Medical sociology – The Bell Bookshop

The Cancer Guide

Emma — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Cancer Guide is a definitive and inspirational book designed to help patients, partners, family and work colleagues navigate the trials and difficulties associated with cancer and its treatment.

With over forty years worth of experience to her name, O’Dwyer writes about cancer with humanity and clarity, helping to combat the myths and misinformation surrounding the disease in an age of information overload.

Adopting an integrated biological and psychological perspective, O’Dwyer highlights the person at the heart of every treatment, providing helpful advice and shared experiences that are able to destigmatize the shame, fear and denial faced by those affected by cancer.

The Cancer Guide is an empowering and informative book for all those whose lives and loved ones have been touched by cancer.

Bad Science

Emma — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Ben Goldacre’s wise and witty bestseller, shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize, lifts the lid on quack doctors, flaky statistics, scaremongering journalists and evil pharmaceutical corporations.

Since 2003 Dr Ben Goldacre has been exposing dodgy medical data in his popular Guardian column. In this eye-opening book he takes on the MMR hoax and misleading cosmetics ads, acupuncture and homeopathy, vitamins and mankind’s vexed relationship with all manner of ‘toxins’. Along the way, the self-confessed ‘Johnny Ball cum Witchfinder General’ performs a successful detox on a Barbie doll, sees his dead cat become a certified nutritionist and probes the supposed medical qualifications of ‘Dr’ Gillian McKeith.

Full spleen and satire, Ben Goldacre takes us on a hilarious, invigorating and ultimately alarming journey through the bad science we are fed daily by hacks and quacks.

On Death and Dying

Emma — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The five stages of grief, first formulated in this hugely influential work forty years ago, are now part of our common understanding of bereavement. The five stages were first identified by Elisabeth KÃ¼bler-Ross in her work with dying patients at the University of Chicago and were considered phases that all or most people went through, when faced with the prospect of their own death. They are now often accepted as a response to any major life change.

However, in spite of these terms being in general use, the subject of death is still surrounded by conventional attitudes and reticence that offer only fragile comfort because they evade the real issues. This groundbreaking book is still relevant – giving a voice to dying people and exploring what impending death means to them, often in their own words. People speak about their experience of dying, their relief in expressing their fear and anger and being able to move forward to a state of acceptance and peace.

Ideal for all those with an interest in bereavement or the five stages of grief, this book contains a new extended introduction from Professor Allan Kellehear. This additional chapter re-examines On Death and Dying looking at how it has influenced contemporary thought and practice.