Novo Nordisk (Ozempic)

American healthcare is commonly known to be in a deplorable state, costing 18% of GDP while underperforming in quality among developed nations. Changing the situation systemically also seems intractable—passing new regulation is a political landmine, and costs continue to rise without a clear winning strategy.

American Sickness unpacks how US healthcare got to this state. It examines the competing interests of the major blocs in healthcare - hospitals and doctors, pharmaceuticals and devices, and insurers. Written by a Harvard-trained doctor and New York Times reporter, this book clarifies how deeply entrenched the interests are and why it’s so difficult to change anything.

Americans might be the heaviest, sickest people in the world. The China Study suggests that we can lose weight and lower disease rates by removing animal foods from our diets.

What sets the whole foods, plant-based diet apart from the fads is the extensive research behind it, detailed and distilled in this book. The evidence is compelling and the message clear: Animal foods lead to disease; plant foods prevent and treat it.

Learn how a plant-based diet can give you more energy, reverse your heart disease, decrease your cancer risk, outsmart your genes, and make your life longer and healthier.

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee is an overview and rough timeline of the fight against cancer. The book’s subtitle, A Biography of Cancer, reflects Mukherjee’s feeling that cancer is a living and evolving entity that fought modern medicine to a stalemate for centuries. Mukherjee, a doctor and biologist specializing in immunology (the study of the immune system) and oncology (the study of cancer), has spent much of his career on the front line of that fight. Though the book was first published in 2010, cancer remains a frightening disease that doctors are still working to understand and treat.

Our guide provides context and background information for Mukherjee’s book, helping you to understand the more technical aspects of cancer and cancer treatment, as well as the significance behind major events in the fight against cancer.

American healthcare is commonly known to be in a deplorable state, costing 18% of GDP while underperforming in quality among developed nations. Changing the situation systemically also seems intractable—passing new regulation is a political landmine, and costs continue to rise without a clear winning strategy.

American Sickness unpacks how US healthcare got to this state. It examines the competing interests of the major blocs in healthcare - hospitals and doctors, pharmaceuticals and devices, and insurers. Written by a Harvard-trained doctor and New York Times reporter, this book clarifies how deeply entrenched the interests are and why it’s so difficult to change anything.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight urges young people and entrepreneurs to follow a calling, even if their idea seems crazy. In Shoe Dog, he discusses the story of how his own Crazy Idea turned into the globally recognized brand, Nike. He describes how he built Nike, offering insights into the difficult, imperfect process of starting a business.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the events that led to the creation of Nike (including Knight’s Crazy Idea, his first shoe company, and the challenges he faced) and Nike itself. We’ll also explore Knight’s advice and reflections on why Nike succeeded, such as creating a brand identity and surrounding himself with a great team. Along the way, we’ll offer perspectives from other entrepreneurs on success and overcoming obstacles.

In 1951, a 30-year-old African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks entered Johns Hopkins Hospital to be treated for cervical cancer. In a matter of months she was dead, overcome by her cancer’s malignancy. Her cancer cells, however, would prove immortal—and change medicine forever.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells the story of Henrietta, her family, and her incredible cells. Tracking both the scientific advances owed to “HeLa” cells and the struggles of Henrietta’s descendants, author Rebecca Skloot leads readers through the history of cell research, the ethical implications of scientific study, and the human story of a poor and ailing family whose matriarch contributed to some of 20th-century science’s greatest achievements.

The Diary of a Young Girl is one of the most acclaimed works of the 20th century. Written by Anne Frank from 1942 to 1944, the diary reveals the humanity of those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis during their occupation of the Netherlands. Anne wrote about her experiences with anger, love, puberty, and fear as she and her family hid from an occupying force that wished to see her and her Jewish counterparts dead. Tight quarters, limited food, and the inability to go outside took an emotional toll on Anne and her fellow residents. This led to tensions that reflected the raging war taking place outside of their hiding place.

How might the gene editing technology called CRISPR transform humanity? In his 2021 book The Code Breaker, journalist, historian, and award-winning biographer Walter Isaacson discusses the advent and future of this groundbreaking scientific tool. He traces its development (focusing on Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna) and explores its significance as a victory for women in science. He also argues that CRISPR has the potential to change life as we know it and explains how, in some ways, it already has.

This guide focuses on four ideas: the biological feature known as CRISPR, Doudna and the other scientists who developed the CRISPR gene editing technology, the moral quandaries CRISPR technology presents, and some of CRISPR’s realized and potential real-world applications. In our commentary, we’ll explain updates on CRISPR science since the book’s publication, explore key scientists’ careers in greater detail, and discuss various philosophical perspectives on CRISPR-related moral issues.

American healthcare is commonly known to be in a deplorable state, costing 18% of GDP while underperforming in quality among developed nations. Changing the situation systemically also seems intractable—passing new regulation is a political landmine, and costs continue to rise without a clear winning strategy.

American Sickness unpacks how US healthcare got to this state. It examines the competing interests of the major blocs in healthcare - hospitals and doctors, pharmaceuticals and devices, and insurers. Written by a Harvard-trained doctor and New York Times reporter, this book clarifies how deeply entrenched the interests are and why it’s so difficult to change anything.

Weight loss—all it takes is eating less and moving more, right?

Not according to Jason Fung, author of The Obesity Code and head of the Intensive Dietary Management Program. For decades, experts have believed that obesity was a matter of excess calories—that is, that people get fat from overeating. Fung challenges this view, laying out a comprehensive theory of obesity as a hormonal disorder that causes overeating, rather than the other way around.

In this guide, we unpack Fung’s theory of obesity, which he developed after observing the weight gain that insulin caused in his diabetic patients, along with his solution for overcoming it. In this guide, we’ll show why dieting doesn’t work and why exercise actually has little impact on weight loss. We’ll explore how the body processes food, learn why not all carbs are bad, and discover which foods to avoid at all costs. In addition, we’ll compare Fung’s ideas with perspectives from similar books on obesity, including Why We Get Fat and Salt Sugar Fat.

Americans might be the heaviest, sickest people in the world. The China Study suggests that we can lose weight and lower disease rates by removing animal foods from our diets.

What sets the whole foods, plant-based diet apart from the fads is the extensive research behind it, detailed and distilled in this book. The evidence is compelling and the message clear: Animal foods lead to disease; plant foods prevent and treat it.

Learn how a plant-based diet can give you more energy, reverse your heart disease, decrease your cancer risk, outsmart your genes, and make your life longer and healthier.

In "The Ozempic Era of Weight Loss," Michael Barbaro of The Daily dives into the unexpected journey of Ozempic from a diabetes drug to a weight loss sensation. Along with insightful reporters Dani Blum, Renata Lavach-Savy, and Wendy Gant, they unpack the complexities and the public’s shifting perception, shedding light on how medicines like Ozempic have shifted from a treatment for diabetes to weight loss shortcuts. As endorsements from celebrities and social media propel these drugs into the weight loss spotlight, the team examines the sociocultural implications on body image and the medicalization of weight management.

Through heartfelt stories from individuals like Wendy Gant and Renata Lavach-Savy, listeners get a personal look at the transformative potential and challenging side effects of weight loss medications. The podcast thoughtfully explores the diverse experiences tied to these treatments, illustrating the intersection of personal choice and medical advice. Blum also takes a forward look, anticipating market expansion with new drugs in the pipeline while considering their broader health benefits. Join Barbaro and his team as they navigate the changing landscape of weight management and reflect on its cultural and psychological impacts, offering a candid evaluation of society's evolving standards of health and beauty.

US weight-loss companies have made billions over decades promoting aggressive, often ineffective diet and fitness advice, knowing that most clients will regain the weight they’ve lost and return to them for more help. The recent, explosive rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs that promise faster, more effective, less stigmatizing options to shed pounds is forcing weight-loss companies to reevaluate their approach to compete and survive.

Americans have been gaining weight for a half-century despite tracking their food, changing their lifestyle, working out, and avoiding carbs. For millions, few easy options existed—until the arrival of weight-loss “miracle” drugs, Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. A surge in demand for these drugs highlights their promise, problems, and power in reshaping America’s behemoth diet industry.

Americans have been gaining weight for a half-century despite tracking their food, changing their lifestyle, working out, and avoiding carbs. For millions, few easy options existed—until the arrival of weight-loss “miracle” drugs, Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. A surge in demand for these drugs highlights their promise, problems, and power in reshaping America’s behemoth diet industry.

In "The Ozempic Era of Weight Loss," Michael Barbaro of The Daily dives into the unexpected journey of Ozempic from a diabetes drug to a weight loss sensation. Along with insightful reporters Dani Blum, Renata Lavach-Savy, and Wendy Gant, they unpack the complexities and the public’s shifting perception, shedding light on how medicines like Ozempic have shifted from a treatment for diabetes to weight loss shortcuts. As endorsements from celebrities and social media propel these drugs into the weight loss spotlight, the team examines the sociocultural implications on body image and the medicalization of weight management.

Through heartfelt stories from individuals like Wendy Gant and Renata Lavach-Savy, listeners get a personal look at the transformative potential and challenging side effects of weight loss medications. The podcast thoughtfully explores the diverse experiences tied to these treatments, illustrating the intersection of personal choice and medical advice. Blum also takes a forward look, anticipating market expansion with new drugs in the pipeline while considering their broader health benefits. Join Barbaro and his team as they navigate the changing landscape of weight management and reflect on its cultural and psychological impacts, offering a candid evaluation of society's evolving standards of health and beauty.

US weight-loss companies have made billions over decades promoting aggressive, often ineffective diet and fitness advice, knowing that most clients will regain the weight they’ve lost and return to them for more help. The recent, explosive rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs that promise faster, more effective, less stigmatizing options to shed pounds is forcing weight-loss companies to reevaluate their approach to compete and survive.