Sarah talks with physician, author, and public health thinker Dr. Wendy Johnson to discuss her powerful and timely book, Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves.
Modern life promises convenience and progress, yet many of us feel more isolated, unhealthy, and disconnected than ever. In Kinship Medicine, Dr. Johnson challenges the foundations of how we live and care for one another, arguing that human health cannot be separated from community, environment, and our relationship with the living world. Drawing on public health, sociology, anthropology, human ecology, and her experience as a family physician, she reframes medicine through an ecosystem lens, one that recognizes interdependence as essential, not optional.
During this thoughtful conversation, Sarah and Dr. Johnson explore how loneliness, industrial diets, systemic inequality, and profit-driven healthcare systems quietly erode our well-being. They also discuss how trauma can be carried across generations, why eliminating a single organism can disrupt entire ecosystems, and how reconnecting with non-human life plays a vital role in healing both people and planet.
The discussion goes beyond diagnosis and offers hope. Dr. Johnson shares real-world examples of communities already building healthier, more resilient ways of living and caring for one another. She also reflects on how embracing mortality can shift our fears and help us live more fully.
This episode is perfect for listeners interested in health, wellness, environmental studies, social justice, and nonfiction books that challenge conventional thinking. Whether you’re passionate about sustainable living, holistic medicine, or reimagining what a healthy society could look like, this conversation offers insight, clarity, and inspiration.
Tune in to the GSMC Book Review Podcast, where meaningful books spark meaningful conversations.
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