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jamesmata's review
3.0
Starts strong and just downhill from there. Left unsure what I was supposed to take from it.
towering_tbr's review
4.0
I received an advanced audiobook of Cost of Living: Essays by Emily Maloney. This is a book of essays detailing her medical experiences as a patient and also when she worked in the medical industry, It starts with her suicide attempt at age 19 and the medical debt that followed her. She then worked a variety of healthcare jobs to try to pay off that debt. I thought this was going to be more about what it costs to live, getting medical care in the United States but that was just a small part.
She also talks of the excess in the pharmaceutical industry, spending money to advertise and hold conferences. I found her thoughts on chronic pain patients and how insurance creates a dependency on medications, rather than seeking out alternative therapies interesting and enlightening. Overall, I enjoyed this collection, even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I gave it 4 stars and would encourage anyone interested in medicine or disability to seek it out. She narrates the audiobook herself which I enjoy with nonfiction. The book will be published February 8th, 2022. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.
She also talks of the excess in the pharmaceutical industry, spending money to advertise and hold conferences. I found her thoughts on chronic pain patients and how insurance creates a dependency on medications, rather than seeking out alternative therapies interesting and enlightening. Overall, I enjoyed this collection, even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I gave it 4 stars and would encourage anyone interested in medicine or disability to seek it out. She narrates the audiobook herself which I enjoy with nonfiction. The book will be published February 8th, 2022. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.
steffilietzke's review
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, and Addiction
littoral's review
Intriguing premise but fell short - with each subsequent essay I found myself questioning the author's introspection and insight more and more.
karenleagermain's review
5.0
Note* I listed to the audiobook edition, but this edition is not listed in Goodreads. The book was read by the author and I enjoyed her straightforward, and nearly, but not quite, void of emotion tone. It was fitting with the subject matter.
In her collectionCost of Living: Essays Emily Maloney covers many facets of her life and career. During college, Maloney survived a suicide attempt, but spent much of her adult life saddled with medical debt from this experience. She writes about a toxic relationship with a therapist, whom Maloney sought treatment from during her 20's. This therapist prescribed dozens of pills, many of which complicated Maloney's mental and physical health issues. Maloney would end up working as an emergency room technician, a job that allowed her to witness the intersection of profit and human care, noticing the deep flaws in our medical system. Later, she would work in clinical bioethics, including attending medical conferences, giving her insight into medical marketing.
Sharp and damning, Maloney will make you consider both your personal and societal costs of living. Her essays force the reader to consider the financial and emotional toll that our current medical system is placing on citizens. It is a holistic look that includes for-profit medicine, medical research, government policies, and the lives of both patients and their loved ones. As health care remains a hot-button issue, Maloney's experience and insight adds an important voice to the conversation.
I highly recommend!
In her collectionCost of Living: Essays Emily Maloney covers many facets of her life and career. During college, Maloney survived a suicide attempt, but spent much of her adult life saddled with medical debt from this experience. She writes about a toxic relationship with a therapist, whom Maloney sought treatment from during her 20's. This therapist prescribed dozens of pills, many of which complicated Maloney's mental and physical health issues. Maloney would end up working as an emergency room technician, a job that allowed her to witness the intersection of profit and human care, noticing the deep flaws in our medical system. Later, she would work in clinical bioethics, including attending medical conferences, giving her insight into medical marketing.
Sharp and damning, Maloney will make you consider both your personal and societal costs of living. Her essays force the reader to consider the financial and emotional toll that our current medical system is placing on citizens. It is a holistic look that includes for-profit medicine, medical research, government policies, and the lives of both patients and their loved ones. As health care remains a hot-button issue, Maloney's experience and insight adds an important voice to the conversation.
I highly recommend!