Gabor Maté

We tend to believe that normality equals health. Yet what is the norm in the Western world?

Mental illness is on an unstoppable rise. Some 45% of Europeans suffer high blood pressure, and nearly 70% of Americans take at least one prescription drug. Illness and trauma are defining how we live.

In his new masterpiece, renowned physician, addiction expert and author Gabor Mate dissects the underlying causes of this malaise - physical and emotional, and connects the dots between our personal suffering and the pressures of modern-day living. Over four decades of clinical experience, Dr Mate has found that the common definition of 'normal' is false: virtually all disease is actually a natural reflection of life in an abnormal culture, as we grow further and further apart from our true selves. But he also shows us the pathway to reconnection and healing.

Filled with stories of people in the grip of illness or in the triumphant wake of recovery, this life-affirming book shows how true health is possible - if we are willing to embrace authenticity above social expectations. The Myth of Normal is Gabor Mate's most ambitious, compassionate and urgent book yet.

Scattered Minds explodes the myth of attention deficit disorder as genetically based - and offers real hope and advice for children and adults who live with the condition. Gabor Maté is a revered physician who specializes in neurology, psychiatry and psychology - and himself has ADD. With wisdom gained through years of medical practice and research, Scattered Minds is a must-read for parents - and for anyone interested how experiences in infancy shape the biology and psychology of the human brain.

Scattered Minds: Demonstrates that ADD is not an inherited illness, but a reversible impairment and developmental delay, Explains that in ADD, circuits in the brain whose job is emotional self-regulation and attention control fail to develop in infancy - and why, Shows how 'distractibility' is the psychological product of life experience, Allows parents to understand what makes their ADD children tick, and adults with ADD to gain insights into their emotions and behaviours, Expresses optimism about neurological development even in adulthood, Presents a programme of how to promote this development in both children and adults.

Can a person literally die of loneliness? Is there a connection between the ability to express emotions and Alzheimer's disease? Is there such a thing as a 'cancer personality'? Drawing on deep scientific research and Dr Gabor Maté's acclaimed clinical work, When the Body Says No provides the answers to critical questions about the mind-body link - and the role that stress and our emotional makeup play in an array of common diseases. When the Body Says No:

Explores the role of the mind-body link in conditions and diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome and multiple sclerosis. Shares dozens of enlightening case studies and stories, including those of people such as Lou Gehrig (ALS), Betty Ford (breast cancer), Ronald Reagan (Alzheimer's), Gilda Radner (ovarian cancer) and Lance Armstrong (testicular cancer). Reveals 'The Seven A's of Healing': principles in healing and the prevention of illness from hidden stress.