Books with a Buzz

At a moment of drastic political upheaval, An American Sickness is a shocking investigation into our dysfunctional healthcare system - and offers practical solutions to its myriad problems.

In these troubled times, perhaps no institution has unraveled more quickly and more completely than American medicine. In only a few decades, the medical system has been overrun by organizations seeking to exploit for profit the trust that vulnerable and sick Americans place in their healthcare. Our politicians have proven themselves either unwilling or incapable of reining in the increasingly outrageous costs faced by patients, and market-based solutions only seem to funnel larger and larger sums of our money into the hands of corporations. Impossibly high insurance premiums and inexplicably large bills have become facts of life; fatalism has set in. Very quickly Americans have been made to accept paying more for less. How did things get so bad so fast?

Breaking down this monolithic business into the individual industries--the hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, and drug manufacturers--that together constitute our healthcare system, Rosenthal exposes the recent evolution of American medicine as never before. How did healthcare, the caring endeavor, become healthcare, the highly profitable industry? Hospital systems, which are managed by business executives, behave like predatory lenders, hounding patients and seizing their homes. Research charities are in bed with big pharmaceutical companies, which surreptitiously profit from the donations made by working people. Patients receive bills in code, from entrepreneurial doctors they never even saw.

The system is in tatters, but we can fight back. Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal doesn't just explain the symptoms, she diagnoses and treats the disease itself. In clear and practical terms, she spells out exactly how to decode medical doublespeak, avoid the pitfalls of the pharmaceuticals racket, and get the care you and your family deserve. She takes you inside the doctor-patient relationship and to hospital C-suites, explaining step-by-step the workings of a system badly lacking transparency. This is about what we can do, as individual patients, both to navigate the maze that is American healthcare and also to demand far-reaching reform. An American Sickness is the frontline defense against a healthcare system that no longer has our well-being at heart.

Hi Bee Members! Thank you so much for coming out to visit us during the Oahu Indie Book Festival! This month, we'll be holding this exclusive event so that all members can share their takeaways and get to know the author; all the while sharing some hidden insights that perhaps we missed.

The book we'll be reading is "The Killing Spell" by Shay Kauwe!

You're welcome to attend even if you haven't quite finished the book, as long as you don't mind spoilers being discussed. Attendees should generally expect to order something to eat or drink.

Also I just created an Instagram account for Books With A Buzz, so please follow us for fun updates on our page!
@books_with_a_buzz_hnl

Here's a description of the book:

In this spellbinding fantasy debut set in a future where language magic reigns, a young Hawaiian woman must solve a murder to clear her name.

Kea Petrova is dealing with more than her fair share of trouble.

At just twenty-five years old, she’s the youngest of five Hawaiian clan leaders living on the Homestead in outer Los Angeles. Nearly 200 years ago, when a catastrophic flood submerged the Hawaiian islands and unleashed magic into the world, these clans forged a treaty with the city, establishing a new Hawaiian homeland. But that treaty is about to expire.

Kea struggles to keep her small clan afloat, scraping together rent each month through odd jobs and selling her own crafted Hawaiian language spells. While her talent for language magic is her saving grace, she feels like a shadow of those who came before her. Just when she thinks things can’t get any more complicated, the murder of Angelo Reyes—LA’s most prominent Filipino activist—turns her world upside-down.

Angelo was killed by a death spell—something that, due to the properties of each school of language magic, can only exist in Hawaiian. With independent spellsmithing being technically illegal, Kea quickly becomes the prime suspect, known for her spellwork on the Homestead. To clear her name, she must unravel the mystery behind Angelo’s murder and confront LA’s most powerful (and dangerous) players, each wielding their own type of magic. The clock is ticking—can Kea save herself, her clan, and the Homestead before it’s too late?

Rated: 4.00 on Goodreads

You can buy the book at Barnes & Nobles: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-killing-spell-shay-kauwe/1146889446?ean=9781668053287

If you're not interested in being the organizer but you'd like to host a one-time meeting, it's easy! Just pick a book, a date, and a venue, and commit to attending! Message the organizer to find out more. Don't be shy: We have over 1,000+ members, so there are sure to be a few people who want to read whatever book you're excited about. We're always looking for hosts to help keep the book club vibrant!

I'm thrilled to get to join Books with a Buzz Honolulu!

I am going to be hosting a mixed piano and Books event over at The Boba Room in Waipahu. Bring your favorite book, or join me in reading the suggested book, Dungeon Crawler Carl! Hope to see you there for a relaxed night of music and books.

Exact Location:
94-300 Farrington Hwy Suite G-15, Waipahu, HI 96797

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
This is a classic SciFi story and less than 200 pages. From one copy of the book is the description: A skillful blending of fancy and satire, terror and tenderness, wonder and contempt.