• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Susannah Fox

I help people navigate health and technology.

  • Home
  • Rebel Health
  • Blog
    • greatest hits
    • health data
    • peer-to-peer health care
    • public Q&A
  • About me
    • Bio
    • Now
    • Curriculum vitae
  • Events

Public Q&A: My 5 favorite books on how to defend yourself against the U.S. health care system

May 24, 2024 By Susannah Fox 2 Comments

Public Q&A: My 5 favorite books on how to defend yourself against the U.S. health care system

Shepherd.com invites authors to write heartfelt reviews of other people’s books on a topic related to their own work. The site is a rabbit hole that you will LOVE exploring, so go ahead and click on, for example, “The best books about America’s toughest time: life in the dirty thirties” or “The best children’s books with an important life lesson.”

Each of the five books I chose was written for when you find yourself in the health care maze and need to borrow courage, sharpen your senses, and navigate as best you can.

  1. Aftershock: What to Do When the Doctor Gives You–Or Someone You Love–A Devastating Diagnosis, by Jessie Gruman. First line of my review: “Don’t bring flowers to a newly diagnosed friend, bring this book.”
  2. The Long COVID Survival Guide: Stories and Advice from Twenty Long-Haulers and Experts, edited by Fiona Lowenstein. I wrote: “I love how this book centers on the experiences of people living with Long Covid who not only point out the inequities of our health systems but also give practical advice about getting a diagnosis, navigating care, asking for help, and contributing to research.”
  3. The Caregiver’s Encyclopedia: A Compassionate Guide to Caring for Older Adults, by Muriel R. Gillick. My take: “When I became the caregiver for an elder cousin, this book gave me the information and tools I needed to get him the best care possible and then, in the end, to spring him from the hospital so he could die at home, as he wished.”
  4. Josie’s Story: A Mother’s Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe, by Sorrel King. Why I loved this book: “Grief, the unreleased love for a child, compelled the author to demand–and accomplish–systemic change that has saved lives.”
  5. A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death, by BJ Miller and Shoshana Berger. My endorsement: “My mom and I are competing to see who can give away more copies of this book; we love it that much.”

(Click here to read my full review of each book.)

Note: I love and recommend many more books on these themes! But Shepherd requires you to pick five and it does make for a focused list.

What books do YOU recommend when friends or family members ask for recommendations about how to navigate health and wellness? Comments are open.

Image: Four of the five books I recommend (because of course I’ve recently loaned my copy of the Caregiver’s Encyclopedia!)

Filed Under: key people, public Q&A Tagged With: BJ Miller, caregivers, end of life, Fiona Lowenstein, Jessie Gruman, Long Covid, Muriel Gillick, Shoshana Berger, Sorrel King

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. e-Patient Dave says

    June 29, 2024 at 7:16 am

    Do my eyes deceive me or is this the first comment on this post???

    Somehow I missed this in the flood when it first came out. Oddly (given my attitudes, as you well know) I don’t HAVE such a list, and this makes me wonder why not. We-all need to get some discussion going about this – there are thousands of social posts on how awful it can be but I never thought of how to help others get wise.

    Reply
    • Susannah Fox says

      June 30, 2024 at 10:57 am

      I would LOVE to see your list of 5 books. Shepherd.com’s requirement that it be such a limited number — and described in a few sentences — forces you to think deeply about your choices. I highly recommend it as a site and as a method for making such lists!

      My other list, which I will write up when I have time: Top 5 memoirs about defending yourself against the U.S. health care system.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

Explore

Don't miss a post

Enter your email address and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Topics

  • Seekers
  • Networkers
  • Solvers
  • Champions
  • Health Data
  • Peer-to-Peer Health Care
  • Public Q&A

Recent Comments

  • Susannah Fox on Jean Nidetch, Rebel Health leader: “Yes! I have enjoyed learning more about her personal story, which is a parable of midcentury feminism. WW was a…” May 9, 10:10
  • barbara figge fox on Jean Nidetch, Rebel Health leader: “Jean Neditch helped so many of us! She changed the landscape for weight reduction by leveraging peer support.” May 9, 08:11
  • Susannah Fox on Public Q&A: “I received scary test results. What questions should I ask my clinician?”: “Thanks, Samantha! I love your signature line/bona fides list — you tick the boxes for “learned and loved experience” described…” May 6, 15:33

Copyright Susannah Fox © 2025 · WordPress · Log in