{"product_id":"stranger-in-the-village-of-the-sick-isbn-9780807072615","title":"Stranger in the Village of the Sick","description":"After more than fifty years of good health, anthropologist Paul Stoller suddenly found himself diagnosed with lymphoma. The only thing more transformative than his fear and dread of cancer was the place it ultimately took him: twenty-five years back in time to his days as an apprentice to a West African sorcerer, Adamu Jenitongo.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eStranger in the Village of the Sick\u003c\/i\u003e follows Stoller down this unexpected path toward personal discovery, growth, and healing. The stories here are about life in the village of the healthy and the village of the sick, and they highlight differences in how illness is culturally perceived. In America and the West, illness is war; we strive to eradicate it from our bodies and lives. In West Africa, however, illness is an ever-present companion, and sorcerers learn to master illnesses like cancer through a combination of acceptance, pragmatism, and patience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStoller provides a view into the ancient practices of sorcery, revealing that as an apprentice he learned to read divining shells, mix potions, and recite incantations. But it wasn't until he got cancer that he realized that sorcery embodied a more profound meaning, one that every person could use: \"Sorcery is a body of knowledge and practice that enables one to see things clearly and to walk with confidence on the path of fear.\"Readers will find Stoller's account valuable and his perspective on sorcery surprisingly moving.--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] fascinating blend of personal and cultural commentary, of provocative insights, and encouraging advice for anyone affected by cancer . . .\"--Frances Lefkowitz, \u003ci\u003eBody and Soul\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Today one finds a variety of cancer drugs under trial or approved for use . . . But there is still a gap between what medicine can do now and what it will do in the future. And Stoller's book is a bridge over that gap because it reminds all patients that, in the face of illness, their lives are rich in meaning and still worth living.\"--Nick Owcher, \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003ePaul Stoller is professor of anthropology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and the author of eight books, including the award-winning \u003ci\u003eMoney Has No Smell: The Africanization of New York City\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware.","brand":"Beacon Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302303977701,"sku":"NP9780807072615","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780807072615.jpg?v=1767737401","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/stranger-in-the-village-of-the-sick-isbn-9780807072615","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}