The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down | Anne Fadiman | A sensitive look at the complexities...

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down | Anne Fadiman | What else can I add? Except this is my favorite book, ever.

books:

The Spirit Catches...

	The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Anne Fadiman Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 222 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

A sensitive look at the complexities arising from a medical culture clash...

During my senior year of college, I took a "Holistic Living" course and this was one of the books we were required to read. As I've mentioned in other reviews, I don't normally gravitate towards non-fiction, however, there are instances when I read a piece of non-fiction and find myself as captivated by the story as if it were a novel. "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" was one of these books.

In her book, Ms. Fadiman presents the story of a Hmong-American family who is forced to step outside their comfort zone to seek medical treatment for their infant daughter, Lia, an epileptic. Not only do Lia's parents have to overcome a language barrier, but they also hold views which differ greatly from those held by the Western-trained medical doctors treating Lia. What results, is an enormous culture clash between Lia's parents and her treating physicians. Sadly, the consequences of the mis-communication and cultural mis-understanding which take place between the Lees and Lia's doctors has a tragic and permanent effect on Lia's life.

Alongside the Lee's story, Ms. Fadiman presents an informative history of the Hmong people, while also addressing a number of important ethical considerations germane to the medical treatment of non-western patients.

I highly recommend this book to anyone in the medical profession or to anyone interested in learning about traditional Hmong culture.

for more information click here

What else can I add? Except this is my favorite book, ever.

If anyone's been patient enough to read all hundred-plus reviews up to this point, they already know what this book is about, how well-written it was, how well researched, and how terribly humane.

All I can add is that, though I read (well, start, at any rate) about a hundred books a year, and have been doing so for about three decades now, this is the single best book I've ever read.

great book

This was an outstanding book. You may need to be a social anthropologist at heart to really love it, but the book was so enlightening on so many different levels. The background and customs of the Hmong are fascinating, and their clash with western culture is eye opening. I learned so much, not just about the Hmong, but about my own beliefs.

for more information click here

a real eye-opener

A fascinating case study of a Hmong family's profoundly frustrating encounter with a county medical center in rural California. The book is very well written, and gave me fresh insight into what it really means for us to be a "nation of immigrants." My only frustration was with the organization of the book. As it jumped backed and forth between the micro and the macro, and between the recent and more distant past, the narrative lost some of its momentum. But that said, it is one of those rare books that has made me look at the world in a new way, and for that reason, I highly recommend it.

for more information click here

Fair

This was a required reading for my college class. It was a good read, story base; yet, it was also a frustrating read. Trying to get past the authors too many details - took you on sides roads from the real story. It is a sad story.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

products you might be interested in