What is it about?
Pain and suffering are not indelibly connected, as philosophy and religion would lead us to think. Current neurobiology reveals pain's organic substrate in our body and brain. This book gives also anecdotes of the history of pain, from Spanish King Philip II's unnecessary, ghastly final days; to lobotomy, when a patient no longer suffers from pain but also ceases to learn or respond to others.
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Why is it important?
Pain is a public health problem. The Institute of Medicine (US) concluded in its study a renommendation for self-managementpart of pain—sensible—as it is part of our memory and consciousness, and open to learning. It is also the basis of much of our art and literature—and woven deep into our culture through philosophy and religion. Animals react to pain but they cannot express it. This book, written by a professor of anesthesia, explains all these aspects with a deep knowledge of its biological and psychological roots. And yes, are there effective drugs (or placebos) for pain?
Perspectives
Pain is an aspect of being human, being what we are. We need to face it with facts, not hand-me-down beliefs, or passive acceptance. It is a chance for self-growth, for learning: pain is so often just a bad memory we hang on to. Understanding Pain resonates with me because it makes me understand my own journey.
Cecilia Wong
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Understanding Pain: Exploring the Perception of Pain by Fernando Cervero. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A., 2012. 192 pp., illus. Trade. ISBN: 978-0-262-01804-3, Leonardo, June 2014, The MIT Press,
DOI: 10.1162/leon_r_00786.
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