By the acclaimed author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing.In this revolutionary book, renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the rise. So what is really "normal" when it comes to health?Over four decades of clinical experience, Maté has come to recognize the prevailing understanding of "normal" as false, neglecting the roles that trauma and stress, and the pressures of modern-day living, exert on our bodies and our minds at the expense of good health. For all our expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today's culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance. Now Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society-and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. Cowritten with his son Daniel, The Myth Of Normal is Maté's most ambitious and urgent book yet.

Significant platform: Maté is the rare household-name philosopher and physician. A brief excerpt of an interview titled "The Myth of Normal" has been viewed more than 100k times, and his TEDx Talk on the power of addiction more than 1.5 million times. He has large social media followings and has been interviewed by everyone from Tim Ferriss, to Alanis Morissette, to Russell Brand (plus the usual suspects).Huge interest in topic: Gabor was a pioneer in mind-body studies among his physician cohort, and interest is only increasing as the research becomes impossible to ignore.Internationally bestselling track: Several of Gabor's other books have sold north of 100k copies, including When the Body Says No, his earlier investigation of the mind-body link.Viral video talks: Gabor's TED Talk on addiction (https://youtu.be/66cYcSak6nE) has been viewed 2 million times and his talk on the myth of "normal" (https://youtu.be/1eTiP3ota_c) has been viewed 3 million times.