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Books Related to Suburban Shaman Cecil Helman - ISBN: 1905140088
a mosaic and overview of medicine - Rated
I don't agree that there is a 'knocking' of hospital medicine in this book . Helman looks at life and medicine with the wide lens that an interest in academic and practical anthropology offers .
Once you are immersed in a medical system the inherent dualism and specialism (which is obviously relevant in many areas of care ) becomes the norm in which all of lifes problems are interpreted . Helman offers a mosaic of stories which seem to me to put the heart back into the complexity of dealing with people .
Many of the practices of 'healing' whch are often ridiculed are given due respect when they are understood in their culural context . Some of the characterisations of 'techno medicine' v's 'holistic' medicine may seem a little polarised but it seems fair to say that there needs to be a balance , which in many situations is surely lacking in the current medical landscape (why would people seek help in Complimenatary medical care etc if this was not the case?)
I enjoyed many of the stories which ring true -- chemically dependent relationships, the miraculous 'cures' when a sick line is obtained and the relief and health improvement that occured once a buried story had been revealed.
The book is well written and the stories and anecdotes will stay with you for a long time if you are at all interested in people or medicine . I agree with Helman ,there needs to be a greater value placed upon the arts and humanities when understanding people .
Worth a read - Rated
An interesting book, easy to read, but I think concerns about confidentality mean that the stories are a little generic and that the character who comes across most clearly is Helman himself. He seems to be a decent doctor, but perhaps not as different from other GPs as he thinks - he cannot seem to stop himself from judging consultant colleagues or the family that call him out unnecessarily on Christmas Eve.
suburban shaman - Rated
A fascinating book, lending a fresh slant on medicine, culture, and how personal experience informs our understanding of ourselves, others, and the world around us. Written with a light touch, compassion, sensitivity, honesty and humour. Highly recommended!!
Suburban Shaman - Rated
I found Suburban Shaman an enthralling book of a clearly rewarding and inspiring life and career so far. Spanning from pre apartheid South Africa to being a family practitioner in London, the book illuminates the diversity of various approaches to medicine from the author's own experiences. However, far from being purely medical, Cecil Helman also applies his experience as a anthropologist contrasting western medicine with a more personal and cultural approach. The book is well written and worth reading for anyone interested in a fascinating life and/or gaining a broader understanding of medicine.
