Vital Bodies is the story of twelve people, each living with a long-term illness. Delving into the routines and rhythms of their everyday lives, Bates reveals the significance of the things that we usually take for granted, from what we eat to when we sleep, how we move, and what we wear. Learning from the lives portrayed, it explores ideas of care, vulnerability, and choice, questioning what it means to live a modern life with illness and illuminating the vitality of so-called diseased bodies along the way. Juxtaposing academic text with rich descriptions and vivid illustrations--including video stills, journal extracts, and drawings--this book highlights the sensory and emotional intimacies of visual sociology and demonstrates the use and value of sensuous scholarship.