BOOK REVIEW: The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down
In this week's installment of Stryker's Corner, Jeff Stryker reviews the enormously powerful first book by Anne Fadiman, the new editor of the American Scholar. Eight years in the writing, "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" is the story of a child with epilepsy growing up in the Hmong enclave of Merced. Ms. Fadiman explores the heartbreak involved as Western biomedical science collides with Hmong traditions of animism and spirituality. According to Stryker, the book is a "must read for any health care giver who declares the cultural barrier toppled when informed consent forms have been translated into Spanish."
More On This New Column
Stryker's Corner, which made its debut March 2, will be a regular Monday feature in California Healthline. Columnist Jeff Stryker will take readers behind the headlines, with in-depth articles and guest editorials. In addition, beginning in April, Stryker's Corner will feature interviews with California newsmakers, available in both Real Audio and interview transcripts. Click here for more on Stryker and this new feature.
Editor's Note
The views represented in this column are those of the columnist or guest editorialist and not California Healthline.