Best Health Policy Books of 2025

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande is a thought-provoking book that explores the limitations of medicine in dealing with aging and death. Gawande draws on his own experiences as a surgeon and personal stories from patients and families to reveal the failures of the medical profession in providing a good life until the very end. The book has been highly praised for its honesty and humanity, with reviewers describing it as "wise and deeply moving" and "beautifully written." Overall, Being Mortal is a must-read for anyone interested in health policy and the human experience of aging and dying.

Anxiety Relief for Teens by Dr. Regine Galanti is a comprehensive guide that offers practical tools and techniques to help teenagers overcome anxiety and stress. The author uses a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness practices to help readers manage their anxiety and reverse negative patterns. With quizzes, self-assessments, and exercises, this book provides a well-structured therapeutic approach that is relatable to teens' behavior, thinking, and emotional experience. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for both teens and clinicians working with young adults struggling with anxiety.

"If I Betray These Words" explores the moral injury that doctors face when trying to prioritize patients over the business side of healthcare. The book offers solutions and shares stories of clinicians across the country who are tough, resourceful, and resilient, but feel trapped between the patient-first values of their Hippocratic oath and the business imperatives of a broken healthcare system. The author, Wendy Dean, diagnoses the dangerous state of the healthcare system and illustrates the thumbscrews applied to medical professionals by their corporate overlords. This book is a must-read for all stakeholders in healthcare and highlights the growing problem of moral injury in medicine."

Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach, Eighth Edition is a comprehensive guide to the U.S. healthcare system, covering its historical origins, resources, and individual services. The book uses a unique “systems” approach, bringing together a vast amount of information to clarify the complexities of healthcare organization and finance while presenting a solid overview of how the various components fit together. The latest edition includes updated data, emerging characteristics of the healthcare system, coverage of COVID-19 topics, and current challenges and issues. Overall, this book is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand the U.S. healthcare system.

Medicare For You: A Smart Person's Guide by Diane J. Omdahl RN MS is an essential guide for anyone approaching Medicare eligibility. With over 10,000 Americans becoming eligible for Medicare every day, author Diane J. Omdahl, a true pioneer in the field of Medicare benefits, takes readers through every step of the process, ensuring they make the right decisions at the right time. This book is a must-read to avoid costly mistakes and scams and ensure that Medicare works for you. Overall, it is an excellent resource for those looking to maximize their Medicare benefits.

Jonas and Kovner's Health Care Delivery in the United States, 12th Edition is a comprehensive and highly acclaimed textbook on the US healthcare system, designed for graduate and undergraduate students of healthcare management and administration, nursing, and public health. The book covers a wide range of topics, from the organization of care to health information technology, and emphasizes the importance of population health and public health. The authors provide an in-depth and objective appraisal of why and how we organize health care the way we do, and the impact of health-related behaviors and social environments on health outcomes. Overall, this book is an essential resource for anyone interested in understanding the complex issues surrounding the US healthcare system.

The Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion is an extensive four-volume set covering more than 250 topics in the fields of public health and prevention. Written by an international team of contributors, the encyclopedia takes a lifespan approach to illness prevention and health promotion. Each entry follows a structured format and concludes with a "See Also" box recommending further reading. The second edition expands on the first edition, adding entries on gender, African American and Latino issues, social support, social and emotional learning, and physical health and disease. Overall, this encyclopedia is an essential reference for practitioners, students, and researchers working in prevention, public health, and psychology.

Under the Skin by Linda Villarosa is a powerful and necessary book that sheds light on the racial health disparities in America. Villarosa exposes the forces in the American health-care system and in American society that cause Black people to “live sicker and die quicker” compared to their white counterparts. The book provides incontrovertible proof, anchored by unforgettable human stories. Villarosa's writing is compelling and the book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the hidden toll of racism on American lives and on the health of our nation.

The book "How to Save the West: Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises" by Spencer Klavan is an insightful analysis of the current state of the Western civilization. It delves into five essential crises that the West is facing today, such as the crisis of reality, the crisis of the body, the crisis of meaning, the crisis of religion, and the crisis of the regime. Klavan brings to the West’s defense the insights of Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and the Founding Fathers to show that in the wisdom of the past lies hope for the future. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the philosophy of ethics and morality books.

The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis is a gripping nonfiction thriller that chronicles the response of medical visionaries to the COVID-19 outbreak. As the Trump administration faltered, a secret team of dissenting doctors known as the Wolverines, fought to implement their work and save lives. Lewis masterfully weaves together the stories of these unsung heroes and their fight against misinformation and bureaucracy. This book is a must-read for those interested in public health and government response to pandemics.