The Decision Tree came out in 2010, and I’m glad to say it remains relevant and readable as a guide towards how ordinary people might grapple with their health in a world suffused with genetic data, personal technology, and patient-centered medicine.
The book came out just as a host of new information technologies were empowering consumers in healthcare – genomic data, personal tracking devices, virtual networks of patients. And it explores not just the opportunities these tools offer, but also the demands they put on each of us in an already complicated world.
The book was perhaps the first to make the case for a new world of personalized or precision medicine, and the first to note that this precision is a double edged sword, putting more onus on ordinary people to grapple with very difficult and grave situations.
The Decision Tree was selected by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best health books of 2010, and was lauded by the New York Times and other publications.
