Healing Politics, Abdul ElSayed
Healing Politics, Abdul ElSayed
1 Rating(s)
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

Healing Politics
A Doctor’s Journey into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic

Author: Abdul El-Sayed, Ady Barkan

Narrator: Abdul El-Sayed, Ady Barkan

Unabridged: 10 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/31/2020


Synopsis

A child of immigrants, Abdul El-Sayed grew up feeling a responsibility to help others. He threw himself into the study of medicine and excelled—winning a Rhodes Scholarship, earning two advanced degrees, and landing a tenure-track position at Columbia University. At age thirty, he became the youngest city health official in America, tasked with rebuilding Detroit’s health department after years of austerity policies.But El-Sayed found himself disillusioned. He could heal the sick—even build healthier and safer communities—but that wouldn’t address the social and economic conditions causing illness in the first place. So he left health for politics, running for governor of Michigan and earning the support of progressive champions like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders.In Healing Politics, El-Sayed traces the life of a young idealist, weaving together powerful personal stories and fascinating forays into history and science. Marrying his unique perspective with the science of epidemiology, El-Sayed diagnoses an underlying epidemic afflicting our country, an epidemic of insecurity. And to heal the rifts this epidemic has created, he lays out a new direction for the progressive movement. This is a bold, personal, and compellingly original book from a prominent young leader.

About Abdul El-Sayed

Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, epidemiologist, public health expert, and progressive activist. He was appointed health director of Detroit at thirty years old. He is a former professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He holds a doctorate in public health from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and a medical degree from Columbia University.

About Ady Barkan

Ady Barkan is a social justice activist who has built three programs at The Center for Popular Democracy: the Be A Hero and Fed Up campaigns and the Local Progress network. He was a law clerk to the Hon. Shira A. Scheindlin in the Southern District of New York and prior to that he was a Liman Fellow with Make the Road New York, where he represented low-wage workers seeking to recover unpaid wages and obtain safe and dignified working conditions. He graduated from Yale Law School and Columbia College. He lives with his wife Rachael and their young son Carl in Santa Barbara, California. Eyes to the Wind is his first book.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Abdul on January 13, 2020

I'm a little biased ;)......more

Goodreads review by Dan on June 06, 2020

Abdul El-Sayid is an up and coming political force, having come close to winning in Michigan with the hard strike of his name and ethnicity. I wish him well, but found the book lacking. The first third of the book is the best- where he tells of his childhood and background as a Muslim Egyptian immigr......more

Goodreads review by Sierra on April 05, 2020

I followed Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign to be Michigan’s governor and proudly cast my vote for him during that race. He is the type of smart, fresh, and committed leader we need in progressive politics. This book only affirmed my belief as such. Thoroughly researched and smartly written, he makes the c......more

Goodreads review by Derek on April 03, 2020

This was a phenomenal book. Abdul's journey to running for governor of Michigan is a fascinating one and he tells the story in an engaging way. I left with a better understanding of who Abdul is and why he cares about the issues he advocates for.......more

Goodreads review by Andrea on August 09, 2020

I was REALLY looking forward to being enlightened by this book, but was profoundly disappointed. The author took two very biased tones which were either: 1. Overwhelmingly self-appraising, to the point that all the stories that are supposedly centered on advocacy of underprivileged groups of individua......more


Quotes

“This book is a majestic act of hope grounded in a life of great empathy and courage…in a breathtaking journey that uplifts our spirits in these grim days.” Cornel West, New York Times bestselling author and professor at Harvard University

“El-Sayed diagnoses the true epidemic of our moment: the scourge of insecurity…It’s a manual for real, deep, and utterly necessary change.” Bill McKibben, New York Times bestselling author

“Achingly felt and carefully reasoned, this book explains the forces that are shattering our communities—and the politics of empathy that can repair our relationships and transform society.” Naomi Klein, New York Times bestselling author

“Relevant personal experience as a doctor and politician lend credibility to El-Sayed’s discourse and explanation of how politics fail people and blame victims…Well-informed, this book successfully captures a troubling political reality and offers potential solutions to improve living conditions for all Americans.” Library Journal

“Abdul El-Sayed understands something very profound. That at the end of the day, no matter how much wealth and power the big moneyed interests have…that at the end of the day, what is more important than their money is ordinary people coming together in the struggle for economic, social, racial, and environmental justice.” Bernie Sanders, US senator from Vermont and presidential candidate

“Abdul is one of our most gifted communicators Healing Politics…[brings] a sorely needed sense of empathy and humanity to the debate over how to mend our fractured society.” Jon Favreau, Pod Save America