Though widely reviewed, this book only caught my attention when it kept being mentioned to me in lots of different quarters. I thought I'd better find out more about 'the lost art of convalescence'.

Even though we all hope we won't be going through serious illness to heed what the author's saying, there are many wise words about how to live life in this slim volume.

Health isn't merely about being free of disease, injury or illness but in our result-driven, individualistic and impatient society we have come to expect a pill for any ailment, a cure for any condition. In this book, the author presents the case for time, care and environment to ease us back to our full potential. 

Despite the huge medical advances of recent years, the author points out, the importance of recuperation has diminished. Hospitals today aren't associated with crisp white sheets, tasty nutritious food, pleasant views, and companionable unhurrifed care. Florence Nightingale first stressed the value of good nursing in renewing health, but today staff and resources are overstretched and time as a healer can seem a luxury.

The author is a GP, trained in Western medicine. He acknowledges other world views, and historical approaches to recovery from illness. It is a gentle but thought-provoking read which ultimately encourages us to stop driving our bodies quite so hard. There's permission here to curl up with a good book and take things a little more gently.