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Title: A big disappointment
Review: The title got me excited - I thought I was going to read narratives from chronic illness sufferers and was looking forward to a variety of perspectives. Imagine my disappointment then to find out that the author, a rheumatologist who ended up with debilitating arthritis himself, actually fictionalized each of the narratives based on conglomerations of several "patient types" he has dealt with because he feels "factual stories lack emotional impact". While Part I of the book are these fictionalized narratives and, quite frankly, lack emotional impact for me, Part II is made up of several very well done self-exploration exercises exploring feelings and aspects of chronic illness. With that in mind, as a self-help book, I can recommend its purchase, but if it's stories you're after, you may want a book with actual individuals in it!
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