Product Description

'We are just beginning to appreciate hope's reach and have not defined its limits. I see hope as the very heart of healing.' So writes Jerome Groopman, who has been a doctor for almost thirty years. In this unique book he describes the astonishing effects that hope, or the lack of it, can have on an illness. As a patient, he has also learned to overcome cynicism and defeatism and embrace hope. Here, with great wisdom and compassion, he reveals what he has learned about hope and its ability to triumph over disease, both emotionally and physically. The search for hope is most urgent at a patient's bedside. "The Anatomy of Hope" takes us there, bringing us into the lives of people at pivotal moments when they reach for and find hope - or when it eludes their grasp. Through these intimate portraits, we learn how to distinguish true hope from false, why everyone deserves to have hope, and whether we should ever give up. Fascinating, wise and inspiring, this is an essential book for anyone facing serious illness or who is dealing with a loved one in extremis.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #251787 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Customer Reviews

Hope ?
Dr Groopman clearly has great experience, as a doctor. I too have a lot of experience, as a cancer patient. Much of his book had me cheering: I too have been lied to by doctors wanting to protect me from the horrific reality of a terminal illness; I too have several years of the debilitating effects of chemo therapy. He is bang on when he talks about the importance of maintaining hope to endure the treatment. I have had doctors who have blithely assured me I'd be OK in a few days, when the truth is that almost everyone on my regime is very sick for several weeks. Ultimately my own hope comes from knowing that when and if it all gets too much I have the means (lethal drugs)to end my life peacefully and painlessly. No doubt this would greatly shock the good Dr Groopman who is clearly a Christian.

A fascinating insight into the value of realistic optimism
The Anatomy of Hope is a well written and immensely thought provoking book. The theme of the book is the use of hope in medical treatment, how it can be used to improve patient outcomes and the ethical dilemmas of how much to say and how much to leave out.

An oncologist who started work in the 1980's, at time when cancer was much less treatable than it is now, Coopman recounts his introduction to the world of hope in a series of vignettes. It's a tale of trial and error, blending an examination of hope with a collection of stories that make the point.

I found this approach fascinating and informative, I felt I had a far better understanding of the issues not only in an abstract way but in how they affected the people involved. As a non-medic I don't have to diagnose, treat, or give people very difficult news, and for this I am deeply grateful.

After describing his attempts at inspiring hope in his patients, he tells of his own experience on the other side of the story after ill-judged spinal surgery left him bed ridden for months, debilitated and in pain for years afterwards. His own experience overcoming this and receiving realistic hope gives him a broad perspective in his approach to hope in medical care.

In the last part of the book, Coopman investigates the psychological and neurological basis for hope visiting a variety of researchers. In this section he draws the distinction between true hope: a realistic appraisal of the current situation whilst projecting your mind into a positive future which lifts your spirits, and false hope which looks to a happier future but will not face current realities. If you're going to be hopeful, prepare to be courageous.

All in all the book is an engaging blend of autobiography and investigation. The back cover blurb has one reviewer commenting "A copy should be airlifted to every NHS oncologist immediately'. I couldn't agree more.

Inspirational
(...) Through Groopman's accounts, this book is quietly inspiring and I am passing it on to 3 people affected by cancer. Not only was it useful to me on a personal level but as a student physiotherapist I also found it useful on a professional level too.