The Gifts of the Body the patients and the caregiver. The book contains ten short stories, the titles of each being associated with "gifts" which are various functions of the body, both physical and emotional: sweat, wholeness, tears, skin, hunger, mobility, death, speech, sight, hope, and mourning. The caregiver experiences each "gift", as he/she deals with patients who have AIDS, showing the different shared relationships in each case. Each patient is a distinct case, differing in terms of age, financial situation, attitude toward the illness etc., showing the reader that this disease affects all types of people. The book is written in the "no-frills style"
The Art of Dining her with neurosis (a mild personality disorder in which obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive acts and feelings of anxiety are displayed) and an irrational fear of food. Already, Elizabeth had been a sensitive child, with issues surrounding mealtimes. Pressures to entertain during dinner evidently took the focus away from the food, fortunately, as her parent's eating habits turned her stomach. Constantly spitting food into her napkin, Elizabeth lived in an uncomfortable and stressful environment. However, this proves merely to be the root of Elizabeth's condition. It is assumed that Elizabeth is normal in every other aspect of her life. However, throughout