history, 21st century

"A work of narrative nonfiction chronicling the rise of Juul, the most prominent e-cigarette company, and the birth of a new addiction"--.

"Fat Nation is a social history of obesity in the United States since the second World War. In confronting this familiar topic from a historical perspective, Jonathan Engel attempts to show that obesity is a symptom of complex changes that have transpired over the past half century to our food, our living habits, our life patterns, our built environments, and our social interactions. He offers readers solid grounding in the known science underlying obesity (genetic set points, complex endocrine feedback loops, neurochemical messengering) but then makes the novel argument that obesity is a result of the interaction of our genes with our environment. That is, our bodies have always been programmed to become obese, but until recently never had the opportunity to do so. Now, with cheap calories ubiquitous (particularly in the form of sucrose), unwalkable physical spaces, deteriorating rituals and norms surrounding eating, and the withering of cooking skills, nearly every American daily confronts the challenge of not putting on weight. Given the outcomes, though, for those who are obese, Engel encourages us to address the problems and offers suggestions to help remedy the problem. "--Amazon.com.

Discusses how penicillin and other antibiotics were developed and first used by the medical community, and how the introduction of these medicines fueled the growth of pharmaceutical companies into some of the world's largest, most innovative, and most profitable corporations.

"Now 79 years old, Sister Abegail looks back over her life and recounts the ... events that led to her becoming the mother of dozens of children orphaned by the AIDS crisis in South Africa"--Provided by publisher.

Presents a history of chronic illness in America, looking at patient rights, the role of social media in medical advocacy, the origins of attitudes about chronic illness, and more.

"In no other country has health care served as such a volatile flashpoint of ideological conflict. America has endured a century of rancorous debate on health insurance, and despite the passage of legislation in 2010, the battle is not yet over. This book is a history of how and why the United States became so stubbornly different in health care, presented by an expert with unsurpassed knowledge of the issues.Tracing health-care reform from its beginnings to its current uncertain prospects, Paul Starr argues that the United States ensnared itself in a trap through policies that satisfied enough of the public and so enriched the health-care industry as to make the system difficult to change. He reveals the inside story of the rise and fall of the Clinton health plan in the early 1990s--and of the Gingrich counterrevolution that followed. And he explains the curious tale of how Mitt Romney's reforms in Massachusetts became a model for Democrats and then follows both the passage of those reforms under Obama and the explosive reaction they elicited from conservatives. Writing concisely and with an even hand, the author offers exactly what is needed as the debate continues--a penetrating account of how health care became such treacherous terrain in American politics"--Provided by publisher.

Tells the story of the fast-spreading, drug-resistant bacteria, Staphyloccocus aureus, also known as MRSA, describing how it takes over the body, who is most susceptible, and what medical professionals are trying to do stop it.

Traces health-care reform from its beginnings to its current uncertain prospects and argues that the United States ensnared itself in a trap through policies that satisfied some of the public and enriched the health-care industry so that the system became difficult to change.