How Medicine Works and When It Doesn’t: Learning Who to Trust to Get and Stay Healthy

“With the premise that trust is the key ingredient that’s missing in modern medicine, Dr. Perry Wilson lays the groundwork for a paradigm-shifting view of the physician-patient relationship. He also offers a transformative take on how to process the endless wealth of health information (and disinformation) that’s available to us. This book is a brilliant step toward patients and physicians alike reclaiming a sense of confidence in a system that often feels overwhelming and mismanaged. Its message is one of healing and hope.”

―Gabby Bernstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Universe Has Your Back

“There is a dire need for better—more honest—conversations between doctors and patients. This book is a crucial step towards this. An insightful and compassionate look at how we can start to fix what might be broken.”―Emily Oster, New York Times bestselling author of Cribsheet, Expecting Better, and The Family Firm

“A unique, brutally honest, informative, and practical guide for patients. Dr. Perry Wilson’s outstanding storytelling combines with his remarkable ability as an explainer to shine a light on what real medical evidence looks like—as opposed to all the miscues, misinformation, and scams—to build trust and help restore the patient-doctor relationship.”―Eric Topol, MD, Professor and EVP Scripps Research, Author of Deep Medicine

“Perhaps the most honest and brave book about healthcare you’ll ever read. Certainly the most useful!”―Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, Author of When We Do Harm and What Doctors Feel

“Dr. Wilson takes us on a tour of the challenges of modern medicine in the disinformation age, with keen observation and personal stories throughout. He shows us how science and critical thinking are compassionate when it comes to healthcare, and how patients and doctors need to work together to navigate through all the nonsense and quick fixes. Highly recommended for practitioners and patients alike.”―Dr. Steven Novella, Co-author of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe

“At a time of increased medical uncertainty, Dr. Wilson provides a comprehensive look under the hood, without going over your head.”―Dr. Mikhail “Mike” Varshavski, D.O.

“What a refreshing book. The entertaining and lucid stories take the reader through the ‘trust hacks’ that undermine our ability to make sensible decisions about our health. Who can benefit from reading this book? Every doctor and every patient—all of us!” ―Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Former CDC director and President of Resolve to Save Lives

“A trenchant, empowering look at how to fix doctor-patient relationships.” ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Mixing hard data with personal anecdotes, Wilson sets out a convincing case, and he does not ignore the difficulties of making these changes . . . In an unstinting appraisal of the profession, Wilson effectively diagnoses the issues and looks for new paths forward.”―Kirkus

“Wilson comes across as a compassionate, empathetic physician who wants people to be able to trust medicine.”―Booklist