"Life or Soul" Author: [US] Anne Fadiman / Anne Fadiman Publisher: Shanghai Joint Publishing Company

Introduction
Recommended reading lists from more than 50 universities including Stanford, Yale, London, Johns Hopkins, etc.
The struggle between Eastern Miao witchcraft and modern medicine: a unique ethnography of the Miao people in the United States
Love, faith, and advanced medical science could not save Lea's life.
When cultural barriers become the starting point of conflict
Are there any new possibilities besides the choice between life and soul?
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❊Editor's Recommendation
"If you can't see that your own culture also has a set of patterns for protecting its own interests, feelings and preferences, how can you expect to deal well with other cultures?"
“Hopefully this book will be positioned not as ‘the one book’ about the Hmong, but as one of many books about communication and misunderstanding.”
◎Recommended reading lists from more than 50 universities including Stanford, Yale, London, Johns Hopkins, etc.
This book received rave reviews from numerous media outlets as soon as it was published in 1997, winning the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, the New York Times Book of the Year Award, the American Salon Book Award and many other awards. As a medical and anthropological work that explores doctor-patient relationships and cultural conflicts, it has been included in the recommended reading lists of more than 50 universities, including Stanford, Yale, London, and Johns Hopkins.
◎Real cases that prompted changes in the U.S. healthcare system
On October 24, 1982, three-month-old Miao girl Li Ya suffered an epileptic seizure and was taken to Merced Hospital in California by her parents. When Li Ya arrived at the hospital, the seizure had ended. Due to language barriers, the doctor was unable to learn what had happened from Li Ya's parents, which led to a misdiagnosis. After being diagnosed by a professional doctor, her condition did not improve. In the following years, Li Ya was frequently sent to the hospital for treatment. After a severe epileptic seizure, she was declared brain dead...
The case triggered the worst conflict in the history of Merced Hospital and attracted widespread attention. It later prompted the establishment of the witch doctor system in the United States and its planned introduction into the medical system.
Everyone loves Liya, but no one can save her. When the doctor's treatment method conflicts with the family's cognition, how can one be a good doctor? How can one be a good parent? What is the root cause of the doctor-patient conflict? Is it the doctor's negligence or the patient's lack of cooperation? Is it a misunderstanding, an accident, or a cognitive bias?
◎A future revelation to improve doctor-patient conflicts and cultural misunderstandings
Herbs and scalpels, myth and science, tradition and modernity, East and West... When two different cultures collide, there may be an insurmountable gap between language, religion and social customs.
The Miao people believe that Western doctors "eat human brains", and doctors believe that the Miao people "eat placentas"; the Miao people believe that cutting their bodies will affect their health, so surgery is taboo for them; Western doctors believe that the soul rings worn by the Miao people are unhygienic and will simply cut them off; Western medicine requires "life", and Miao culture requires "soul"... Is it possible for the two parties with different cultural backgrounds to reach a reconciliation?
This book is an in-depth record of the collision between Eastern and Western cultures. Standing at the intersection of cultures, we should listen to the voices of both sides and deeply understand the cultures of both sides, so as to better seek solutions to cultural communication. It is not only of great reference value for building harmonious doctor-patient relationship in today's society, but also provides inspiration for each of us in the era of global integration.
About the Author
Anne Fadiman
Born into a literary family in New York, USA, he worked as a wilderness adventure guide in Wyoming after graduating from Harvard University in 1975, and then returned to New York to write. He is currently a resident writer at Yale University. His writing courses are well-known for their rich content and are very popular among students. In 2012, he won the Richard Broadhead Award for Teaching Excellence at Yale University.
In addition to writing for Life magazine, Fadiman also served as the editor-in-chief of Civilization and American Scholar magazines. This book is her first book, and it won many important honors in the publishing industry, including the "National Book Critics Circle Award". In addition, she has published works such as Ex Libris and At Large and At Small.