Reviewed by Kathleen Adamson September 8, 2021: Now that the COVID pandemic is entering its 18th month, we can observe the larger ripple effects reaching out from its epicentre. The danger to human life from the pandemic is accompanied by danger from pollution and the effects of climate change- and we know, anecdotally and through official polling, that people, in general, are in a lot of pain. In the United States, this was the case even before the pandemic- reported levels of pain and emotional dissatisfaction have been rising for years. But what does it mean to be in pain? Why do Americans report higher pain levels than other rich countries? How does emotional pain translate into physical health outcomes? In this grim but enthralling book. Anne Case and Angus Deaton weave dense and difficult statistics into a narrative with rare clarity.