Candace Pert Genius, Greed, and Madness in the World of Science

<P><B>Candace Pert stood at the dawn of three revolutions: the opioid crisis, the AIDS crisis, and the mind-body movement. Indeed, her visionary work shaped history – for good and, inadvertently, for evil. </B></P><P>   </P><P></P><P> Before there was Bessel van der Kolk, there was Candace Pert, the Mother of the Mind-Body Revolution. Her story forms a launchpad to discuss the most pressing issues plaguing science and healthcare today.  </P><P> Pert played pivotal roles in major movements in both science and politics. Namely, she: </P><ul><li><P> Discovered the opiate receptor (the mechanism by which opioids function in the brain), launching the opioid crisis. </P></li><li><P> Proved the mind-body link, launching the field of integrative or functional medicine. </P></li><li><P> Created Peptide T, the underground AIDS drug featured in the film Dallas Buyers Club, and then went rogue, becoming a linchpin in the black market for her drug. </P></li></ul><P> Pert was sabotaged by mentors and colleagues keen to profit from her brilliance. But she too became tainted, believing that her noble ends would justify devious means. Like a mythic hero, she succumbed to a fatal flaw, and her greatest strengths—singularity of purpose and blind faith in her own virtuosity—would prove to be her undoing. </P><P> CANDACE PERT is a great read for anyone interested in integrative health, mind-body awareness, medical ethics, the bureaucracy of a toxic healthcare system, and a flawed genius whose scandals and breakthroughs shaped history.  </P><P></P><P><I>“Exemplary research, balanced accounts and deeply evocative prose... a truly insightful narrative on what it can mean to be a woman at the cutting edge of science.</I>” <B>– The Wall Street Journal</B></P><P> “<I>Riveting biography… nuanced portrait…Readers will be engrossed</I>.” – <B>Publisher's Weekly</B></P><P> “<I>There is a revolution taking form that is significantly influencing how the Western medical community views health and disease. Candace Pert’s contribution to this revolution is undeniable.</I>” – <B>Deepak Chopra</B></P><P> “<I>Ryckman’s writing is life-like, suspenseful, and creates a roller coaster ride of stakes and unexpected discovery</I>” – <B>Dr. Lisa Miller, <I>New York Times</I> bestselling author of <I>The Spiritual Child</I> and <I>The Awakened Brain</I></B></P>