Books by "W. Andrew Achenbaum"
3 books found
Ill people are more than victims of disease or patients of medicine; they are wounded storytellers, Frank argues. People tell stories to make sense of their suffering; when they turn their diseases into stories, they find healing. Drawing on the work of authors such as Oliver Sacks, Anatole Broyard, Norman Cousins, and Audre Lorde, as well as on the stories of people he has met during years spent among different illness groups, Frank recounts a stirring collection of illness narratives, ranging from the well-known - Gilda Radner's battle with ovarian cancer - to the private testimonials of people with cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and disabilities. Their stories are more than accounts of personal suffering: they abound with moral choices and point to a social ethic. Frank identifies three basic narratives of illness - stories of restitution, chaos, and quest. Restitution narratives anticipate getting well and give prominence to the technology of cure. In chaos narratives, illness seems to stretch on forever, with no respite or redeeming insights. Quest narratives are about finding that illness can be transformed into a means for the ill person to become someone new. Understanding these three narrative types helps us to hear the ill, but ultimately illness stories are more. Frank presents these stories as a form of testimony: the ill person is more than a survivor; she is a witness. Schooled in a "pedagogy of suffering", the ill person reaches out to others, offering a truth about living. The truth is a starting point for a "narrative ethics", as private experiences become public voices. Wounded storytellers teach more than a new way to understand illness; they exemplify an emergingethic of postmodern times.
A History of Public Sector Pensions in the United States
by Robert L. Clark, Lee A. Craig, Jack W. Wilson
2003 · University of Pennsylvania Press
From the Wharton School, offering a comprehensive assessment of the political and financial dimensions of public-sector pensions from the colonial period until the emergence of modern retirement plans in the twentieth century.
Separating truth from hype, this book introduces readers to the topic of life extension in a holistic manner that provides scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives. While the story of 16th-century explorer Juan Ponce de León futilely searching for the Fountain of Youth is likely a myth, it is true that for many centuries, mankind has sought "a cure for aging." Today, the anti-aging and longevity industry is a multibillion-dollar industry, and medical advances are continuing to find ways to add to our time on earth. Finding the Fountain of Youth: The Science and Controversy behind Extending Life and Cheating Death introduces readers to the topic of life extension in a holistic manner, examining the topic through scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives. It also highlights key medical and ethical controversies related to this particular area of gerontology and serves as a gateway for further research and study. The book's chapters address the history of movements to remain youthful, from ancient times through the modern era; past medical advances that significantly extended the average lifespan; and our cultural obsession with "staying young" that has spawned the anti-aging industry. Readers will learn about basic principles of aging and anti-aging, as well as the science behind the methods—both proven and hypothetical—that serve to extend the lifespan. The final section of the book examines controversial issues and debates related to life extension, such as global overpopulation, length of life versus quality of life, and socioeconomic concerns.