Social Determinants of Health

Marmot and Wilkinson do a thorough, comprehensive job of exploring the emerging field of how social inequalities affect the health of populations. This is a great resource both for public health professionals and for those who are looking for an accessible way to be introduced to the topic. The second chapter alone - a detailed description of the physiological mechanisms by which psychosocial stress is translated to worse health outcomes - is worth the price. Marmot and Wilkinson's work has significance far beyond the realm of public health, and should be read by policy-makers of all ideological stripes.