Anatomy of Hope: On the Effects of Expectation and Placebo

We sometimes hear unbelievable stories of people whose health improved thanks to something they thought was real medicine, only to discover it was just a sugar pill. These stories highlight the difficulty of distinguishing between what we believe, what we feel, and what actually happens in the body.

The book *Anatomy of Hope* explores why a seemingly ineffective treatment can have a positive effect on illness. Why can placebos sometimes be as effective as painkillers? Why can sham surgery bring joy to patients? And how can a strange pre-competition ritual enhance the performance of a professional athlete?

Using fascinating examples from diverse fields, Karen Jensen discusses how our brains construct expectations about what will happen. Whether we are conscious of these expectations or not, the brain is constantly working to predict the future, adding information that makes sense of the world around us. The brain is influenced by everything around it, whether it’s appearance, smell, taste, or even the words on a label.

In some cases, the placebo effect can be as effective as the real drug. Karen Jensen’s book explores the mysterious interaction between body and mind, how what is written on the label can control our taste or sensation of it, and how we are all influenced by expectations.