions," and not always in our favor. We may buy expensive anti-aging products or cosmetic surgery, get preventive screenings and eat more kale, or throw ourselves into meditation and spirituality. But all these things offer only the illusion of control. How to live well, even joyously, while accepting our mortality--that is the vitally important philosophical challenge of this book

Midlife revolt -- Rituals of humiliation -- The veneer of science -- Crushing the body -- The madness of mindfulness -- Death in social context -- The war between conflict and harmony -- Cellular treason -- Tiny minds -- "Successful aging" -- The invention of the self -- Killing the self, rejoicing in a living world