The Anatomy of Hope

How People Prevail in the Face of Illness

By: Jerome Groopman M.D.

Narrated by: Paul Michael

An inspiring and profoundly enlightening exploration of one doctor’s discovery of how hope can change the course of illness

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, human beings have believed that hope is essential to life. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Harvard Medical School professor and New Yorker staff writer Jerome Groopman shows us why.

The search for hope is most urgent at the patient’s bedside. The Anatomy of Hope takes us there, bringing us into the lives of people at pivotal moments when they reach for and find hope - or when it eludes their grasp. Through these intimate portraits, we learn how to distinguish true hope from false, why some people feel they are undeserving of it, and whether we should ever abandon our search.

Can hope contribute to recovery by changing physical well-being?

To answer this hotly debated question, Groopman embarked on an investigative journey to cutting-edge laboratories where researchers are unraveling an authentic biology of hope. There he finds a scientific basis for understanding the role of this vital emotion in the outcome of illness.

Here is a book that offers a new way of thinking about hope, with a message for all readers, not only patients and their families.

"We are just beginning to appreciate hope’s reach," Groopman writes, "and have not defined its limits. I see hope as the very heart of healing."

©2004 Jerome Groopman (P)2004 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"In this provocative book...Groopman successfully convinces that hope can offer not only solace but strength to those living with medical uncertainty." (Publishers Weekly)
"[Groopman] enters the paradoxical hope of cancer patients with a different sort of sympathy. His project is to dissect it meticulously, to find patterns behind it, and to understand its biology....Groopman contends that hope itself is in effect a vital organ, an entity that desperately needs sustenance, and that this sustenance is as essential to living as 'the very oxygen we breathe'." (The New York Times Book Review)

Very good

Highly recommend to people in the medical field to read. Gives a great perspective on how to treat patients .

An elegant treatise on the power of hope

A scientifically sound yet accessible work detailing Groopman's experiences as both doctor & patient and the role emotions play in affecting the trajectory of illness. I first became interested in this title after hearing an interview with Groopman on NPR's "Fresh Air with Terry Gross." He spoke of his 10 year struggle with back problems; an experience that included a botched surgery and long convalescence. His recovery was hindered by skepticism and apathy on the part of the medical establishment- an establishment that he is sometimes ashamed to be part of. This experience forever changes him and his attudies towards his patients. This story and others, such as Groopman's missteps communicating with patients while a resident, are candidly revealed in his book. Throughout this book, many vivid stories of life, death and illness punctuate a discussion of medical research findings. Groopman successfully argues that hope & dispair, joy & saddness, alters human biology. Rigorous but never dry and tedious- sensitive yet not treacly like Chicken Soup for the Soul, this book shows us that the mind, body and soul are inexorably linked.

Very good as far as it goes...

This is a very good book. I expected sappy, but it was interesting, thought provoking, and touching. The book does not quite reach a clear conclusion, nevertheless it goes a long way in exploring how hope can be detrimental or curative.

Good introduction to the concepts - gave me some hope

This book piqued my interest and opened lots of doors in my thinking. Sometimes the personal anecdotes were interesting but seemed to lack balance with science or facts- which seems to reflect where science currently lives with this topic. Would like to find further reading about more of the research into hope and the body/mind connection.

ONLY read the book narrated by the author

This book is outstanding. Be confident in giving it to anyone who is sick or has family members who are sick. However, there is a huge difference between the narrators. Only get the book that has the author as a narrator. Even though it is abridged, it is so much better! I have purchased both versions and have made my parents and siblings purchase it. Great book!!!

Interesting Stories

I enjoyed hearing about the stories of patients Dr. Groopman crossed paths with over 30 years and hearing how their hope, or lack thereof, affected the healing process. Some of the medical terminology could be explained for those not familiar with the lingo. Also I wish the author delved more into the effects of hope, maybe how doctors can help give their patients hope, and more of how he maintained hope through the years.