Invisible Illness
A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID
$40.08
- Hardcover
264 pages
- Release Date
21 March 2026
Summary
A moving cultural history of disability—and a powerful call to action to change how our medical system and society supports those with complex chronic conditions
From lupus to Lyme, invisible illness is often dismissed by everyone but the sufferers. Why does the medical establishment continually insist that, when symptoms are hard to explain, they are probably just in your head?
Inspired by her work with long Covid patients, medical anthropologist Emily Menden…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780520421523 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0520421523 |
| Author: | Emily Mendenhall |
| Publisher: | University of California Press |
| Imprint: | University of California Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 264 |
| Release Date: | 21 March 2026 |
| Weight: | 518g |
| Dimensions: | 29mm x 162mm x 236mm |

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Critics Review
“Elegantly written and rigorously researched … An incisive study that illuminates the myriad complexities of chronic illness.” * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *
“Movingly spotlights the struggles of chronically ill patients who experience maddening dismissals by their own doctors. An urgent argument for updating standards of care and a hopeful look at how long Covid could prompt a major medical turning point.”
* Publishers Weekly *Emily Mendenhall
Emily Mendenhall is Professor in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, a Guggenheim Fellow, and contributor to Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Vox.
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