It has long been known that in hard moments people turn to a book—to distract themselves from burdensome thoughts or to get a sensible piece of advice. British “bibliotherapists” E. Berto and S. Elderkin went even further, suggesting that reading can heal not only the soul but also the body. They compiled a kind of “literary medical manual,” from which readers learn which specific books are best to read for particular illnesses. In this reference of literary remedies—balms by Balzac, tourniquets that stop bleeding by Tolstoy, ointments by Saramago, laxatives by Perec and Proust, and much more. In addition, “The Book as a Medicine” is a wonderful overview of masterpieces of world literature.