When the Body Says No

Without slipping into melodrama, Daniel Mate's splendid reading conveys real empathy for patients suffering with chronic, difficult-to-treat medical disorders such as MS, arthritis, IBS, or cancer. He sounds equally engaged with the author's pleasingly philosophical abstractions, which he keeps down to earth with conversational phrasing and a caring vibe. It's a reading that helps plant the book's thought-provoking ideas in deep places. The writing, often poetic, offers a blend of research findings and case narratives that make a compelling case: When people suffer trauma and deprivation that they can't escape or talk about, the stress they internalize makes them vulnerable to illness. This moving audio lesson could open minds and hearts to new ways of viewing many types of chronic illness. T.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine