Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream

By Carl Elliott

Book Overview

Americans have always been the world's most anxiously enthusiastic consumers of enhancement technologies. Prozac, Viagra, and Botox injections are only the latest manifestations of a familiar pattern: enthusiastic adoption, public hand-wringing, an occasional congressional hearing, and calls for self-reliance.

In a brilliant diagnosis of our reactions to self-improvement technologies, Carl Elliott asks questions that illuminate deep currents in the American character: Why do we feel uneasy about these drugs, procedures, and therapies even while we embrace them? Where do we draw the line between self and society? Why do we seek self-realization in ways so heavily influenced by cultural conformity?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393325652
• ISBN13: 9780393325652
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Incredible

Though Carl is formally a philosopher and a doctor, this book demonstrates his incredible ability to deftly play the role of a sociologist, anthropologist, and journalist as well. As the book meanders its way through topics as diverse as attention deficit disorder and foot binding in Japan, Dr. Elliot makes astute insights on the concept of satisfaction and happiness in the age of enhancement technologies. As Peter Kramer notes in his introduction, he accomplishes his goal without a tone of condescension, but with one of compassion, rare amongst writers on this topic. Dr. Elliot does not concern himself with normative theories, but instead opens up the door for more conversation on a fascinating subject. The conclusions he makes can be depressing, but they are never sensationalist. Highly recommended.

A Must-Read!

He demonstrates incredible insight when discussing moral and scientific dilemmas in modern American context, a must-read!

This book will get you thinking...

Elliott's book is a good read for those who have ever worried about America's growing obsession with medicine and technology. Even if you haven't ever wondered or thought about this part of American life, read the book anyway, because you should probably start. Elliott brings in a little of everything: the past, present and future, and scientific data as well as personal opinion, in order to ask the question, 'So where are we going with all this?' I think that this book can start a lot of us out on the right foot in trying to answer that question...

Packed with philosophical whupass

A fascinating look enhancement technologies, from Ritalin to sex changes to voluntary amputations. Journalistic in style, but packs some serious philosophical ...

The American Conundrum

This book, beautifully written, is a meditation on the looking glass world American Medicine has become. Forty-one million Americans uninsured, yet billions are being spent on medicallizing common aspects of human life. We all age--are facelifts really a "medical " procedure? Is shyness a disease? When does naming something produce it? (see Barfield's Poetic Diction).I loved this book for clarifying the various ways we have of looking at health, wellness, self-improvement and fear.