Reddit reviews Human Cargo: Stories and Songs of Emigration, Slavery and Transportation

Another, The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World by Elaine Scarry. He mentioned it in his recent chronic pain video and he usually has good suggestions.

I think he said it was about how pain almost ruins language in a way, like, no matter how you describe your pain, the other person will never truly understand your pain and so language fails you and since humans' main means of communication is through language we end up feeling even more isolated and misunderstood.

Bear in mind this is my foggy recollection but it sounded like it would be fascinating either way. I've this to read first Human Cargo: Stories and Songs of Emigration, Slavery and Transportation
(fun fact- if you paid to emigrate in ye old boat times, you were more likely to arrive dead than if you were transported as a slave. Those captains got paid on the amount of workers that arrived alive, as opposed to the other guys who got paid up front, and sometimes your accommodation could be a 5ft cube with roomies. Sorry, I heard an interview with the author on the radio on Sunday and it just sounded so interesting and how the shanties came about, it's been forever since I've been this excited to read a book.