Modern medicine is exceptionally powerful, and has achieved unprecedented successes. But it comes at a price; individuals suffer from medicine's failures, and the economic costs of medicine are now stratospheric. Have we got the balance wrong? This book sets out the facts about our medical establishments, interrogating the ethics of modern practices and the impact they have on all our lives.

The development of medicine -- How efective is medicine? -- The medicalizaiton of living and dying -- Why modern medicine needs to change -- Conclusion.