Rockefeller Medicine Men: Medicine and Capitalism in America

Medicine is a lucrative business, and this book tells the story of how the Rockefeller family became one of the wealthiest in history. E. Richard Brown analyzes the intersection of medicine and capitalism in America throughout the twentieth century, from the Ford Foundation's efforts to reform health care in Indonesia to Coca-Cola's venture into AIDS prevention. Brown also explores how historical events shape contemporary medicine, as seen through the lens of popular culture, shadowing President George W. Bush's first term with what he termed "the shadow biosphere" - the unknown universe of microbial life that could not be sequenced or identified by scientists. This fascinating book provides an incisive look at American healthcare during a period when it was besieged by high costs and growing political conflict - a time when Americans are more dissatisfied with their health care system than ever before.