At the Will of the Body: Reflections on Illness [Paperback]

Arthur W. Frank (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1992 | ISBN-10: 0395624304 | ISBN-13: 978-0395624302

In his eloquent work, Frank explores the events of illness from within: the transformation from person to patient, the pain, the sense of wonderment at the body--despite its failings--and the ceremony of recovery. "Arthur Frank's book is a dramatic contribution to our lives."--M. Scott Peck.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Within two years, Frank experienced life-threatening illness twice: a heart attack at age 39 and cancer at 40. These crises motivated him to write "a letter to his younger self" before he was made wiser by the experience of disease. Instead of focusing on medical details, he attempts to describe the human experience in an effort to make sense of serious illness. Writing that "illness teaches the danger as well as the value of the everyday," Frank emphasizes the value of life and a return to the sense of wonder at being alive. What he has to say about caregiving complements Norman Cousins's holistic health and vis medicatrix naturae philosophy presented in his Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient ( LJ 9/1/79).
- James Swanton, Albert Einstein Coll. of Medicine, New York
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Arthur W. Frank received the Natalie Davis Spingarn Writer's Award from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship in 1996. He teaches at the University of Calgary.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company (May 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395624304
• ISBN-13: 978-0395624302
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,534,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He gave me the courage to risk hangin in there for others.., March 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: At the Will of the Body: Reflections on Illness (Paperback)

Arthur Frank doesn't deny any aspect of his experience, and through his demonstration of bare-bones honesty and self acceptance, I connected with myself, which is where the answers, if there are any, are to be found.

I saw my own fear of cancer patients played out on these pages, and I recalled with anguish the number of times I disappeared from the lives of people I cared about because I was so afraid of their disease, their pain and the possibility that they'd die.

...and I also saw the ways in which I've protected myself from my own fear of cancer by wondering what it was in their psyches that caused them to be stricken by this terrible disease.

... and I saw how frightened I've been to be present in my own body. His honesty gave me the courage to change, and I'm incredibly grateful.

Patti Harada, Tucson, AZ.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, April 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: At the Will of the Body: Reflections on Illness (Paperback)

This was one of the best books I have read in the course of my dissertation work. I'd say it is a must read for anyone in the health care profession, as well as patients battling chronic symptoms. The book is a reminder that we need to remember the PERSON who is the patient.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Education and Hope, June 28, 2006

By 

Barbara Pflum Gobrail (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: At the Will of the Body: Reflections on Illness (Paperback)

I have helped train family practice physicians and I have used the play "W;T" to try and sensitize young physicians to the viewpoint of the patient. I was asked to read this book for a graduate course in spirituality and healing called: Suffering and Hope. I found it even better than "W;T" for training purposes. I think it should be required reading for all medical students and residents. Physicians are much more than just technicians trained to "fix" bodies. The viewpoint of the author was most helpful in suggesting ways to approach a very difficult situation. I have ordered copies for friends who are suffering from cancer that it may help them on their journey!