Health & Medicine

The Health & Medicine Collection showcases hand-picked fiction and nonfiction titles that focus on the physical and mental health of the human body. This diverse Collection represents the breadth of literature examining human health throughout history, from nonfiction accounts of historical epidemics to novels whose protagonists face mental health conditions.

Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Self Help, Food, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Psychology, Depression / Suicide, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence (2018) was written by Michael Pollan after curiosity and a personal desire to experience psychedelics for himself prompted exploration into psychedelic research. Pollan uses multiple forms of narrative to weave a story that’s part history, part memoir, part biomedical nonfiction, and part travelogue. The book follows the history of LSD and psilocybin as well as... Read How to Change Your Mind Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Disability, Health / Medicine, Parenting, Psychology, Mental Illness


Publication year 1948

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Midlife

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Inspirational, Mental Illness, Education, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Health / Medicine, Disability


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Korean Literature, Asian Literature, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life is an in-depth introduction to the microbiome and how it interacts with humans and other species. Author Ed Yong is a science writer for The Atlantic. His writing has also appeared in many other publications, such as The New Yorker, Wired, The New York Times, and Nature. The book’s original hardcover edition was published in 2016; this guide is based on the... Read I Contain Multitudes Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Inspirational, Self Help, Philosophy, Health / Medicine, Japanese Literature


Publication year 1978

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Disability, History: World, LGBTQ, Philosophy

Susan Sontag’s 1978 book Illness as Metaphor is an 87-page work of critical theory exploring the language we use to describe disease and its victims. The work was originally published in the New York Review of Books as three long-form essays. Sontag wrote Illness as Metaphor while undergoing treatment for breast cancer, though not mentioned in the text. This genre—critical theoretical examinations of social and cultural events or phenomena—was where Sontag established her reputation. Illness... Read Illness As Metaphor Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Health / Medicine, Parenting, Relationships, Jewish Literature, Biography


Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Biography


Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Grief / Death, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Society: Community

Tags Health / Medicine, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Self Help, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness

Gabor Maté’s In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addictions is an unconventional nonfiction book on how to treat addiction, how addicts can better assimilate into society, and how society can dispel many of the myths that surround addiction. Maté works as an addiction specialist at the Portland Hotel in Vancouver, Canada.  Much of the book, published in 2010, focuses on Maté’s evidence that childhood stressors increase the likelihood that one will become... Read In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Biography

Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart is a work of nonfiction by neurosurgeon and philanthropist Dr. James R. Doty. It is at once a memoir, a self-help book, and a work of popular science; Doty draws on his professional knowledge to explain the scientific underpinnings of meditative practices like visualization, while also exploring the transformative effect these practices can have on... Read Into the Magic Shop Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Gender, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, Business / Economics, Technology, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Self Help, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Health / Medicine

Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked (2017), a nonfiction book by Adam Alter, explores the relationship between humans and addictive technologies. Alter is a professor of marketing at New York University Stern School of Business and has written other nonfiction titles about human behavior, such as Drunk Tank Pink.  The book begins with the assertion that people can easily become addicted to smartphones, video games, and other technologies... Read Irresistible Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery

Tags Psychology, Parenting, Relationships, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Health / Medicine, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Science / Nature


Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class

Tags Social Justice, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, History: U.S., Health / Medicine, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Satire, Relationships, Agriculture, Arts / Culture, Business / Economics, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Food, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Poverty, Religion / Spirituality, Social Justice

Landscape with Invisible Hand is a satirical dystopian science fiction novel by M. T. Anderson, written for a young adult audience. A diverse author, Anderson writes both fiction and nonfiction for people of all ages. In 2023, Landscape with Invisible Hand was adapted for film, reflecting the novel’s popularity and relevance. The book depicts a future world in which an alien species, the vuvv, have sold their technology to humans, causing the collapse of the... Read Landscape with Invisible Hand Summary