This is a book about the experiences of a surgeon Joshua Mezrich, bringing the reader snapshots of medical history to fit in with the narrative. The writing is smooth the subject matter is at times challenging but very interesting, naturally this is not for the squeamish.
As a non-medical professional, the only time you will come up against the world of hospitals will be from personal experience. I have been in hospital wards waiting for a friend or relative, anxious, hesitant, with a lurking background fear of the worst. This book was really informative, it will not eradicate the fear of the worst, but I have learnt about the procedures during transplant surgery, the probabilities of mortality. The history leading up to modern surgery is full of interesting stories of failure and success, demonstrating how far we have come in 50-100 years.
Joshua is very honest about the fact that surgeons make mistakes, which have led to long term debilitation or death. But he tells us that surgeons must learn to put these failures into boxes, to be learnt from and not forgotten but to be accessed at times to keep the surgeon focussed. This technique could be applied to many roles and I found it reassuring to hear a professional voice their own feelings on their failures rather than just trumpeting their success.
The honesty does not end there, he explains his own emotions when dealing with the complex issues of patients. How his fears of failing them can lead to some highly negative thoughts, which reflect a desire for an end to the process, which would equate to the patients demise. Brave to admit, but he recognises his own thoughts and the reasoning behind them, understands that people are not infallible and adheres to the belief that one must always strive for perfection.
Who would buy a book like this? The answer is everyone should, at some point in your life you will come across medical professionals; this book might help you to understand the kind of complexity that they deal with, it may also encourage you to become an organ donor. It may also help you to appreciate the level of medicine which is available to us now. It might take a little longer to complete this book than the easy readers, the throwaway fiction, but the content is so much more rewarding.
As a non-medical professional, the only time you will come up against the world of hospitals will be from personal experience. I have been in hospital wards waiting for a friend or relative, anxious, hesitant, with a lurking background fear of the worst. This book was really informative, it will not eradicate the fear of the worst, but I have learnt about the procedures during transplant surgery, the probabilities of mortality. The history leading up to modern surgery is full of interesting stories of failure and success, demonstrating how far we have come in 50-100 years.
Joshua is very honest about the fact that surgeons make mistakes, which have led to long term debilitation or death. But he tells us that surgeons must learn to put these failures into boxes, to be learnt from and not forgotten but to be accessed at times to keep the surgeon focussed. This technique could be applied to many roles and I found it reassuring to hear a professional voice their own feelings on their failures rather than just trumpeting their success.
The honesty does not end there, he explains his own emotions when dealing with the complex issues of patients. How his fears of failing them can lead to some highly negative thoughts, which reflect a desire for an end to the process, which would equate to the patients demise. Brave to admit, but he recognises his own thoughts and the reasoning behind them, understands that people are not infallible and adheres to the belief that one must always strive for perfection.
Who would buy a book like this? The answer is everyone should, at some point in your life you will come across medical professionals; this book might help you to understand the kind of complexity that they deal with, it may also encourage you to become an organ donor. It may also help you to appreciate the level of medicine which is available to us now. It might take a little longer to complete this book than the easy readers, the throwaway fiction, but the content is so much more rewarding.