The Social Transformation of American Medicine, by Paul Starr

One of my colleagues gave me this book to read after tiring of listening to me kvetch about the complex, sometimes idiotic, and irrational structure of our health care system. Idiocy seeming to impact everything from hospitals and their push/pull relationships with providers to government regulation and payment systems (really? cost-based pricing?); not to mention the operational inefficiencies that seem to be such an ingrained part of every (well, maybe not every) hospital. I'm still baffled by it all, but it certainly makes more sense now that I've read this encyclopedic journey through the evolution of health care in the U.S. I don't suppose most people would find it terribly interesting and, admittedly, it really gets into the weeds at times - but for me, a physician and business person, it sure helps me frame my world a little better.