Cost of Living: Essays
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-02-28 10:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Emily Maloney
- ISBN：1250213290
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Megan Rosol
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An amazing memoir about surviving mental illness， coming to terms with being an odd girl out， and witnessing the inner workings of medical and pharmaceutical industries。 The audiobook is well-narrated by the author。Emily Maloney lives in Evanston。 Can't wait to read her next book！ Readalikes: Leslie Jamison and Eula Biss。 An amazing memoir about surviving mental illness， coming to terms with being an odd girl out， and witnessing the inner workings of medical and pharmaceutical industries。 The audiobook is well-narrated by the author。Emily Maloney lives in Evanston。 Can't wait to read her next book！ Readalikes: Leslie Jamison and Eula Biss。 。。。more
❀ Carla ❀
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This book made me uncomfortable and not because of the discussions of the ridiculous reality of medical debt and chronic mental illnesses， but……。。there was just something unsettling。 Kudos to Emily Maloney for writing a powerful and honest take about her life experiences。 My rating is moreso based on the bumpiness of the narrative。 I think it would have benefitted to sticking to one storyline and exploration， or providing more concrete experiences that felt emotionally raw like at the beginning。
Natalka Burian
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This was such a powerful read， spotlighting a single person's journey navigating a broken system。 I was stunned by Maloney's stories as a patient and even more moved by her observations as an EMT。 Everyone should read this！ This was such a powerful read， spotlighting a single person's journey navigating a broken system。 I was stunned by Maloney's stories as a patient and even more moved by her observations as an EMT。 Everyone should read this！ 。。。more
Shannon Silva
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Could not quit reading。 The author does an amazing job of cycling through personal insights， research and lived experience to create an upsetting portrait of what it means to be sick in America。
Diane Windsor
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This book really hit home for me。 The crushing medical debt of a serious illness， practicing pain management instead of addressing the actual problem （because that's too expensive）， and the lack of coverage for mental health which， of course， is just as important as physical health。 The combination of professional and first-person experience makes this a real must-read。 This book really hit home for me。 The crushing medical debt of a serious illness， practicing pain management instead of addressing the actual problem （because that's too expensive）， and the lack of coverage for mental health which， of course， is just as important as physical health。 The combination of professional and first-person experience makes this a real must-read。 。。。more
Greg Katz
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This book is poorly organized。 Too many gaps in the author’s story。 There was no rhyme or reason to writing it as essays instead of as a memoir。 Poor choice in both the author’s and editor’s partnership。
Kristen
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“I decided to attend all the sponsored breakfasts and lunch I could， because I wanted to be able to tell everyone what was really going on in the pharmaceutical industry。 If a member of the public， outside the medical world， wants to know what legal drug pushing looks like， they should attend a sponsored breakfast”Eye opening。 Harrowing。 This is a collection of essays by Emily Mahoney chronicling her experiences as the patient and from a healthcare prospective。 This was an eye opening memoir-li “I decided to attend all the sponsored breakfasts and lunch I could， because I wanted to be able to tell everyone what was really going on in the pharmaceutical industry。 If a member of the public， outside the medical world， wants to know what legal drug pushing looks like， they should attend a sponsored breakfast”Eye opening。 Harrowing。 This is a collection of essays by Emily Mahoney chronicling her experiences as the patient and from a healthcare prospective。 This was an eye opening memoir-like account of her life experiences with her mental health/illnesses and different careers in the medical field。 The state of the mental health care and/or medical healthcare in and of itself in America is a tragedy。 As someone with an autistic son with several other diagnoses， seeing a myriad of different doctors with similar outcomes of no plans or help moving forward， seeing how medications are pushed on folks of ANY age by doctors who don’t even care to look at medical history or spend more than 10 minutes with them - AND someone who works in the medical field…this was still very informative but also extremely validating。 I could seriously go on and on as this is a topic on several levels that I’m very passionate about。 All in all， a really great read – published on February 8th， I’m really glad that I pre-ordered this。 。。。more
Lisa | Read Between the Spines
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When the publisher of Cost of Living offered me an advanced readers’ copy of the book， I was excited to dive in。 I have a lot of experience with the U。S。 health care system – both professional and personal。 I was excited to see a non-academic book published that discusses the ridiculous cost of health care in this country。 However， Cost of Living did not live up to my expectations。I nearly abandoned the book after reading 30 percent。 But I have terrible guilt and could not in good conscious DNF When the publisher of Cost of Living offered me an advanced readers’ copy of the book， I was excited to dive in。 I have a lot of experience with the U。S。 health care system – both professional and personal。 I was excited to see a non-academic book published that discusses the ridiculous cost of health care in this country。 However， Cost of Living did not live up to my expectations。I nearly abandoned the book after reading 30 percent。 But I have terrible guilt and could not in good conscious DNF a book that I was gifted。 So I put it aside for a few days hoping that maybe I was just in a poor mood and that was impacting my enjoyment。 I think that was partially the problem as I did not struggle through finishing Cost of Living when I picked it back up。I think essay collections are pretty hit or miss similar to short stories。 Sometimes one essay/story shines much more than the rest or the collection as a whole is lackluster and not fully executed。 I found the essays in Cost of Living suffered from a bit of this。 Many essays I found boring or uninteresting。 I do not know if this is because I have had very similar experiences to the author or if they were objectively not engaging。 I think the best essay of the bunch was “Something for the Pain” which discussed medical pain management in the United States， the opioid epidemic， and how responses to the epidemic have impacted patients with chronic pain。 The worst was “A Brief Inventory of My Drugs and Their Retail Price” that listed the 22 psychiatric medications the author has taken and her reactions to them。 I could make a similar list， but why would anyone other than a medical professional want to read it？ I think if the essay had been more substantive and better executed it could have shown those who have not had these experiences the challenge and failure of mental health care， particularly in the U。S。As a whole， Cost of Living did not do anything for me。 I feel like it failed to have a point or or a conclusive message convey。 There was clearly a central theme to Cost of Living， but for me， it lacked a cohesiveness that would have made the essay collection compelling and to do what the synopsis promised。While the essays are well-written， I did not find them or the writing compelling。 Emily Maloney’s writing is very straight-forward and factual。 I am used to writing like this， so I was unbothered and liked it。 However， I do feel that she failed to convey emotion and hook readers。Overall， Cost of Living was just an okay read for me。 I did not learn anything new， but I do not think that will be true for most people who read it。 I think it is a consequence of my experiences， personal and professional。Note: I received an advanced readers' copy of this book from the publisher， Henry Holt & Co。 Regardless， my reviews are always fair， honest， and non-biased。 。。。more
Sofia Ali-Khan
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Emily Maloney’s Cost of Living is different from everything I’ve read on health care， in a very good way。 Instead of making an argument， she tells the stories of her life as a patient and a health care practitioner in essays。 She writes characters and circumstances such that it’s impossible not to begin to see:When most people are underpaid and overworked， when no one has much of a safety net， when medication is overpriced and sometimes overprescribed， when both health care and mental health car Emily Maloney’s Cost of Living is different from everything I’ve read on health care， in a very good way。 Instead of making an argument， she tells the stories of her life as a patient and a health care practitioner in essays。 She writes characters and circumstances such that it’s impossible not to begin to see:When most people are underpaid and overworked， when no one has much of a safety net， when medication is overpriced and sometimes overprescribed， when both health care and mental health care is for-profit， things are bound to fall apart。The prose has momentum; I read the book in two evenings。 There were several moments in this collection of essays when I had to pause and re-read a sentence， though。 Maloney’s prose is not always straightforward。 Instead， the essays are written in what I think is her actual， idiosyncratic voice， so that you feel you are getting the true story， in real time。 Like the best protagonists in fiction， she lets you observe her world firsthand as she makes unexpected connections and attempts to be her whole human self in what are sometimes deeply inhumane or even bizarre circumstances。 Maloney’s blend of memoir and expository essay is incredibly effective。 Each new essay fills in some of the questions left by the essay before， sometimes out of order， but sensically， like a good conversation。 。。。more
Basic B's Guide
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What a unique look inside the medical industry。 Lots of food for thought as I’ve often wondered myself what is necessary when evaluating my options when sick。 Essays always have a little ebb and flow and I have to say this flowed very well for the first 50% and then lost me a bit。 I’ll still be recommending this and sharing with friends who are constantly dealing with ongoing medical bills。
Anne
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The essays by Emily Maloney read like a book that just isn’t in chronological order in The Cost of Living。 Emily survived a suicide attempt at the age of 19， but the medical costs followed her for 10 years。 The costs were more than just money but also socially， career-wise， familial relations， and personal worth。 She writes without whining， complaining， or feeling sorry for herself。 I think that’s why I love her writing。 She has such a clean and clear conscience。 Cost of Living by Emily Maloney The essays by Emily Maloney read like a book that just isn’t in chronological order in The Cost of Living。 Emily survived a suicide attempt at the age of 19， but the medical costs followed her for 10 years。 The costs were more than just money but also socially， career-wise， familial relations， and personal worth。 She writes without whining， complaining， or feeling sorry for herself。 I think that’s why I love her writing。 She has such a clean and clear conscience。 Cost of Living by Emily Maloney taught me to forge ahead one pill at a time， one doctor visit at a time， one job at a time， one payment at a time， one person at a time。 She did it。 I can do it。 And you can do it too。 。。。more
Anne Hart
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The essays by Emily Maloney read like a book that just isn’t in chronological order in The Cost of Living。 Emily survived a suicide attempt at the age of 19， but the medical costs followed her for 10 years。 The costs were more than just money but also socially， career-wise， familial relations， and personal worth。 She writes without whining， complaining， or feeling sorry for herself。 I think that’s why I love her writing。 She has such a clean and clear conscience。 Cost of Living by Emily Maloney The essays by Emily Maloney read like a book that just isn’t in chronological order in The Cost of Living。 Emily survived a suicide attempt at the age of 19， but the medical costs followed her for 10 years。 The costs were more than just money but also socially， career-wise， familial relations， and personal worth。 She writes without whining， complaining， or feeling sorry for herself。 I think that’s why I love her writing。 She has such a clean and clear conscience。 Cost of Living by Emily Maloney taught me to forge ahead one pill at a time， one doctor visit at a time， one job at a time， one payment at a time， one person at a time。 She did it。 I can do it。 And you can do it too。 。。。more
Katherine
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This harrowing collection of essays highlights the sad state of the mental health care system and general health care system in the United States。 Follow Ms Manoley through her struggle to keep her head above water as she's prescribed dozens of prescription medications to help her find "normal" from her school days through young married life。 The appropriateness of the title becomes painfully aware every few chapter， like the erratic syncopated beat of a heart recovering from overdose from a pre This harrowing collection of essays highlights the sad state of the mental health care system and general health care system in the United States。 Follow Ms Manoley through her struggle to keep her head above water as she's prescribed dozens of prescription medications to help her find "normal" from her school days through young married life。 The appropriateness of the title becomes painfully aware every few chapter， like the erratic syncopated beat of a heart recovering from overdose from a prescribed medication you can barely afford。 Raw and brutally honest。 Cost of Living lays a young woman's scars bare for all listeners。 。。。more
lou
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In a essay-memoir like book， the author takes us on a journey through her life and experiences with medicine， therapists and mental illnesses。 Having dozens of therapists that didnt help her， giving her countless of drugs that didnt do anything， and then working on a hospital and struggling while taking lithium。 We get in her head to get why she acted the way she did with other people and different situations。 And also， as the title says， how it affected her economic situation， since every littl In a essay-memoir like book， the author takes us on a journey through her life and experiences with medicine， therapists and mental illnesses。 Having dozens of therapists that didnt help her， giving her countless of drugs that didnt do anything， and then working on a hospital and struggling while taking lithium。 We get in her head to get why she acted the way she did with other people and different situations。 And also， as the title says， how it affected her economic situation， since every little aspect of living costed her money。Such an insightful view at the healthcare world。 To be honest， i wasnt expecting to be that engaged （for no actual reason， just a me thing） but i actually loved reading this， it will never stop surprising me the amount of stuff that you have to pay in order to， literally， just live， and i loved to see her actual experience， it was really sincere and she didnt （it felt like） kept nothing from us， readers。Thank u to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book ！ 。。。more
RebeccaReviewedIt
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This is a book of essays。 Now， I’m not typically a reader of essays， but this one seemed interesting， so I was willing to give it a chance。 In this book， Emily takes you through essays detailing her experiences with doctors， medication， healthcare， medical debt， and mental illness/disability/difference。 I’m not going to comment too much on the content of the essays， because this is her life; these are her experiences。 Reading nonfiction allows you to step into someone else’s shoes for a little w This is a book of essays。 Now， I’m not typically a reader of essays， but this one seemed interesting， so I was willing to give it a chance。 In this book， Emily takes you through essays detailing her experiences with doctors， medication， healthcare， medical debt， and mental illness/disability/difference。 I’m not going to comment too much on the content of the essays， because this is her life; these are her experiences。 Reading nonfiction allows you to step into someone else’s shoes for a little while。 But I will tell you a couple things to know before you jump in。 There is a lot of medical talk – some of which I understood， some of which I just skimmed over。 So if you’re in the medical field， that’s probably a bonus to enjoying this book。 Also， the essays are not in chronological order。 I’d find myself being confused about something only to realize this must have happened before the previous essay。 Not a huge deal， just something I didn’t always immediately realize。 There was one essay that details all the medication she’d taken。 I found it fascinating， yet I also wanted more。 What were each of the medications supposed to do？ And the engineer in me would have liked the prices of each medication to be more comparable – some were cost per pill， others cost per month， some were today’s prices， others just said whether or not it was covered by insurance。 I love data， and I love being able to compare data， but that wasn’t really the point of her essay， just a personal preference。 Overall， it was an interesting read。 I liked seeing both sides of the healthcare system – both as a patient and a provider。 I would have loved more discussion on the medical debt side of it。 It was really a thought provoking and compelling book， whether you agreed with her opinions or not。 Thank you so much to Henry Holt Books and Emily Maloney for my copy！#bookstagram #RebeccaReviewedIt 。。。more
Raegan
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*I received this book for free through NetGalley & Goodreads in exchange for an honest review*How much does it cost to live？This book answers that question:Everything you've got and then some。But it is what you focus on that grows。Emily Maloney's story certainly isn't a traditional one。It is unique and begs the questions:Why is the medical system set up the way that it is？Why are people charged to live？Charged to have decent health？And then charged even more if they don't succeed in committingsu *I received this book for free through NetGalley & Goodreads in exchange for an honest review*How much does it cost to live？This book answers that question:Everything you've got and then some。But it is what you focus on that grows。Emily Maloney's story certainly isn't a traditional one。It is unique and begs the questions:Why is the medical system set up the way that it is？Why are people charged to live？Charged to have decent health？And then charged even more if they don't succeed in committingsuicide？ I liked that Maloney keeps the story moving。 Although， I did have several unanswered questions。 I liked the first half of the book more than the second。 The second half focused on Maloney's work in the medical field。 It tends to circle back and repeat itself。I also preferred the audiobook to the physical。 The reading was very clear with a good pace。 This is full of medical talk， debt talk， and goes through Maloney's different interactions with people。 Overall， it is interesting！ 。。。more
Katharine
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This being described as a cross between Girl， Interrupted and The Empathy Exams had me immediately wanting to read this。 Maloney’s observations on living with mental illness in this country， and her stories of navigating the healthcare system， are heart-wrenching and visceral。 She shares both personal experiences as a patient and those of patients she got to know through her various roles in the medical field。 Each of them sheds a light on the ways in which our medical system takes a toll， physi This being described as a cross between Girl， Interrupted and The Empathy Exams had me immediately wanting to read this。 Maloney’s observations on living with mental illness in this country， and her stories of navigating the healthcare system， are heart-wrenching and visceral。 She shares both personal experiences as a patient and those of patients she got to know through her various roles in the medical field。 Each of them sheds a light on the ways in which our medical system takes a toll， physically， emotionally， and financially。 Releases on 2/8。 For fans of The Beauty in the Breaking。Thank you to Henry Holt and Netgalley for providing me with a free review copy。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Carin
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Emily Maloney has experienced the health system inside and out。 In this series of personal essays， she explores her own misdiagnoses， which lead to incorrect medications， the side effects of which lead to further misdiagnoses， making things worse and worse。 All of these misdiagnoses， understandably， lead to a lot of medical debt。 which lead to regular calls from collection departments。 The medical debt meant she had to get a job。 She started as a medical technician。 Most people don’t know what m Emily Maloney has experienced the health system inside and out。 In this series of personal essays， she explores her own misdiagnoses， which lead to incorrect medications， the side effects of which lead to further misdiagnoses， making things worse and worse。 All of these misdiagnoses， understandably， lead to a lot of medical debt。 which lead to regular calls from collection departments。 The medical debt meant she had to get a job。 She started as a medical technician。 Most people don’t know what med techs are and just assume they’re nurses。 And granted， they do some of the same things such as starting IVs。 One thing she occasionally did while a med tech was help out with billing the patients。 So they’d end up with the same exorbitant， unpayable bills that she was working extra hours to try to pay。 The irony is not lost on her。Due to her medial condition， her attempt to become a certified EMT fails， although she does complete a fair amount of the training。 And with all of this medical background， and college writing training， she ends up working at a pharmaceutical company as a technical writer。 Writing about drugs。 Like the ones she was wrongly taking for many years that caused her harm and bad side effects。 And which cost her a lot of money。 And so the cycle continues。 Few people understand it like Ms。 Maloney and few people can write about it so well。 Medical issues of all kinds are a very timely issue。 This book should be widely read。 。。。more
Mary
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This was a beautifully written， raw collection。 Maloney provides an intricate look at the medical world from many different perspectives。 A book like this， so honest， encourages me to think about the role of honesty in my own life。 Which I wasn’t expecting。
Maggie
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Although I really enjoyed this book， I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I’d read it rather than listened to it。 The author narrated the audiobook and although she does a fine job， there was a certain lack of personality to her narration style。 The book itself was really interesting and unique。 I’m glad I read it！ I would just recommend the printed version rather than audio。 A fascinating peek behind the curtain of hospitals and American healthcare。 Sadly， many of the horrors revealed weren’t Although I really enjoyed this book， I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I’d read it rather than listened to it。 The author narrated the audiobook and although she does a fine job， there was a certain lack of personality to her narration style。 The book itself was really interesting and unique。 I’m glad I read it！ I would just recommend the printed version rather than audio。 A fascinating peek behind the curtain of hospitals and American healthcare。 Sadly， many of the horrors revealed weren’t surprising—a lot of tidbits you’ve always suspected doctors and nurses were doing but this book confirms it。Thank you to Libro。fm for the ALC！ 。。。more
Sam Hughes
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 First of all I just wanted to thank Henry Holt Publishing and Emily Maloney for early access to this wonderful book。 One word， or rather， one hyphenated word。。。 This book was thought-provoking。 This collection of essays details the extreme disorder that the United States' healthcare system exhibits and that all of us are living through。 The Cost of Living is incredibly expensive， and sometimes viewed as not worth it， which is where the author， Emily Maloney kicks this book off at with her suicid First of all I just wanted to thank Henry Holt Publishing and Emily Maloney for early access to this wonderful book。 One word， or rather， one hyphenated word。。。 This book was thought-provoking。 This collection of essays details the extreme disorder that the United States' healthcare system exhibits and that all of us are living through。 The Cost of Living is incredibly expensive， and sometimes viewed as not worth it， which is where the author， Emily Maloney kicks this book off at with her suicidal feelings of neglect for herself -- which in turn just bit her in the butt because the cost of that medical treatment was worth tens of thousands of dollars that would literally years for her to pay off。 Americans are literally dying， starving for pain relief or a fix from their general physician and hold off on receiving such care， because they don't have insurance or likely can't afford the medical bills that are likely to stack up over the course of a couple months。 Or perhaps， set up by their doctors and nurses to alleviate pain， patients become addicted to opioids which spirals them down a different and more abusive rabbit hole that they can't pick themselves up from。 It's a twisted cycle that we are all a product of， unfortunately。 Emily Maloney's personified narrative was both witty and informative， looking into the eyes of a system that continues to fail us， time and time again。 5/5 I absolutely recommend。 Thought provoking 。。。more
Karen Germain
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Note* I listed to the audiobook edition， but this edition is not listed in Goodreads。 The book was read by the author and I enjoyed her straightforward， and nearly， but not quite， void of emotion tone。 It was fitting with the subject matter。 In her collectionCost of Living: Essays Emily Maloney covers many facets of her life and career。 During college， Maloney survived a suicide attempt， but spent much of her adult life saddled with medical debt from this experience。 She writes about a toxic rel Note* I listed to the audiobook edition， but this edition is not listed in Goodreads。 The book was read by the author and I enjoyed her straightforward， and nearly， but not quite， void of emotion tone。 It was fitting with the subject matter。 In her collectionCost of Living: Essays Emily Maloney covers many facets of her life and career。 During college， Maloney survived a suicide attempt， but spent much of her adult life saddled with medical debt from this experience。 She writes about a toxic relationship with a therapist， whom Maloney sought treatment from during her 20's。 This therapist prescribed dozens of pills， many of which complicated Maloney's mental and physical health issues。 Maloney would end up working as an emergency room technician， a job that allowed her to witness the intersection of profit and human care， noticing the deep flaws in our medical system。 Later， she would work in clinical bioethics， including attending medical conferences， giving her insight into medical marketing。 Sharp and damning， Maloney will make you consider both your personal and societal costs of living。 Her essays force the reader to consider the financial and emotional toll that our current medical system is placing on citizens。 It is a holistic look that includes for-profit medicine， medical research， government policies， and the lives of both patients and their loved ones。 As health care remains a hot-button issue， Maloney's experience and insight adds an important voice to the conversation。I highly recommend！ 。。。more
Katie
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Thanks to the author and to NetGalley for an advance copy， in exchange for my honest feedback。This book presents a unique perspective on healthcare and mental healthcare in America， from someone who's seen every side of it。 The author has worked on what we now call the frontlines of medicine， as well as billing and medical research， and she's been a patient for chronic illnesses and mental illness。 Firsthand， she has experience that few people have so completely， and she tells her story in compe Thanks to the author and to NetGalley for an advance copy， in exchange for my honest feedback。This book presents a unique perspective on healthcare and mental healthcare in America， from someone who's seen every side of it。 The author has worked on what we now call the frontlines of medicine， as well as billing and medical research， and she's been a patient for chronic illnesses and mental illness。 Firsthand， she has experience that few people have so completely， and she tells her story in compelling ways。From the beginning， I was hooked on finding out the "cost of living" -- the literal financial burden of surviving a suicide attempt， and all the ways that debt has to shape the rest of a life one didn't ever intend to live。 What I wasn't expecting was how the cost of living comes in other ways too， in career burnout and research interests， in renewed empathy for strangers' medical debt， for how hospital staff talk about patients right in front of them， like they aren't even there。Three stars， because most of the essays were fascinating， but a few of them felt too slowly paced and/or slightly disconnected from the rest of the stories， but overall， I enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone looking for a firsthand account of how medical， career and personal lives intertwine。 。。。more
Josh
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A phenomenal read。 This memoir in essays reveals so many sharp insights about healthcare in America from both a patient and a practitioner。 The essays are superbly written with lucid， beautiful prose that embraces the complexities of the system and the individuals who pass through it。 It's masterful and empathetic and is one of the best pieces of non-fiction I've read。 A phenomenal read。 This memoir in essays reveals so many sharp insights about healthcare in America from both a patient and a practitioner。 The essays are superbly written with lucid， beautiful prose that embraces the complexities of the system and the individuals who pass through it。 It's masterful and empathetic and is one of the best pieces of non-fiction I've read。 。。。more
Emily
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️My first 5 star review of 2022。 Just wow。 Listen， as an American you simply must read this contemporary essay collection。 Mandatory。 Read it; internalize it; grieve with it; laugh full-bellied HAHA’s with it; punch fists of ire into pillows over it; but most importantly LEARN from it and go forward with it in mind when you vote。Pub Date: 8 Feb 2022Thank you to @netgalley & @macmillan。audio for the advanced listen audiobook in exchange for an honest review 🙏
M。
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It was a good read。
Tiffany
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I received an advanced audiobook of Cost of Living: Essays by Emily Maloney。 This is a book of essays detailing her medical experiences as a patient and also when she worked in the medical industry， It starts with her suicide attempt at age 19 and the medical debt that followed her。 She then worked a variety of healthcare jobs to try to pay off that debt。 I thought this was going to be more about what it costs to live， getting medical care in the United States but that was just a small part。 Sh I received an advanced audiobook of Cost of Living: Essays by Emily Maloney。 This is a book of essays detailing her medical experiences as a patient and also when she worked in the medical industry， It starts with her suicide attempt at age 19 and the medical debt that followed her。 She then worked a variety of healthcare jobs to try to pay off that debt。 I thought this was going to be more about what it costs to live， getting medical care in the United States but that was just a small part。 She also talks of the excess in the pharmaceutical industry， spending money to advertise and hold conferences。 I found her thoughts on chronic pain patients and how insurance creates a dependency on medications， rather than seeking out alternative therapies interesting and enlightening。 Overall， I enjoyed this collection， even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting。 I gave it 4 stars and would encourage anyone interested in medicine or disability to seek it out。 She narrates the audiobook herself which I enjoy with nonfiction。 The book will be published February 8th， 2022。 Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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I got this through a giveaway as an advanced copy - interesting read， sometimes intentionally disjointed。 Overall a good read and gave introspection on the medical field that can only come from someone who has seen it。
Carla Bayha
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Author Maloney has spent a lot of time in hospitals， some of it working in various low paid tech jobs， and some of it dealing with her own variously diagnosed mental health issues。 Part way through the Cost of LIving， the author inventories the list of drugs that she has taken or is taking now。 The list includes over twenty brand name antidepressants and mood stabilizers， many of them really only FDA approved for things like epilepsy， but usually prescribed off label for depression and other psy Author Maloney has spent a lot of time in hospitals， some of it working in various low paid tech jobs， and some of it dealing with her own variously diagnosed mental health issues。 Part way through the Cost of LIving， the author inventories the list of drugs that she has taken or is taking now。 The list includes over twenty brand name antidepressants and mood stabilizers， many of them really only FDA approved for things like epilepsy， but usually prescribed off label for depression and other psychiatric disorders。 It's not clear if any of these have helped her， or just left her with crushing medical debt。 This is a rare peek behind closed hospital and clinic doors， where "safer"-safer than what？-- has launched a thousand pharma marketing campaigns and sunk American healthcare。 。。。more
Connie
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