Art Cure
The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Cornerstone
Published:8th Jan '26
Should be back in stock very soon
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£11.99(9781804950784)
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2026
Discover how art can improve our health, make us happier and even help us live longer with the inspiring new book from the award-winning scientist and world-leading expert.
'Wonderful . . . I only wish it had existed as required reading when I was a medical student.' RANGAN CHATTERJEE
'Every day we are overwhelmed by advice on how to live better. Art Cure is an amazing antidote to the deluge of nonsense . . .Everyone should read this.' XAND VAN TULLEKEN
'Elegantly distils the evidence for what we have always intuitively felt; that music, literature, cinema, and art are powerful universal remedies . . . A book for our times.' GILLIAN ANDERSON
DIET. SLEEP. EXERCISE. NATURE. ARTS?
Many of us consider making and consuming art to be a hobby, or even a luxury. But what if arts engagement – from classical music to salsa, poetry to pop concerts, galleries to graffiti – was in fact one of our most powerful tools for unlocking health and happiness?
What if art could help you live longer – and even save your life?
In Art Cure, world-leading expert and award-winning scientist Professor Daisy Fancourt reveals the life-changing power of the arts, including how:
- Songs support the architectural development of children’s brains.
- Creative hobbies help our brains to stay resilient against dementia.
- Visual art and music act just like drugs to reduce depression, stress, and pain.
- Dance build new neural pathways for people with brain injuries.
- Going to live music events, museums, exhibitions, and the theatre decreases our risk of future loneliness and frailty.
- Engaging in the arts improves the functioning of every major organ system in the body.
And, perhaps most importantly, how art helps us not only to survive, but to thrive and flourish.
Fancourt draws on ground-breaking research in neuroscience, psychology, immunology, physiology, behavioural science and epidemiology, as well as inspiring true stories of people who have experienced radical changes in their health, to empower readers to improve their own health through the arts.
Informed by the results of decades of scientific studies, Art Cure is the must-read, inspiring guide to improving your health, giving you the...
Even for those of us who have had a lifetime engagement with the arts, this rigorously researched, scientifically informed book is a revelation. It offers hard evidence of the value of participation in the arts for everyone, moving outwards from the transformative effect they can have on physical and mental health into a host of associated benefits improving and enriching our daily lives, as well as offering practical solutions, pathways and case studies. It could not be more timely, nor make a stronger, more urgent case for placing the arts at the centre of our communities. * Melvyn Bragg *
Every day we are overwhelmed by advice on how to live better: diets, gadgets, supplements, exercises and a million other things. Art Cure is an amazing antidote to the deluge of nonsense. Her evidenced-based advice is for joyful, meaningful things that will expand our lives and our minds and help us take charge of our health. Everyone should read this book: it is accessible, entertaining but also a great piece of scholarship. * Xand van Tulleken *
Imagine a dinner conversation with the smartest, most compassionate person you know, talking until the wee hours on science and beauty, and you will have some idea of what it is like to read this book. Fascinating, comprehensive, compelling, inspiring. * Dr Christopher Bailey, Arts and Health Lead at the World Health Organization *
A visionary exploration of the health impacts of artistic engagement. Weaving together science and real-world case studies, Daisy reminds us of the human need for creative expression. Reading this compelling work, don’t be surprised if you find yourself dusting off your old guitar, joining a local theatre group, or ordering a set of watercolours (and thanking Art Cure for the motivation!). * Renée Fleming, Soprano and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts & Health *
Art Cure is forceful and eye-opening. Both elevating and practical, it opens new vistas on fantastic scientific discoveries regarding how art affects our bodies, our minds, and even our lifespan. * Nicholas A. Christakis, author of Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society *
Important and timely. * Susan Magsamen, co-author of Your Brain on Art *
ISBN: 9781529935530
Dimensions: 242mm x 163mm x 35mm
Weight: 546g
352 pages