Breaking down the taboos associated with breast cancer and its treatment, Elaine Ratner shows that this illness does not have to be a nightmare, and that most women who contract it can take charge of their experience and come out whole. She begins her book with a list of 18 insights learned from her experience with breast cancer, including:
*Surround yourself with people who make you feel good
*The human body is a miraculous healing machine
*Nobody really knows much about breast cancer
*A breast is completely expendable
In addition to offering down-to-earth advice, Ratner discusses the paternalistic attitudes of the medical establishment toward women, the exaggeration of breast cancer statistics, and the way our culture shapes women''s attitudes toward their bodies.

Breaking down the taboos associated with breast cancer and its treatment, Elaine Ratner shows that this illness does not have to be a nightmare, and that most women who contract it can take charge of their experience and come out whole. She begins her book with a list of 18 insights learned from her experience with breast cancer, including:
*Surround yourself with people who make you feel good
*The human body is a miraculous healing machine
*Nobody really knows much about breast cancer
*A breast is completely expendable
In addition to offering down-to-earth advice, Ratner discusses the paternalistic attitudes of the medical establishment toward women, the exaggeration of breast cancer statistics, and the way our culture shapes women''s attitudes toward their bodies.