This was a very interesting exploration of the shifting views of diabetes in regards to race over the 20th century in the United States. Tuchman charts the various groups that medical scientists focused their attention and concern most heavily on, starting with Jews at the turn of the century, and ending with African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, and Latinx people today. The book is organized by race and largely chronological. The binding thread throughout is Tuchman's argument that race doesn't really have anything to do with diabetes, but rather that class is the deciding factor in determining higher rates, with structural racism making minority groups more likely to experience racism than most whites. Her thesis is well-argued and very compelling. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in medical history and the impacts of racism on medical practice.

This is really unique and specific. There was a lot in it but I did learn a lot. Well done to the author.

In her book Diabetes: a History of Race and Disease, author and professor Arleen Marcia Tuchman goes beyond the basic medical history of diabetes to thoroughly examine how racial stereotypes play just as much into what we know about diabetes as the medical facts. Tuchman takes the reader through a modern chronology of the disease, starting at the early 1900s when diabetes was thought of as a Jewish disease before discussing the disease among both African Americans and Native Americans, then looks at race and diabetes post 1985. As a diabetic myself, and someone who has read a lot of books about the disease, I found this book to be both engaging and novel; Tuchman ties both medical history and cultural stereotypes together in a highly readable format. Tuchman writes using medical jargon, but clearly defines and explains everything technical, so no previous knowledge of the intricacies of the disease is necessary in order to follow Tuchman's racial history. Readers interested in diabetes itself, the history of the disease, or how race was perceived to cause the disease throughout the last century would enjoy this book. Great for fans of medical or social history.

I'm diabetic and was really interested in this book. I love the learn more about my illness and this a well  researched and informative book that helped me to the understand the social/racial implications of diabetes.
It's an excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.