full of stories - I dare you not to choke up! But it's humorous where appropriate, too. Reading Elizabeth's writing is like carrying on a conversation with a good friend. Most impressive is the wealth of resources she's tapped into to provide her stories and advice. From patients, to medical professionals, to other authors, to her colleague Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN) or even Deepak Chopra, she's interviewed them all and provided us with an insider's view of the medical world we might not otherwise ever understand. Do yourself a favor and purchase this book. You'll better understand your own role in getting your own best healthcare, and you'll have access to the tools you need to get started. It's refreshing for a doctor to read an informed patient's analysis of our current health care system. I came away feeling humbled, grateful, frustrated, yet hopeful. Although some physicians may be insulted by the author's characterization of the medical profession, she cuts to the quick in identifying dozens of problems inherent in the American system. As I read, I couldn't help thinking that many of these difficulties must plague other health care systems as well: the time pressure that doctors constantly struggle against, the flawed communication between patients and physicians, the many obstructions to finding the correct diagnosis for every patient, the dangers of hospitalizations. 'The Empowered Patient' is a practical patient-oriented manual for dealing with the current health system as it is, warts and all. Elizabeth Cohen does a great job