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.