Most of us trust that when something is wrong, medicine will have an answer. But what happens when it doesn't?
In The Elusive Body: Patients, Doctors, and the Diagnosis Crisis, New York Times health and science editor Alexandra Sifferlin investigates what it truly means to live without an accurate diagnosis — and what's being done about it. Drawing on a landmark 2015 National Academies report finding that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, Sifferlin spent years tracking the efforts to close that gap. At the center of her story: Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal, one of the most celebrated diagnosticians in the country, who joins her in conversation for this special Book Society evening.
Together, they'll explore how doctors think, where the system breaks down, and what patients can do when the answers don't come easily.
Your ticket includes:
- A thought-provoking conversation with Alexandra Sifferlin and Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal
- Lite bites and pours of Book Society's house red or white wine (NA option available)
- Book signing, community mingling, and connection
The book will be available for pre-purchase at check-out. A limited number of copies will also be available to purchase at the event.
About the Speakers
Alexandra Sifferlin is a health and science editor at The New York Times Opinion desk, where she leads coverage at the intersection of medicine, science, and human experience. A former deputy editor of the health publication Elemental and staff writer at Time, she has spent her career asking hard questions about how we care for bodies — and what happens when that care falls short. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, NY.
Gurpreet Dhaliwal, M.D. is a Professor of Medicine at UCSF and one of the most respected clinical minds in the country. His work lives at the intersection of medicine and cognition — how doctors make diagnoses, how they develop expertise over time, and how emerging technology is reshaping the way physicians think. A sought-after speaker and educator, he has been featured on Freakonomics M.D., The Wall Street Journal Report, The Curbsiders, and many other leading medical podcasts.