Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants [Hardcover]

Philip Yancey (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: DIANE Publishing Company (1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0788163728
• ISBN-13: 978-0788163722
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #235,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High praise for a refreshing insight., September 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants (Audio Cassette)

As a clinician who works with chronic pain, I found Brand's book to be truly inspiring. People who get negatively obsessed with (non malignant) physical discomfort face the challenge of reconfiguring their perceptions about pain. Dr. Brand not only lays the groundwork for changing the context and meaning of pain - He does a good job of exploring the modern day paradox that more (ie overindulgent, materialistic, obsessive pursuit of creature comforts) is often less (in terms of true happiness). A great read!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and insightful reading, May 6, 1999

By 

Laura Murphy ([e-mail]) (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants (Audio Cassette)

The book gives a very insightful look into why we have pain and why it's important for maintaining good health. I found it easy to read (I almost couldn't put it down!) and very informative. I think it's a must-read for anyone in the medical profession or anyone who suffers reccurent pain of any kind.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biographical reflections on the two edged nature of pain, February 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants (Hardcover)

You don't have to be a physician, philosopher, or theologian to enjoy reading Paul Brand and Philip Yancey's thoughtful comments about pain, the gift nobody wants. Most of us view pain as our nemesis, something to be avoided or at least minimized, and yet our lives depend upon its presence in ways we seldom stop to think about. We need to feel pain, for example, when we handle something too hot, lest we burn ourselves, we need muscular pain to let us know if we are building our bodies up or tearing them down, and we need the painful discomfort of dryness to cause us to blink our eyes and keep them moist. Whether you are in perfect health or suffering physically, this book is quite useful in helping us appreciate - and cope with - something that is so essential, yet noxious. This book draws richly from the well of common daily life, with many of the stories and examples coming from Dr. Brand's experiences as an English missionary surgeon in India. The writing style is fluent so that reading it is both easy and enjoyable. The approach is ecumenical, so people of any philosophical or religious persuasion should not feel uncomfortable with the author's background. I recommend this book highly.