What does human suffering mean for society? And how has this meaning changed from the past to the present? In what ways does "the problem of suffering" serve to inspire us to care for others? How does our response to suffering reveal our moral and social conditions? In this trenchant work, Arthur Kleinman--a renowned figure in medical anthropology--and Iain Wilkinson, an award-winning sociologist, team up to offer some answers to these profound questions...