DPOP Bookclub

This month we are diving into the American healthcare system.

We are examining the repercussions of the United States being the only developed country without universal healthcare by reading Malady by Timothy Snyder.

The lack of coverage that millions of Americans face and mounting medical debt that can be accrued by even those with insurance tell us that the American healthcare system is broken. We will learn about these issues and what needs to change in this month's bookclub pick.

You can buy a copy of the book here. Borrow a copy from the Oak Park Public Library here. Please contact us at dpop@donharmon.org or (708)386-0090 if you are having trouble getting a copy.

About the book

We have watched American hospitals, long understaffed and undersupplied, buckling under waves of ill patients. The federal government made matters worse through willful ignorance, misinformation, and profiteering. Our system of commercial medicine failed the ultimate test, and thousands of Americans died.

Snyder traces the societal forces that led us here and outlines the lessons we must learn to survive. In examining some of the darkest moments of recent history and of his own life, Snyder finds glimmers of hope and principles that could lead us out of our current malaise. Only by enshrining healthcare as a human right, elevating the authority of doctors and medical knowledge, and planning for our children’s future can we create an America where everyone is truly free.