This ground-breaking book encourages a re-focus on the subjective and social nature of health and illness. It helps healthcare professionals find fresh perspectives to assist patients, many of whom are threatened by and lost in a healthcare system dominated by diseases and procedures.

The book takes a whole systems approach to primary care, incorporating new developments, social aspects, critical discourse, international perspectives, and the history and philosophy of medicine.

It is a stimulating and inspiring read for general practitioners and other primary healthcare professionals, undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, healthcare educators, academics, and primary care researchers. Healthcare policy makers and shapers will value its lucid account of complex issues.

‘Joachim Sturmberg has written an important book, which I sincerely hope the reformers of our health care system will study carefully. It is also a riveting read. With great erudition and strong arguments, Sturmberg lays out a plan which leads to a goal to which we all aspire – a health care system based on primary care and primary health care which expresses the historic values of medicine and adapts itself to the complexity of modern medicine. A must read for anyone who has the interests of primary care at heart.’
Ian R McWhinney, in the Foreword

Section 1: Historical Perspective of Medicine: from Shaman to modern physician

* The history of medicine
* Development of medicine knowledge
* Medical education
* The origins of general practice
* Emerging patterns

Section 2: Philosophical perspective of medicine: the search for meaning of health illness

* Some philosophical fragments on medicine
* Philosophical fragments on science
* Systems thinking
* Emerging patterns

Section 3: The practice of medicine: healing: The epidemiology of illness and disease

* Disease, illness and health
* The practice of medicine
* Practising general practice/family medicine
* Emerging patterns

Section 4: The social function of medicine: the interdependence of health in society

* The social nature of health and medicine
* Social responsibility
* Health care in societal context
* Health inequalities
* Emerging patterns

Section 5: Medicine in the community: towards primary care

* Primary care
* The healthcare vortex: A metaphor for a sustainable healthcare system

'Frequent charts and diagrams display the connectedness between personal health and the historical, societal, technological, and economic influences on the practice of medicine. A compressed tour of the philosophical origins and clinical developments that have shaped medical education today. An interesting, personal view of a physician's role in society.' DOODY ENTERPRISES

‘If you want to understand the history of Medicine, the foundations of medical knowledge and how we have practised in the past then it is a great book. All aspects of medical and social history are covered.’ NURSING STANDARD

'The "generalist multiskilled practitioners" described by Sturmberg are well-suited to lead the next step in the evolution of health care with their time-tested approach of whole-person care.' INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT