Book excerpt: This volume explores the social, historical and cultural dimensions of medicine, and promotes a multifaceted approach towards health, illness, healthcare and body. The articles gathered here focus on various issues relevant to medical knowledge, public health policies, and the experiences of being ill and of caring for those who are ill. The questions and theories discussed by the authors, concerning methodological, ethical and philosophical aspects of medical knowledge, will serve to open up new vistas of study for the reader.