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 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Psychology, Self Help, Philosophy, Sociology, Health / Medicine, Health


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Science / Nature, Journalism, Sports, History: World, Health / Medicine

League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions, and the Battle for Truth is a 2013 work of investigative nonfiction by brothers Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru. The book chronicles the National Football League’s concussion crisis, which came to light with a few career-ending head injuries in the 1990s and became an even more serious issue as numerous deceased former players were found to have developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). League of Denial won the PEN/ESPN Award... Read League of Denial Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Health / Medicine

Lisa Genova’s second novel, Left Neglected (2011), is the fictional story of Sarah Nickerson, a high-powered executive whose life changes forever when she is in a serious car accident. Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels, each dealing with a different neurological condition. She graduated from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and from Harvard University with a doctorate in neuroscience, a background that influences her writing. Other works by... Read Left Neglected Summary


Publication year 1997

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: War, Society: Nation

Tags Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Education, Education, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Sociology, Philosophy, Depression / Suicide, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 1993

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Health / Medicine, Sociology, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Politics / Government


Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Race / Racism, Science / Nature, History: World, Social Justice, Health / Medicine

In the 2007 nonfiction book Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present, medical researcher Harriet A. Washington describes the long history of American medical experiments on Black Americans. Although some of these abuses are well-known, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the book presents a comprehensive history that describes the long-standing pattern of exploitative practices. By uncovering how American medicine has been built upon the... Read Medical Apartheid Summary


Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Health / Medicine, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Nation, Identity: Disability

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, History: World, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2003

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Class, Society: Economics

Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Social Justice, History: World, Biography

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World is a 2003 nonfiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder. It is an expansion of “The Good Doctor,” a 2000 article for The New Yorker and the winner of the 2004 Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage. The book profiles Dr. Paul Edward Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, as he treats patients in Haiti and... Read Mountains Beyond Mountains Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Music, Science / Nature, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Psychology


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community

Tags Social Justice, Race / Racism, Self Help, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, African American Literature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Disability

Tags Drama / Tragedy, Health / Medicine, Disability, Grief / Death, Parenting

My Sister’s Keeper is a 2004 novel by bestselling author Jodi Picoult centered on the controversy of savior siblings. In the novel, Anna Fitzgerald fights for medical emancipation in order to have a choice in whether or not she will donate a kidney to her sister, Kate, who has leukemia. In 2009, the novel was adapted into a feature film released by New Line Cinema. The movie was directed by Nick Cassavetes and starred Cameron... Read My Sister's Keeper Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Self Discovery

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


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Poverty, Social Justice, Health / Medicine, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 2017

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags History: U.S., Health / Medicine, Poverty, Science / Nature, Biography

No Apparent Distress: A Doctor’s Coming of Age on the Front Lines of American Medicine is author Rachel Pearson’s 2017 account of her intensive medical education and the initial years of her career as a physician. She focuses on stories that illustrate her themes of medical ethics, regret, depression, bias against the poor, and racism. Rather than bogging the reader down in medical jargon, Pearson uses anecdotes to convey her experiences to a layman audience.Pearson... Read No Apparent Distress Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Society: Community

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Health, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine


Publication year 1860

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Education

Tags Health / Medicine, Psychology, Relationships, Science / Nature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Florence Nightingale was an English nurse commonly known as the founder of modern nursing practices. Born in Italy, she became an experienced nurse and formed many of her opinions while serving in the Crimean War, enrolling in nursing school at age 24 in Germany. She penned Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What it Is Not in 1859, just a few years after serving in the war, and the work was first published in... Read Notes on Nursing Summary


Publication year 1956

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class

Tags Race / Racism, Health / Medicine, African Literature


Publication year 1973

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine