This week we’ve got medical anthropology (including Paul Farmer!), Iraq (in particular the new book The Forever War), the brain, society, evolution, and drug hacks.
Medical Anthropology
60 Minutes, Dr. Farmer’s Remedy
Paul Farmer, doctor and anthropologist, solves health problems linked to poverty and inequality
The Economist, Global Health: The Price of Being Well
Social forces impact health. A major statement by a new WHO group, highlighting the need for social justice alongside the provision of adequate care
Nicholas Wade, A Dissenting Voice as the Genome Is Sifted to Fight Disease
A young professor argues that the evidence on personalized medicine based on genetics doesn’t match the hype
Eugene Raikhel, Moving beyond Race in Pharmacogenomics?
Great discussion, with good links, over at Somatosphere
The Banana Peel Project, Communication, Criticism and Medicine
Foucault, commentary and the role of informed critique
Randal Archibold, Indians’ Water Rights Give Hope for Better Health
See social justice in action. Water rights to farming to having a sense of involvement, rather than the Pima being the case study for genetic vulnerability to diabetes (due to changed social circumstances)
Michael Conlon, Stressed Mothers May Raise Fat Children: Study
Stress from mother transformed into comfort food for kids
Lindsey Tanner, Got a Fat Gene? Get Active for 3-4 Hours a Day
Which is exactly what the modern world dictates, isn’t it?
Alan Feuer, Thousands Later, He Sees Lottery’s Cruelty Close Up
Being poor and chasing the wins—an in-depth look
Jennifer Gibson, Laughter Is the Best – and Possibly Oldest – Medicine
Brain Blogger on the power of laughter in healing
Iraq
Lee Hamilton, Outside the Green Zone, the Human Dimension
“The near-complete American failure to understand Iraq is still evident five and a half years into the war.” NY Times review of the book The Forever War by Dexter Kilkins, journalist become anthropologist through need and circumstance.
You can read the first chapter here. The Times also runs the Baghdad Bureau blog about working in Iraq
Neuroanthropology 