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126 reviews
The Language of Illness by Fergus Shanahan
5.0
How does the way in which doctors talk about illness affect patients, their relationship with doctors and the illness itself? Written by eminent gastroenterologist Fergus Shanahan, The language of Illness is a compassionate and engaging book that challenges common notions and assumptions in medical language and examines the way “language and logic can help or hinder patients.”
Shanahan points out the way in which “ill-chosen words distance patients from doctors”, underlying how “caring for patients” is not always synonymous with “caring about patients." He notices the split between the clinical language of doctors, for whom care is a routine and who rely on science and their expertise to treat a disease, and the language of illness, with which patients articulate the exceptional event or crisis they are experiencing: a language fraught with emotion, pain, doubt and subjectivity. The book attempts to identify ways of bridging the gap and promoting a more holistic view of communication, one that relies not only on science but also on passion compassion and curiosity.
Shanahan undertakes a clear, passionate and comprehensive analysis of the language surrounding the patient, scrutinizing common words, metaphors, interactions, labels, silences and instances of body language. He also evaluates public language, such as the language of policies and institutions and, last but not least, the language of pandemics . In many instances, Shanahan also makes use of memorable examples drawn from a wealth of different sources, including literature and notable memoirs.
Thus, the book turns out to be an interesting exploration of the way medical language and metaphors work at different levels. I appreciated the spirit of the book, which is summarized in the final appeal to cultivate empathy and simplicity, “simple truths, silent presence and listening”
.
The language of medical discourse is a controversial topic which has previously been tackled in seminal popular essays such as Susan Sontag’s Illness as Metaphor and Aids and Its Metaphors (also cited by the author). Taking her personal experience as a starting point, Sontag examined the way language and metaphors relating to illness can contribute to stigmas and increased suffering for patients. While Sontag aimed to demystify negative metaphors surrounding illness, Shanahan focuses on the way language is framed, which enables him to pay attention to the connotations and the system of values that language evokes and that ultimately determines the construction of meaning. He therefore advocates for a sensitive use of metaphors that can help patients cope with - and make sense of - their illness.
While it will certainly appeal to those working in the medical profession, its accessibility makes it suitable for the general public as well. After all, medical discourses are omnipresent in our private and public lives, as the recent pandemic has demonstrated. It is also a book that reaches beyond the medical field and triggers a much-needed conversation about the necessity of compassion and the necessity of being aware of the powerful impact that words and language can have on our lives.
I am grateful to Liberties Press that provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Shanahan points out the way in which “ill-chosen words distance patients from doctors”, underlying how “caring for patients” is not always synonymous with “caring about patients." He notices the split between the clinical language of doctors, for whom care is a routine and who rely on science and their expertise to treat a disease, and the language of illness, with which patients articulate the exceptional event or crisis they are experiencing: a language fraught with emotion, pain, doubt and subjectivity. The book attempts to identify ways of bridging the gap and promoting a more holistic view of communication, one that relies not only on science but also on passion compassion and curiosity.
Shanahan undertakes a clear, passionate and comprehensive analysis of the language surrounding the patient, scrutinizing common words, metaphors, interactions, labels, silences and instances of body language. He also evaluates public language, such as the language of policies and institutions and, last but not least, the language of pandemics . In many instances, Shanahan also makes use of memorable examples drawn from a wealth of different sources, including literature and notable memoirs.
Thus, the book turns out to be an interesting exploration of the way medical language and metaphors work at different levels. I appreciated the spirit of the book, which is summarized in the final appeal to cultivate empathy and simplicity, “simple truths, silent presence and listening”
.
The language of medical discourse is a controversial topic which has previously been tackled in seminal popular essays such as Susan Sontag’s Illness as Metaphor and Aids and Its Metaphors (also cited by the author). Taking her personal experience as a starting point, Sontag examined the way language and metaphors relating to illness can contribute to stigmas and increased suffering for patients. While Sontag aimed to demystify negative metaphors surrounding illness, Shanahan focuses on the way language is framed, which enables him to pay attention to the connotations and the system of values that language evokes and that ultimately determines the construction of meaning. He therefore advocates for a sensitive use of metaphors that can help patients cope with - and make sense of - their illness.
While it will certainly appeal to those working in the medical profession, its accessibility makes it suitable for the general public as well. After all, medical discourses are omnipresent in our private and public lives, as the recent pandemic has demonstrated. It is also a book that reaches beyond the medical field and triggers a much-needed conversation about the necessity of compassion and the necessity of being aware of the powerful impact that words and language can have on our lives.
I am grateful to Liberties Press that provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.