Para vivir con salud

Reviewed by Diego Bustos, Director of the Spanish Program, Border Studies Program, Earlham College on 12/16/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book does a great job presenting a new approach to the study of cultural and literary production in Spanish from the perspective of the medical professions. This perspective gives a new air to the cultural studies of the area without losing the rigor and clarity in the presentation of topics and materials. At the same time, it allows the texts presented to be reinterpreted in the light of this new perspective, giving them a new ecosystem of meaning. The way the book is organized allows this approach to be clear, and gives the student new opportunities for professional and pedagogical growth in language and literature and culture.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The book is organized in a way that allows to approach the proposed perspective without losing accuracy in the topics or the sense of cultural relevance of the contents. The focus given to care and medicine does not detract in any way (and even highlights under a new perspective) the understanding of the proposed texts. Additionally, the structure chosen to present the different chapters is clear and guides the reader/student concisely and accurately on the topics and relevance of the different texts.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The book presents a new and refreshing perspective in the field of Latin American literary studies. By linking cultural and literary production with issues of health and care, the book not only brings to the fore an essential linkage in the current context of Spanish departments throughout the ecosystem of higher education in the United States, but in doing so gives cultural production a new perspective from which it can be valued. This intersection is the book's most important feature and ensures its relevance in two seemingly dissimilar fields: the current state of advanced Spanish language teaching in the United States, and new critical approaches to canonical and contemporary texts in the literary production in Spanish.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is divided into two sections. The first is dedicated to the different genres: narrative, poetry, theater. This section fulfills a didactic function and introduces the topics in a clear and direct way, preparing the student for the intervention of the second part of the book. This second section organizes the primary texts into thematic sections organized around different themes: identity, body, gender, etc. Each section is opened by an introduction that contextualizes the topic and prepares the student for reading and building links between texts and their respective sociocultural context.

Consistency rating: 5

Despite its innovative character, the book presents the themes and texts in a consistent manner, maintaining the clarity, quality and relevance of the texts and analyses attempted. The second part of the book manages to be innovative without changing the tone or quality with respect to the first part. It is important to note that special attention is paid to provide the context of the texts further back in time, as well as the use of online references and hypertext to give clarity to the reading.

Modularity rating: 5

The structure of the book allows it to be consulted in parts without the danger of losing its relevance or clarity. The presentation of the materials and topics using the scaffolding approach also allows for a clear and modular reading of the texts that allows them to be consulted separately without detriment to the clarity and relevance of the topics and contents.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book is presented in a really organized way that allows a better understanding of the proposed dual structure. The fact that the book is organized chronologically makes it much easier for the instructor and students to navigate through the text.

Interface rating: 5

The book is presented in an easily accessible format that aids comprehension and accessibility of the text. There are no problems with images or graphics. The reader is never distracted or confused by the presentation of the book.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The book does not have grammar of spelling errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Given the innovative nature of the book's approach to the presentation of texts and topics, linking the discussion of health care and health care with cultural and literary production in Spanish, the texts themselves are of immense cultural relevance, offering both students and instructors the tools necessary not only to analyze and study the,, but also to make them relevant to some of the most important contemporary discussions about access, equity, and social justice.

Comments

This book is a refreshing addition to the field of cultural studies and the humanities in general, and to literary studies in particular. It proposes a new and pertinent change in the way the discipline is taught and how to intervene in the debate about the future of literary and cultural studies in Spanish.

Reviewed by Tania PEREZ CANO, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on 11/30/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book objective is to combine the knowledge of Spanish as a language and cultural understanding of topics related to health and literature. It has two sections, The first one has five chapters that offer resources on how to read and understand literary genres, like narrative, poetry, theater and cinema. The second section t has seven chapters, all of them containing texts related to the topic of health and healthcare in the Spanish-speaking world. The chapters include a comprehensive perspective about Medicine and the cultural nuances in how to practice it with cultural competence. For example, the first chapter covers the topic of "Medical Experience, Fiction, and empathy", and focuses on how to understand the experience of illness from the side of health professionals and patients; the second chapter, "Our Health Concepts are Cultural", includes texts that deal with traditional medicine, cultural perceptions about birth and giving birth, notions about food and diet, etc. The third chapter's title, "Disease as Experience", contains a rich diversity of texts that deal with specific diseases, and how they are represented. The fourth chapter, "Medicine as Knowledge and Human Activity", starts with a text called "What is Medicine?" and follows with texts dedicated to rural doctors, and laboratory workers. It provides a historical perspective about Medicine, since it includes texts from the Inquisition times, to the 19th century and the end of the 20th century. Chapter five, "Body, Gender, and Sexuality", includes a variety of genres, such as narrative, reportages, poetry, and films, to address the connection between culture and sexuality, as well as the prejudices and realities of the topic. Chapter six, "Moods", refers to the relationship between health and emotions, political and cultural contexts. Finally, chapter seven, "The End of Life", deals with death though the use of literary texts and movies that represent that experience from a variety of perspectives, also in a diverse historical and geographical contexts. I find this book very valuable for my culture and health classes in Spanish.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The book covers a variety of perspectives and countries, and it is carefully organized to offer both the instructor and students a comprehensive understanding of the importance of cultural references and tradition regarding health and healthcare. The texts used are carefully selected, each part includes an introduction to the matter, and offer valuable tools, such as a glossary of terms, a guide to read different cultural expressions, and a variety of short-stories, theatrical pieces, movies, reports, etc., that make it a great resource for creating a course.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

I have never found a book that combines a literary and cultural approach to health and health care. I believe this book is an incredibly valuable resource for professor of Spanish and that teach Spanish for Healthcare. It goes beyond basic concepts and vocabulary, to offer an integral and stimulating survey of health topics as represented in literature and film. It is so complete that any instructor can create a course using this as a textbook.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is well organized by topics. It offers key concepts and directions on how to use it, how the content is organized, and how to take advantage of the content. Each chapter offer a preliminary section about the ideas presented, and each chapter follows a chronological order, as well as the same order in presenting texts and films. Because of this, it makes easy to understand the progression of the concepts, texts, and films presented. The division in sections, one dedicated to the understanding of the genres included in the book, and the other one to the specific materials related to each health topic, is also a welcome feature of this book.

Consistency rating: 5

The quality of texts, the historical awareness of the materials included, the diversity of countries and cultures represented in each section and chapter, are consistent and coherent. Despite copyright limitations, that the authors note in the book, each section and chapter are carefully structured, well organized, and offer quality cultural content.

Modularity rating: 5

The book is divided in two sections, each with a specific objective. Each section is clearly defined, same with each chapter. It is easy to find the materials in each section and chapter. The instructor can easily select texts, sections or chapter he or she wants to use.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

As previously said, the book is organized in two sections, each with a clear objective. Each chapter focuses in a specific area, and the topics in each chapter are clearly identified with headings and sub-headings. The texts are also organized in chronological order, so the instructor can decide in which period to focus. It also allows for the instructor to select a specific topic or chapter. Superb organization.

Interface rating: 5

I downloaded the PDF version, and it allowed me to read through very easily. It is also flexible, as it offers other options to download. The fact that it can be easily uploaded to Blackboard is a plus for me, personally.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I read extensive parts of the book, as well as the original texts in Spanish. I did not find grammar or spelling errors in this book.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Since it brings together topics of health care in literature and the arts, and focuses on the importance of culture and cultural context in healthcare, the book is impressive as a cultural reference for students in any discipline dealing with health care and Spanish-speaking patients, either in the US or abroad. It presents cultural topics both in a chronological order and organized by the matter discussed. It is a great tool for instructors and students interested in culture and healthcare for Spanish speakers.

Comments

I am really glad that I found this text. I will share it with my colleagues, and I think it is a valuable resource for instructors and students of Spanish.