The Black Panthers are most often remembered for their revolutionary rhetoric and militant action. Here Alondra Nelson deftly recovers an indispensable but lesser-known aspect of the organization’s broader struggle for social justice: health care. The Black Panther Party’s health activism—its network of free health clinics, its campaign to raise awareness about genetic disease, and its challenges to medical discrimination—was an expression of its founding political philosophy and also a recognition that poor blacks were both underserved by mainstream medicine and overexposed to its harms.Drawing on extensive historical research as well as interviews with former members of the Black Panther Party, Nelson argues that the Party’s focus on health care was both practical and ideological. Building on a long tradition of medical self-sufficiency among African Americans, the Panthers’ People’s Free Medical Clinics administered basic preventive care, tested for lead poisoning and hypertension, and helped with housing, employment, and social services. In 1971, the party launched a campaign to address sickle-cell anemia. In addition to establishing screening programs and educational outreach efforts, it exposed the racial biases of the medical system that had largely ignored sickle-cell anemia, a disease that predominantly affected people of African descent.The Black Panther Party’s understanding of health as a basic human right and its engagement with the social implications of genetics anticipated current debates about the politics of health and race. That legacy—and that struggle—continues today in the commitment of health activists and the fight for universal health care.

    Drucker in a letter to Aravind’s founder, Dr. V When a crippling disease shattered his lifelong ambition, Dr. V (Venkataswamy) chose an impossible new dream: to cure the world of blindness. The tiny clinic he founded in India defied conventional business logic and is now the largest provider of eye care on the planet.At Aravind, patients choose whether to pay or not. Millions are treated for free, yet the organization remains stunningly self-reliant. Serving everyone from penniless farmers to the president, it delivers world-class outcomes at less than a hundredth of what similar services cost in advanced nations. Its model is emulated by organizations everywhere from Rwanda to San Francisco.Infinite Vision uncovers the radical principles behind Aravind’s baffling success. Charged with profound insights and stories, it draws readers to the heart of Dr. V’s selfless vision, proving how choices that seem quixotic can, when executed with compassion and integrity, yield incredible results—results that can light the eyes of millions. “Reveals the power of a model that combines business discipline with compassion. May the wisdom of Dr. V and Aravind shared here inspire many such initiatives for the well-being of future generations.” —Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder, Grameen Bank “A must-read for anyone interested in leadership, service, and the building of institutions that release the best energies of the human spirit.” —Jacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO, Acumen Fund, and author of The Blue Sweater “Aravind may be a case study for MBA students and a model social business, but to me this book told a story with elegance, clarity, and intimacy.” —Fred de Sam Lazaro, Correspondent, PBS NewsHour “In the world of blindness Dr. V has performed a miracle.” —Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now and cofounder, Seva FoundationOne hundred percent of the authors’ royalties are being gifted to Aravind’s sight-restoring work.

    Some say it means contentment, happiness, and freedom from pain. Many desire to simply maintain their dignity and enjoy their family and loved ones. These are reasonable goals; yet, there is a more profound, uniquely Christian approach to the end of life.John Dunlop, a medical doctor who has practiced for over thirty years and specializes in geriatrics, combines his medical expertise, firsthand experience with patients, and firm commitment to Scripture to propose nine strategies for finishing life well. He shows how with proper physical, emotional, and spiritual preparation, aging and death need not be a fight to the finish but a purposeful resting in the arms of the Savior. Theologically robust and practically relevant, this book will prove to be a sensitive and helpful resource for anyone facing end-of-life issues.

    But never has one volume collected the most significant Christian writings on disability. This book fills that gap. Brian Brock and John Swinton's Disability in the Christian Tradition brings together for the first time key writings by thinkers from all periods of Christian history - including Augustine, Aquinas, Julian of Norwich, Luther, Calvin, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Bonhoeffer, Barth, Hauerwas, and more. Fourteen contemporary experts in theology and disability studies guide readers through each era or group of thinkers, offering clear commentary and highlighting important themes.

    Told against the backdrop of patients who survived motor vehicle accidents, falls, fires, fists, bullets, and knives, The Comfort Garden is a metaphor for the emotional support caregivers need. The story illuminates the issues of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma that may develop in caregivers when exposure to tragedy becomes routine.The Comfort Garden will appeal to health care professionals, firefighters, police, war veterans, social workers, journalists, students, and anyone whose life is touched by trauma."The Comfort Garden reveals the real world of human-to-human caring at its highest level." Jean Watson, RN, PhD, author of Human Caring Science: A Theory of Nursing"Laurie is that rare health professional with a gift for narrative and a story to tell. This is an important book for any health care worker, but especially for those of us who consider ourselves traumatic stress specialists. It reinforces the values and the spirit that brought us into the field. And it reminds us of the obstacles we face every day: human cruelty, social injustice, dwindling resources. Read this. You'll be better for it." Frank M Ochberg MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Michigan State UniversityLaurie Barkin "sensitively documents the process of vicarious trauma how caregivers like herself internalize their patients trauma." San Francisco Chronicle"In an age when hospitals have been turning to quicker-acting medications, faster discharges, and fewer deep and meaningful conversations with patients, Laurie Barkin takes the opposite position. She urges us to make the time to use our knowledge of psychodynamic psychotherapy to help traumatized people early in the course of their distress." Lenore Terr MD, psychiatrist, author of Too Scared to Cry"Whenever we walk into a hospital or a doctor's office we often assume that the patients are somehow broken, sick or frightened and that the nurses and doctors are whole, healthy and brave. In stories that prove these assumptions false, Laurie Barkin shows us how permeable the line actually is between the cared for and the caregiver." Cortney Davis, author of The Heart's Truth: Essays on the Art of Nursing "

    The text clarifies the concept of 'whole person' and outlines the challenges and opportunities that death anxiety poses to the practice of whole person care.