Weathering

Reviews

“As I learn more about the complexity of chronic diseases, and the reasons black people who grew up like I did endure them more often than others, it provides me a peace of mind I didn't know was possible. This book brings clarity where I've long had confusion. No doubt, it will influence the broader discussion about health and race in this country on a macro and policy-level. But more than that, it will be invaluable to folks who've faced anything like I did since I was a child."—Issac J. Bailey, author of Why Didn’t We Riot? “Superbly insightful. If this unique volume did nothing else, I would recommend Weathering as the book on healthcare disparities. But it also distills and delivers its scholarship and insight in engaging narratives, including compelling personal histories so that you will glean your education in racial health disparities—and how to end them—quite painlessly. In fact, reading Weathering, with its clear-eyed mixture of reality and hope, is a delight.”—Harriet A. Washington, author of A Terrible Thing to Waste and Medical Apartheid “Arline Geronimus brings together a lifetime of research, scholarship, and experience to explain how continually battling back oppression hurts the human body. Her book offers an eloquent, comprehensive and compassionate framework for understanding the physiological effects of societal harm and a path to healing.”—Linda Villarosa, author of Under the Skin “One of the most significant public health research discoveries of the last few decades is this: when it comes to health and aging, how society treats us has more of an impact than how we take care of ourselves. In this monumental book, Arline T. Geronimus meticulously demonstrates that systemic injustice isn’t just oppressive—it’s toxic on the body; it’s deadly.”—Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning “In trying to understand the causes of group disparities in health outcomes, analysts have focused on features of the disadvantaged groups themselves—their genes, culture, income level, etc.—at the expense of environmental factors. Weathering corrects this bias. Better than any writing I’ve seen, it shows how the environments of the disenfranchised have a weathering impact on their health and longevity. Well-written and accessible, it is a powerful book; indispensable to developing policies capable of reducing these disparities. And more generally, it is a must read by anyone interested in the nature of identity in American life. In short, it deserves the very broadest of readerships!”—Claude M. Steele, author of Whistling Vivaldi Expand reviews