Stephen Bezruchka presents 'Born Sick in the USA'

Third Place Books welcomes author and UW School of Public Health professor emeritus Stephen Bezruchka to our Ravenna store for a conversation about his new book, . Bezruchka argues that economic inequality and a flimsy social safety net give the United States a serious disadvantage in the area of public health compared to peer countries and shows what concrete steps must be taken to improve health outcomes nationwide.

This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured books!

This event is free to attend. Registration is recommended in advance.

Please note: While RSVP helps us anticipate attendance, your RSVP may not guarantee a seat. Seating is first-come, first-served, and all events at our Ravenna neighborhood store are free and open to the public. Only standing room may be available for events with high interest.

We are happy to accommodate any accessibility concerns. Please contact us at [email protected] or call our Ravenna store at (206) 525-2347.

How healthy you are is dependent on where you live. Americans suffer more cancers, heart disease, mental illness, and other chronic diseases than those who live in other wealthy nations, despite having the most expensive healthcare system in the world. Why? Embark on a journey to unravel the profound impact of public policies on American health from before birth in Born Sick in the USA: Improving the Health of a Nation. Delve into the intricate web where economic inequality weaves a tapestry of sickness stemming from a highly stressed society. This compelling read illuminates the need for transformative change in social safety nets and public policies to uplift national health and well-being. Through vivid storytelling, the book unveils the symptoms, diagnosis, and 'medicine' required to steer the nation toward a healthier future. Join the movement for a healthier America by embracing the insightful revelations and empowering calls to action presented within the pages of this eye-opening book.

"By examining the United States as his patient, Stephen Bezruchka has found a brilliant way to diagnose the serious, multigenerational health problems afflicting the country. [...] Dr. Bezruchka combines his decades of experience as a physician wandering the villages of Nepal and his teaching at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health to gently but firmly deliver the truth about how the world’s most expensive healthcare system makes us sick. His treatment plan would be easy and less costly, if only we can free ourselves from the delusion that the US enjoys the world’s best healthcare system."

—David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter

Stephen Bezruchka is Associate Teaching Professor Emeritus in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health at the University of Washington. He is the author of Nepali for Trekkers (1991), The Pocket Doctor: A Passport to Healthy Travel (1999), Altitude Illness: Prevention and Treatment (2005), Trekking in Nepal: A Traveler's Guide (2011), and Inequality Kills Us All: COVID-19's Health Lessons for the World (2022), and contributed to Far From the Road: A Community Health Project in the Himalayas (2025), among other titles. He also set up a remote district hospital in the western part of Nepal and supervised Nepali doctor training there.

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events.

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