02078cam a2200313 i 4500 545757010 TxAuBib 190429t20192018||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 9781455535897 paperback 1455535893 paperback (OCoLC)8360 CNCAR eng CNCAR OCLCO rda TxAuBib rda Ehrenreich, Barbara. Natural causes : an epidemic of wellness, the certainty of dying, and killing ourselves to live longer / Barbara Ehrenreich. New York, New York : Twelve, 2019. ©2018. xv, 247 pages ; 21 cm. txt rdacontent n rdamedia nc rdacarrier Includes bibliographical references (pages 320-374) and index. Mid-life revolt -- Rituals of humiliation -- The veneer of science -- Crushing the body -- The madness of mindfulness -- Death in social context -- The war between conflict harmony -- Cellular treason -- Tiny minds -- "Successful" aging -- The invention of the self -- Killing the self, rejoicing in a living world. Ehrenreich's core philosophy holds that aging people have the right to determine their quality of life and may choose to forgo painful and generally ineffective treatments. She presents evidence that such tests as annual physicals and Pap smears have little effect in prolonging life; investigates wellness trends, including mindfulness meditation; and questions the doctrine of a harmonious "mindbody" and its supposed natural tendency to prolong life. Mostly, she urges that we recognize that death is natural, that we enjoy our lives while we can, and that we disabuse ourselves of any self-serving notions of post-mortem permanence or even influence. Death Sociological aspects United States. Aging Sociological aspects United States. Aging Psychological aspects United States. Aging Prevention. Fear of death.