The Gift of Pain: Why We Hurt & what We Can Do about it

Philip Yancey, Paul W. Brand

Zondervan, 1997 - Biography & Autobiography - 340 pages

Pain is not something that most of us would count as a blessing; however, renowned surgeon Dr. Paul Brand and award-winning writer Philip Yancey shed fresh light on the purpose of our pain.

Wouldn't it be nice to never experience pain or never have to take drugs to deal with pain? Many people think so, but they're missing one key piece of information: Pain is the body's built-in warning system that something is wrong and needs to be fixed.

Follow world-renowned physician and surgeon Dr. Paul Brand around the world as he shares his humble beginnings as the son of medical missionaries in India to his medical training in London during the Blitz to his groundbreaking medical research with leprosy patients in the United States and India.

His work with leprosy patients is what convinced him that pain truly is one of God's great gifts to us. In these pages he shares what he's learned about pain, its purpose in our lives, the impact it has on our daily lives and overall health, and how we can better respond to it.

Perfect for those in the medical field or those looking for a firsthand look into the mystery of pain, this book will give you a new perspective on the gift that none of us want and none of us can do without. You'll never look at pain the same way again.

Spanish edition also available.

Note: The book includes some frank descriptions of medical procedures, illnesses, and diseases.

What people are saying

User Review  - Rev. Ralph E. Molyneux - Christianbook.com

This book is outstanding. In a culture which seeks to avoid pain, Dr. Brand points out that our under-appreciation for pain does a great disservice. Not only is pain important physically to provide ...

Fantastic book

User Review  - Beth - Christianbook.com

This is a book everyone should read. It really helps a person feel empowered so they are not just victims. I highly recommend this book.

Contents

• Nightmares of Painlessness: 3
• Mountains of Death: 14
• Awakenings: 27
• Pains Lair: 42
• Mentors in Pain: 59
• Medicine India Style: 72
• A Career in Pain: 85
• Chingleput Detour: 87
• Loosening the Claw: 103
• Detective Hunt: 118
• Changing Faces: 134
• Going Public: 148
• To the Bayou: 160
• Beloved Enemy: 179
• Leprosy and AIDS: 311
• Acknowledgments: 333

About the author

Philip Yancey is a journalist and writer who writes a featured column in Christianity Today. The author of more than a dozen books. He is the recipient of a Christianity Today Book of the Year Award, two ECPA Book of the Year Awards, and eleven Gold Medallions. He lives in Evergreen, Colorado.

Dr. Paul Brand, son to missionary parents, was a world-renowned hand surgeon and pioneer in developing tendon transfer techniques for use in the hands of those with leprosy. He trained in medicine at the University College Hospital in London and and later gained his surgical qualifications whilst working as a casualty surgeon in the London Blitz. After visiting a Leprosy Sanatorium at Chingleput, he was motivated to explore the reasons behind the deformities of this disease. A donation from a missionary woman helped him establish the New Life Rehabilitative Center, which helped dispel the stigma of leprosy amongst medical professionals. He authored and coauthored several books, including Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Gift of Pain: Why We Hurt & what We Can Do about it
• Authors: Philip Yancey, Paul W. Brand
• Publisher: Zondervan, 1997
• ISBN: 0310221447, 9780310221449
• Length: 340 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Medical (incl. Patients); Religion / Christian Living / Spiritual Growth