Promotional Information

Critically examines phantom limb pain and its relationship to prosthetic innovation, tracing the major shifts in knowledge of the causes and characteristics of the phenomenon.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: Ghost in the Machine 2. Characterizing Phantoms: Features of Phantom Limb Syndrome 3. From Pleasure to Pain: Accounting for the Rise and Fall in Phantom Pain 4. Phantoms in the Mind: The Psychogenic Origins of Ethereal Appendages 5. Phantoms in the Brain: The Holy Grail of Neuroscience 6. Phantom-Prosthetic Relations: The Modernization of Amputation 7. Conclusion: Authenticity and ExtinctionNotes ReferencesIndex About the Author

About the Author

Cassandra S. Crawford is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Northern Illinois University and a faculty associate in Women's Studies and in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Studies.

Reviews

"In this compelling book, Cassandra Crawford recounts medical ghost stories about the sensations of absent bodies. Cutting through an esoteric literature with verve and empathy, her research reveals the boundary where mind and body meet and social imprinting occurs." -Stefan Timmermans, author of Postmortem: How Medical Examiners Explain Suspicious Deaths "Impressive! Phantom limb has long haunted medicine and vice versa. Crawford tells us why and skillfully reveals the changing trends and biopolitical stakes. Critically engaging discourse on prosthetic transcendence and cyborgian revolution, this book makes sorely needed contributions to science and technology studies, medical sociology, disability studies and emergent neuro-studies. And it is a fascinating read!"-Adele E. Clarke, author of Disciplining Reproduction