Political divides and great debates have always been at the heart of American democracy, and yet it has seen quite a large influx in recent years. Topics often range from immigration and the economy to the United States role in conflicts and wars outside of the country and so much more. One topic that has really taken hold of the public and private sectors of the nation has been healthcare, not only in terms of what the responsibility of the government in healthcare is but how healthcare can be afforded.

Healthcare and how it needs to be improved is the drive behind authors Deane Waldman, MD MBA & Vance Ginn, PhD's Empower Patients: Two Doctors' Cure for Healthcare. The book is a fast-paced deep dive into healthcare and how giving patients direct access both financially and medically to their doctors is needed. With one author bringing a medical background and the other an economist's background, the book delves into how medical care can become both affordable and accessible through the Empower Patients plan.

The authors thoroughly covered healthcare and the role insurers and healthcare providers play within it. The exploration of things like medical coverage and how having insurance does not always equal medical care was incredibly insightful, and the honesty and straightforward way both authors wrote the book in general painted a very visceral yet needed picture of the healthcare system. The concept of third-party providers being the ones who choose a patient's healthcare hits home as well, providing insight into why healthcare is rarely ever the choice of the patient receiving the care.

Those readers who enjoy non-fiction books, especially those that balance self-help and business-driven books with medical insight and knowledge will absolutely love this book. The discussion and debate the book brings up will stay with readers as the book delves into whether or not healthcare is truly a right or not and so much more. Even the way the authors bring their personal experiences into the book, such as the doctor's experience with his late wife receiving healthcare months after symptoms first began, highlights the current struggles of patients receiving care when they need it and not months later when the diagnosis is too grave to fix.