ByNew YorkerandAtlanticwriter Carl Elliott, a readable and even funny account of the serious business of medicine.

A tongue-in-cheek account of the changes that have transformed medicine into big business. Physician and medical ethicist Carl Elliott tracks the new world of commercialized medicine from start to finish, introducing the professional guinea pigs, ghostwriters, thought leaders, drug reps, public relations pros, and even medical ethicists who use medicine for (sometimes huge) financial gain. Along the way, he uncovers the cost to patients lost in a health-care universe centered around consumerism.

Contents

Introduction
Chapter OneThe Guinea Pigs
Chapter TwoThe Ghosts
Chapter ThreeThe Detail Men
Chapter FourThe Thought Leaders
Chapter FiveThe Flacks
Chapter SixThe Ethicists

Coda
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index