Tuberculosis was the most common cause of death in the United States during the nineteenth century. The lingering illness devastated the lives of patients and families, and by the turn of the century, fears of infectiousness compounded their anguish. Historians have usually focused on the changing medical knowledge of tuberculosis or on the social campaigns to combat it. Using a wide range of sources, especially the extensive correspondence of a Philadelphia physician, Lawrence F. Flick, in Bargaining for Life Barbara Bates documents the human story by chronicling how men and women attempted to cope with the illness, get treatment, earn their living, and maintain social relationships.

Joseph L. Mankiewicz writes and directs this classic award-winning drama starring Bette Davis and Anne Baxter. Eve Harrington (Baxter) is famous actress Margo Channing (Davis)'s biggest fan. When, by chance, she gets to meet the great lady, she quickly ingratiates herself into her life. Before long, however, she has become a bitter rival, stealing Margo's Broadway role and causing turmoil in her personal life. George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill and Thelma Ritter co-star with Marilyn Monroe making an early film appearance. Both Davis and Baxter received Oscar nominations for their roles with the film winning six awards including Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Supporting Actor (Sanders).

This book provides original inquiries into the communication of women with other women, a type of research striking in its absence from the hundreds of other recent studies of gender and communication. It fills the void within communication research, and provides a variety of qualitative studies focusing on the actual communication behavior of women.