Wellness Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Controlled Prairie Burning for Maintenance and our BookBrowse Review of Wellness.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Have you ever been under the placebo effect—in a medical or other context? After reading Wellness, can you look back on certain events, decisions, or changes that took place in your life and attribute those changes to belief alone?
2. Dr. Sanborne's theory of love is one explanation for why Jack and Elizabeth were attracted to each other (including the intimacy questionnaire that Elizabeth uses on their first date). Can you think of any other theories or explanations—from psychology, popular culture, or other traditions/systems—for how their relationship unfolds?
3. Which of the wellness trends mentioned in the book (Benjamin's diets and supplements; Jack's failed workouts; Elizabeth's and Lawrence's various healing potions, etc.) have you heard of or participated in? Did they produce the desired effect? Do you believe now, and did you believe then, that the product(s) or technique(s) "worked"?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Vintage. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.