Healing Holidays

This volume on medical tourism includes contributions by anthropologists and historians on a variety of health-seeking modes of travel and leisure. It brings together analyses of recent trends of "medical tourism", such as underinsured middle-class Americans traveling to India for surgery, pious Middle Eastern couples seeking assisted reproduction outside their borders, or consumers of the exotic in search of alternative healing, with analyses of the centuries-old Euro-American tradition of traveling to spas. Rather than seeing these two forms of medical travel as being disparate, the book demonstrates that, as noted in the introduction ‘what makes patients itinerant in both the old and new kind of medical travel is either a perceived shortage or constraint at ‘home’, or the sense of having reached a particular kind of therapeutic impasse, with the two often so intertwined that it is difficult to tell them apart. The constraint may stem from things as diverse as religious injunctions, legal hurdles, social approbation, or seasonal affliction; and the shortage can range from a lack of privacy, of insurance, technology, competence, or enough therapeutic resources that can address issues and conditions that patients have. If these two intertwined strands are responsible for most medical tourism, then which locales seem to have therapeutic resources are those that are either ‘natural,’ in the form of water or climate; legal, in the form of a culture that does not stigmatise patients; or technological and professional, in the form of tests, equipment, or expertise, unavailable or affordable at home; or in the form of novel therapeutic possibilities that promise to resolve irresolvable issues’. This book was originally published as a special issue of Anthropology & Medicine.

Life is increasingly governed and mediated through digital and smart technologies, platforms, big data and algorithms. However, the reasons, practices and impact of how the digital is used by different institutions are often deeply linked to social oppression and injustice. Similarly, the ability to resist these digital impositions is based on inequality and privilege. Challenging the ways in which we are increasingly dependent on the digital, this book raises a set of provocative and urgent questions: in a world of compulsory digitality is there an opt out button? Where, when, how, why and to whom is it available? Answering these questions has become even more relevant since the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the book puts forward the concept of ‘digital disengagement’ which is explored across six key areas of digitisation: health; citizenship; education; consumer culture; labour; and the environment. Part I examines the difficulty of opting out of compulsory digitality in a world where most things are digital by default. From health apps, algorithmic decision-making to learning analytics, opting out comes with a set of troubling consequences. Part II turns to several examples of disconnection and disengagement. The chapters reveal how phenomena like digital detoxes, time-management apps and online ‘green’ spaces are co-opted by the very digital systems one is trying to resist. The book critiques issues relating to digital surveillance, algorithmic discrimination and biased tech, corporatisation and monetisation of data, exploitative digital labour, digitalised self-discipline and destruction of the environment. As an interdisciplinary piece of work, the book will be useful to any scholar and activist in Digital, Internet and Social Media Studies; Digital Sociology and Social Policy; Digital Health; Media, Popular and Communication Studies; Consumer culture; and Environment Studies.

With compassionate insight, this handbook helps those in mourning through what can be the hardest time of year—the holiday season. Mourners will better understand their complex emotions after reading about such topics as honoring thoughts and feelings, creating new traditions, finding ways to de-stress, and incorporating healing rituals into the holiday season. This book's practical wisdom also covers issues such as decision-making during the holidays and coping with the blending of mourning and celebration. All of the answers and advice in this guide are provided in the popular 100 ideas format that features one idea per page, allowing readers to fully absorb each suggestion.

This book suggests ways in which we can enjoy our holidays and our travel even more: by becoming green travellers. It also suggests different types of green holidays and encourages some of the better examples of good environmental practice in holidaymaking around the world.

"Prayer is God's gift to us, a banquet of good things to feed our inner life, as we respond to the invitation to his feast of peace, forgiveness, challenge and love." If our lives are an open book to God, prayer is the dialogue we share with him over its pages. The Book of a Thousand Prayers is a collection of wise and honest prayers to God about his concerns and ours: who he is to us and who we are to him, and how we experience life, death, relationships, the church, and the world. Ideal for private prayer and public worship, and containing practical advice on how to pray, this book offers a spiritual feast that will nourish you for the rest of your life. "A moving and inspiring medley of prayers--an invaluable aid for individuals, home groups, and those people who lead worship." --Joyce Huggett

Sarah Montague's The Adult Rider describes everything you need to know if you are interested in introducing (or reintroducing) horses to your life. The book begins with a thorough description of all equestrian disciplines-from Western (barrel racing, reining, cutting, penning) to English (show jumping, dressage, eventing) and so much more! You might try endurance riding, in which you and your equine partner hit the trails for miles, or maybe you've considered polo, a sport gaining popularity in theUnited States and creating opportunities for eager beginners. Perhaps you love horses, but aren't so sure you want to ride—Montague will introduce you to the thrill of driving, the artistry of in-hand competitions, and the joys of miniature horses. Whichever discipline you consider, the author takes you step by step through the process, from choosing a stable (what to look for in an instructor and in a barn) to picking out your new riding clothes (you need only a helmet and sturdy shoes to start, but there's a world of apparel and accessories once you're hooked). Do you think you might want to buy a horse someday? The Adult Rider describes this process as well, but also introduces you to other alternatives—like leasing, a month-to-month arrangementthat lets you see how a horse fits into your life in both time and money before you make a commitment. The Adult Rider recognizes that we are not the same as the resilient kids who fearlessly hop their pony over a fence for that very first time.Montague discusses what makes adults mentally and physically different, and how to overcome these challenges. In the chapter "The View from the Other Side of the Arena," Montague interviews several riding instructors on the difference between teaching kids and adults and the ways in which adults learn differently. All in all, the point is to have fun and The Adult Rider provides you with the know-how to jump into the horse world with both eyes open.

This book is your passport to a smoother, more grandiloquent travel.' Tired of travelling to boring destinations the non-luxurious way? This book takes you through a portico of charismatic luxury, thereon soaking you into world-class extravagance and dazzling experiences. Reading through, you would leave your conventional holiday itinerary aside and leap forward into the glitz and glam of the travel world. Chartered planes, luxe adventures, cutting-edge destinations, gourmet meals and top-notch possibilities will replace your someday with now. This contemporary book is meant for voyagers who feel an adrenaline surge each time they hear the words ‘luxury travel’. Use this handbook as your one-stop guide for planning the trip of a lifetime by making it your most essential resource. So mark your transition now!

In this work, the author addresses a perennial question: how does someone recover from a catastrophic disaster or other personal tragedy? The answer, she suggests, may come from coastal residents who survived the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These survivors endured a long and painful journey after losing homes and communities in these deadly storms, and their experiences provide an authentic and relatable example for other people who must overcome a life changing tragedy. The Other Side of Suffering is based on behavioral research conducted by the author in the years after the hurricanes. In her research, Katie Cherry logged thousands of miles crisscrossing the Louisiana coastline and spoke with over 190 current and former coastal residents with catastrophic losses after Katrina. The author begins with an overview of the human impact of these disasters, and then focuses on the community impact on two coastal parishes in southern Louisiana. The incorporation of the personal journal entries of a Katrina survivor provides an intimate glimpse into the long days and months that over a million displaced Gulf Coast residences experienced. From this research, the author identifies six evidence-based principles of healing: faith and humor, respect and gratitude, and acceptance and silver linings. Colorful illustrations and direct quotes from the respondents bring these principles to life. Along with a path to healing, the book also discusses grief and the new normal after a disaster, as well as obstacles that may thwart the healing process. Ultimately, the work emphasizes the importance of recovering daily routines and observances as life goes on after disaster.