Pulitzer Prize General Non Fiction Winner
The Social Transformation of American Medicine
by Paul Starr
Summary
A sweeping institutional history tracing how the American medical profession evolved from a fragmented trade in the 19th century into a powerful, sovereign industry shaping politics and economics. Drawing on archival records and sociological analysis, Starr explains how doctors secured cultural authority, why hospitals and insurers grew as they did, and how reform efforts repeatedly stalled. The book remains a foundational text for anyone studying U.S. healthcare policy.
”
Historical Context & Significance
Starr explored why the U.S. became the only industrialized nation without a national healthcare system, focusing on the "sovereignty" of the doctor's guild.