A literary, historical exploration about the way in which our industrialized lives have made us sick--from diarist Alice James and the 19th century neuraesthenics to current day chronic and stress-related illnesses--that seeks to answer the question: who gets sick, and why?
In the telling, American Breakdown expands from a depiction of the ills of health care into a sweeping critique of late-stage capitalism ... Lunden provides, among other insights, a detailed and absorbing tale of the ill effects of chemicals in our lives ... As the book unfolds, Lunden takes an increasingly strong social justice stance not only on equitable access to health care but also on environmental and economic justice.
The author has woven a complex story of industrialization, environmental degradation, capitalism, and the crumbling state of healthcare in the United States ... Lunden offers hope in the form of action. Having found some relief in the retraining of her brain, an actual rewiring through consistent action, she asks us to consider the value of neuroplasticity in our own lives.
This is an important book not only about perseverance and determination but also about practical things (such as paying for medical bills one can’t afford), and especially about gender bias in health care.
