Part philosophical meditation, part cultural critique , this explores the nature of physical suffering.

This work brings together scholars from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, literature, and medicine to discuss such provocative issues as false memories , in which people can develop vivid recollections of events that never happened and retrospective biases and implicit memory.

Through her readings of texts by Hardy, Beckett, Boethius, Thackeray and others, the author examines the ability of language to accommodate conceptions of truth and cognition. She also analyzes phenomena such as physical pain and physical labour.

Various political arguments have been put forward against beauty: that it distracts us from more important issues; that it is the handmaiden of privilege; that it masks political interests. This work aims to challenge such theories, stating that beauty does indeed have a positive effect on life.