A wide-ranging collection of both classic writings and more recent articles in the sociology of health and illness, this reader is organized into the following sections: * health beliefs and knowledge* inequalities and patterning of health and illness* professional and patient interaction* chronic illness and disability* evaluation and politics in health care. With a thorough introduction which sets the scene for the field as a whole, and section introductions which contextualize each chapter, the reader includes a number of different perspectives on health and illness, is international in scope, and will provide an invaluable resource to students across a wide range of courses in sociology and the social sciences.