Book Description
A riveting memoir from the Navy doctor praised as "Hero, M.D." on the cover of Newsweek.
Cdr. Richard Jadick's story is one of the most extraordinary to come out of the war in Iraq. At thirty-eight, the last place the Navy doctor was expected to be was on the front lines. He was too old to be called up, but not too old to volunteer. In November 2004, with the military reeling from an acute doctor shortage, Jadick chose to accompany the First Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment (the "1/8") to Iraq. During the Battle of Fallujah, Jadick and his team worked tirelessly and courageously around the clock to save their troops in the worst street fighting Americans had faced since Vietnam. It is estimated that without Jadick at the front, the Marines would have lost an additional thirty men. Of the hundreds of men he treated, only one died after reaching a hospital. This is the inspiring story of his decision to enter into the fray, a fascinating glimpse into wartime triage, and a compelling account of courage under fire.
Customer Reviews:
But Enough About Me..........2007-09-20
Having read the compelling Newsweek article that became the catalyst for the book, I was expecting much more than what was finally produced. As another reviewer mentioned, too much of the book was spent on CDR Jadick's personal history and trite stories about everyday life downrange. (Though the latrine story was pretty doggone funny...)
Perhaps it's difficult to produce a tome about one aspect of one battle - but others have managed. Those who have, however, are usually historians and not docs.
A bad book review should be understood for what it is. A book review. This is not a criticism of the author's valor or medical skill, which is worthy of every accolade that's been bestowed.
Mediocre at best.......2007-08-16
Does not deserve to share a shelf with medical accomplishments such as Atul Gawande's Better or Complications. The book is filled with trite sentences and tainted with the robotic marine mentality. Slow and reads like you yourself are in hell.
You are there in the Minds and Hearts........2007-07-16
Feel the heat, taste the dust, squint in the sun while horror is delivered to you on the hour.
A Jewel of a Novel.......2007-07-01
having been in the Navy I found this book a fine read. His explanation of the Marine/Navy world was perfect. Corpmen are always highly respected by all. Beyond that it shows the great men and women and their beliefs toward our wonderful country. Soemtimes when we see the faults by politicians and others and we wonder how we will make it as a country all we have to do is look toward the fine men and women that serve us and our country. Let our hearts go out and let us in the future be ready to help them in all they will need.
On Call In Hell by Cdr. Richard Jadick.......2007-06-25
The book was riveting...hard to put down. I read it in two days, mainly because I wanted to experience what Marines and Navy Corpsmen experience in combat, and I certainly did and then some. My son's heroic rescue on Thanksgiving Day, 2004 was clearly documented, as was his death in combat the next day. Kudos to the corpsmen who literally go through the gates of hell to rescue a wounded Marine!
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Book Description
Advance Praise for Beyond the Stone Arches
"Now the world can share the life of this great man. In its intimate detail, this is a fascinating story that serves as a valuable introduction to the people of a country so important to us today."-Walter Cronkite
"A fascinating look at China from the point of view of an American medical missionary, this absorbing life of a quiet hero rings with authenticity and sheds light on the turbulent years from the late 1800s to 1932 that will be a revelation for most Western readers."-Adeline Yen Mah, author of Falling Leaves
"This is a proud man's story of a father who lived a life of a medical missionary in China for forty years-a life of service, sacrifice, joy, and fulfillment. The pages turn easily and quickly with humor, care, and love. It's a jewel of a book that will remain with you forever."-Jim Lehrer, The News Hour
"A small gem. Edward Bliss embarked, against great odds, on a remarkable range of activities aimed at improving the livelihood of common people. He was a veritable one-man Peace Corps. His is an inspiring story that warms the heart and enriches the soul."-H. T. Huang, author of Science and Civilization in China
"It took three years for Edward Bliss, M.D., to ascend the Min River in a convoy of three river junks in 1893, averaging fourteen miles a day. This was his first trip to Shaowu, which became his home for forty-two years, a tumultuous and dangerous time and place. His son tells the story of his father's life and work in fascinating detail, drawing on a trove of letters and extensive interviews with his father."-Donald MacInnis, former Methodist missionary and China Program Director, National Council of Churches/USA
Download Description
An historical treasure. -Bob Edwards, host of National Public Radio's Morning Edition.The inspiring story of a true American hero: In 1892 Edward Bliss packed up his family and embarked on a journey that took him to a remote outpost in feudal China, wherehe served as a medical missionary until the early days of Mao Zedong. Bliss battled malaria, plague, floods, and encroaching communist armies to help make the world a better place. He healed the sick, worked as a farmer, delivered babies, and bred cattle-all for the "glory of God and dignity of man." This remarkable biography, written by Bliss's son, is a luminous portrait of an exemplary figure, a man whose remarkable life story offers readers inspiration to face adversity in their own time. Beyond the Stone Arches also delivers a sharply etched portrait of one of the great social movements in recent history-the outpouring of missionaries to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Customer Reviews:
beautifully realized.......2003-06-28
This is a wonderfully written account of a missionary's life in early 20th century China. Both educational and entertaining. Well worth the reader's time. Ed Bliss does the subject exquisite justice.
Great Gift Idea for Father's Day!!.......2001-06-01
From what I've read of reviews and from what I know of the content of this beautifully written biography of a father by his son.
A pioneer missionary doctor in China: a true adventure tale.......2001-01-27
"Beyond the Stone Arches" is the gripping story of a pioneer missionary doctor who served for four decades in a mission station deep in the interior of Fujian province. Each chapter could stand alone, for the scene changes from Imperial China to the shaky, new Republic in 1911, to civil wars, banditry, floods, plague and cholera epidemics - but through it all, Edward Bliss, Jr. tells the story of his father's daily work, his love for China and its people, his ventures such as raising milk cows so children could have milk, and his courage in the face of danger from Communist guerrillas, bandit gangs and rampant warlords. The book reads like an autobiography, for the author draws heavily on his own extensive interviews with his father and his father's letters, plus the author's own memories of childhood in pre-modern China. This is not a stereotype "missionary book!"
Book Description
The thrilling story of the brilliant and audacious pioneers who revolutionized cardiovascular medicine.
The history of heart surgery is a fascinating saga. In the dark ages of medicine, physicians commonly prescribed blood letting as a treatment for ridding the vascular system of diabolical elements and bizarre medicaments like brain extracts, and until quite recently, the basic treatment for a heart attack was to lie down and bear it. Within the last century, physicians have evolved from fearing to even touch a living human heart to rebuilding and even transplanting hearts with beguiling, if sometimes dangerous wizardry. Not long ago, cardiac surgery was celebrated as akin to miracle working, yet a new therapeutic age has since taken hold. Today heart attacks can often be stopped in their midst, and astonishing non-invasive surgical techniques regularly eliminate any need for a knife, while clearing vital arteries in just minutes.
Journey Into the Heart traces this epic quest involving a cast of thousands who struggled to solve medical complexities that long boggled the most brilliant minds on earth. David Monagan tells their story as never before, for the first time paying tribute to the daring tactics and outsized personalities of scarcely appreciated pioneers from Oregon to East Germany. The risks some took were hard to fathom: when a promising therapy seemed far too dangerous to perform on a patient, charismatic doctors experimented on themselves. Meanwhile, a multi-billion dollar business involving angioplasty and countless related knifeless procedures charged into life, often overshadowing the noble quest for innovation with a race for profit. The great figures behind these advances have been little chronicled, but their lives encompassed all the triumph and anguish of the last century.
Andreas Gruentzig, an East German “child of the rubble,” took center stage in revolutionizing cardiovascular care, developing the first tiny balloon-tipped probes in his Zurich apartment. Despite harsh skepticism, Gruentzig demonstrated that his gadgets could transform the lives of millions. His findings catapulted him to worldwide fame, and he was nominated for the Nobel Prize. After being lured to Emory University, Gruentzig's career escalated to dizzying heights, and then concluded tragically with an Icarus- like ending. Journey Into the Heart is a compelling biography and a multi-faceted tale of medical discovery and business intrigue, all centered on the seat of human life. The twentieth century journey to understand the human heart was a saga on par with the race to the moon.
Customer Reviews:
Journey into the heart.......2007-10-02
This is a well written book that very nicely details the history of interventional cardiovascular techniques. It is a good read.
An interesting study of angioplasty and people.......2007-04-23
I came to this book thinking it was truly a journey into the heart and its functioning. The book was actually a studied history of angioplasty, the use of catheters to clear the cardiac arteries and reduce the risk of heart attacks. Several themes stand out and make the book worthy of serious reading. The story again shows that medicine is now barely 100 years old in any modern sense as there is very little of note in the heart prior to 1900. Also, the book shows how much the review process has changed in the past fifty years, with surgical options which were untested and unproven being used with some regularity. Finally, the book profiles the leading researches and shows that medicine, like any other profession, is full of talented but unusual people.
Pity the Patient!.......2007-03-27
Pity the patient with heart problems/symptoms - a serious situation fraught with complex decisions and painful and risky alternatives. "Journey Into the Heart" tells of the struggle and errors of physician-leaders moving practice trends to angioplasty, and away from other treatments - especially CABGs (coronary artery by-pass grafts). But now a new study reports angioplasty doesn't save lives or prevent heart attacks better than generic drugs in non-emergency patients - where it is used mostly. Experts also concluded that it only fixes one artery at a time (vs. drugs operating on all at the same time), and the clogs treated are not the really dangerous kind.
Angioplasty also lost favor recently when it was reported that popular drug-coated stents can raise the risk of blood clots months later. Now the procedure in its entirety is in question.
Bottom Line: The "courageous" individuals pioneering this procedure featured in "Journey Into the Heart" were overzealous, at best. Unfortunately, "Journey Into the Heart" doesn't provide good advice about when to receive angiography, so here's some. About 600,000 angioplasties per year are now performed for patients with chronic chest pain - replacing just 350,000 with drug therapy would save as much as $10 billion/year. On the other hand, for those with unstable chest pain, stenting provides better outcomes than drugs alone, as well as for patients treated within 12 hours of a heart attack; later stenting for those with heart attacks, however, doesn't help. (Information courtesy of Wall Street Journal, 3/27/07, and Washington Post, 3/26/07).
Journey into the Heart.......2007-03-20
Very well written history of treatment of the problems of the heart, including those that made the problem worse, unto these enlightened days where so much can be done due to the hard work of so many doctors. The author had to do much investigation and then compilation to make such a readable book.
Customer Reviews:
The Doctor.......2007-03-08
I read this book because I loved the movie, "The Doctor". The book has little resemblance to the movie. It is a factual account of the treatment for cancer bya doctor. There is little romance, no conflict with the wife and the patient played by Elizabeth Perkins only has passing mention.
Having said that the book is very interesting and I learned a lot about medicine.
Do not compare it to the movie.
Book Description
Threatened with a rare and life-threatening cancer, a scientist works with his doctors to make decisions in the face of uncertainty
After patients are diagnosed with a dread disease, they learn two daunting facts: (1) that no doctor has all the answers, and (2) that there are no answers, only odds. For the patients (and their families) who want to be involved in the key choices regarding treatment, Stephen Schneider is the ideal guide. A climate scientist, his life's work is decision making in the face of great uncertainty. This important book is both his own gripping story of working with his doctors to get the best care possible, and also a brilliant critique of the flawed system under which most doctors must now practice.
The vital, even life-saving lessons of the book include: advice on obtaining and interpreting odds; how to seek better treatments that may not fit the usual "standard of care;" ways to get treated as a unique individual and not the mythical Average Patient; how to recognize the decisions that you rather than the doctors must make; and, most important, how to build a partnership with a sometimes reluctant doctor.
"Both I and my wife [a cancer survivor] find your book terrific. In many ways, it is without precedent." -Gary Schoolnik, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine
Customer Reviews:
This book is a lifesaver.......2007-10-18
My husband is ill with lymphoma and leukemia, and I read everything I can get my hands on about the illnesses and the medical system. This book is the best I have read for helping you deal effectively with your own experiences and to make the best decisions about doctor, diagnoses, and treatments. The decision-making section is especially helpful, because it points to what information patients and their advocates need, in order to work with the doctors to select treatment protocols that truly fit the needs of the patient.
A useful, special case.......2007-08-16
Clearly, Schneider is not an ordinary patient to begin with, so his is a special case. Nevertheless, there is plenty of good stuff to think about and much good advice given. You can't do it his way, but he can point you in helpful directions.
I enjoyed reading it and learned from it.
One Man's Journey.......2007-05-14
I sent this book to a friend when he was diagnosed with squamous cell. He did not like it. He said it was very specific to that particular patient. To be fair, he only gave it 50 pages.
An Amazing Story.......2007-02-23
Most of us at one time or another will have to navigate the medical system that is more concerned with making money than health care. The author shows you have to be on your toes, learn as much as you can, and be able to challenge the doctor. For your own health, read this book.
If you doctor doesn't like you questioning, better to find one who doesn't mind before the need is urgent. I've found that if you challenge and question your hired talent, they will do a better job. In this context, questioning the doctor may get him to say "no- you can't do that, but why don't we try this instead?"
It always helps to be an intelligent consumer. Even if you aren't treated as well as the author was as a male, a Stanford professor and a PhD, you'll still get better care than if you are passive and let the doctor make all the decisions.
The Patient From Hell.......2007-02-12
Not well written, I flipped past pages of dialog, opinion , politics
(global warminng?) cutsey remarks and lots of attitude to find nuggest of facts. We all cheer his successful treatment, no doubt about that, but thanks to modern science, certain facts in his experience are already out-of-date and no longer in use. My oncologist listens to me and all options are on the table. Why Mr Schneider needs cudos or takes credit for changing procedures at Stanford University Teaching Hospital by simply talking to his oncologist is beyond me. Since I had purchased the book, I wrote a book review in the cover and donated it to the bookcart at the cancer center where I am treated. O.K. reading.
Book Description
By the time most of us meet our doctors, they’ve been in practice for a number of years. Often they seem aloof, uncaring, and hurried. Of course, they’re not all like that, and most didn’t start out that way.
Here are voices of third-year students just as they begin to take on clinical responsibilities. Their words focus on the odd transition students face when they must deal with real people in real time and in real crises and when they must learn to put aside their emotions to make quick, accurate, and sensitive decisions. Their decisions aren’t always right, and the consequences can be life-altering—for all involved. Moving, disturbing, and candid, their true stories show us a side of the profession that few ever see, or could even imagine. They show, often painfully, how medical students grow up, right at the bedside.
Customer Reviews:
The Soul of a Doctor: Harvard medical Students Face Life and Death.......2007-07-27
This is a great book. It tells the story of Harvard medical school graduates and their interactions with patients. Some of the stories are particularly moving and give hope, others remind me of how difficult it must be to become a doctor. Nearly all of the stories are well written. This book would be a great gift for anyone starting medical school, anyone who has an interest in medicine or even someone with a passing interest who watches television shows like Grey's Anatomy.
Ok.......2007-06-24
I have been very interested in becoming a doctor for a very long time, as such, I like to read as many books as possible about individual's experiences as a doctor or while becoming a doctor. I do feel as though some of the experiences shown were very intimate, but overall I just couldn't force myself to maintain interest. I feel as though the students who wrote these accounts received more benefit from writing them thean I did from reading them.
promising book needs some surgery.......2006-07-05
all of the true stories in this book have promise - they are interesting and thought provoking but unfortunately, the writers never follow through with the outcomes. You meet a patient, find out their problem - usually involving some sort of dillema for the dr. - they make their point but the outcome is left out. Did the patient die? They never say. (even a brief update after the essay would make a difference).
A gift.......2006-06-13
Getting to understand someone else's point of view is always wonderful. This book helped me imagine what it is like to be given a gift to heal and then have to learn what that means in real life. This book is not just for medical minded people but for everyone as the lessons these students learn can be applied to all of our lives/works. If nothing else, I am thankful for my health and all the doctors/nurses in my life.
A unique and intimate look into the experiences of physicians-in-training.......2006-06-13
If you ever wondered what it feels like to become a physician, I would highly recommend reading this book. Not designed to be entertaining but is instead an intimate look into the real life experiences of young and idealistic medical students as they move from the classroom to encounter the realities of patient care and the limitations of the health care system. These are very powerful and human stories, sometimes disturbing and heartwrenching and other times more positive. It's hard to imagine anyone reading this book and not be profoundly moved.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty special..........2005-12-17
I'm presently working my way through PA school, and this book has a ring to it I can't seem to keep out of my ears. Each new situation or patient I'm with brings back the words Selzer uses to present his stories. I'd strongly recommend it as a gift to those in MD or PA school--besides being outstanding writing, its fun to see the many ways medicine has changed, coupled with the countless ways it remains the same. Read especially "A Pint of Blood"...no matter how many times I read it, it still has me laughing.
Notes from a veteran doctor's perspective, excellent writing.......2001-12-27
Having read Doctor's stories first, I was prepared for Richard Selzer's excellent writing. This book must be the origin of some of the stories that wound up in Doctor Stories (Imelda, Impostor, Chatterbox)
MOSTLY THE LIFE OF A DOCTOR IN PRACTICE OF SURGERY (70% OF BOOK)
Unlike Doctor Stories which have a wider range of stories, this book except for a couple of sidelines is about the craft of the Doctor, in and out of the Operating room and Hospital. Also, the doctor's perspective on the outside world. However, I wonder how many other doctors have his sense of service. Some of us can't imagine a high-priced surgeon performing the service he does in "Toe nails" one of the stories within.
DETAILS AND THE EMOTIONS AROUND THEM, FILL THIS BOOK:
Richard Selzer writing is poetic in his description of a doctor's musings on the Art of Surgery, the halls of the hospitals and the feel of working inside the human body. In many sense his reflections on his relationships with the tools he uses could the same a mechanic, a draftsman (of the 50s-80s), or the artist feels about the tools they use to perform their craft.
POETIC DETAILS ON EVEN THE MOST ORDINARY SITUATION:
He finds beauty in the minute details of life and has the gift to write about them. I also have his book "Mortal Lessons" that I hope to read soon as well. His books are addicting in the sense that you too also begin, if you don't already, to see the details of your own work and the relationships you have with the world around you. Either I think similarly or his thought process is universal, but he captures the magic of living and the impressions we all have at time. Even if you are not a doctor (and I'm not), you will find a sense of familiarity in his writing.
MEDICINE MAY BE WHAT HAS FINE-TUNED HIS SENSES:
Medicine however, has a draw that few other crafts do. It is the mystery of our own plumbing. It also has the human element of relationships and drama within it as well. The author does well to capture the patient's relationship with the physician. Richard Selzer does well to capture the detached relationship; a physician has with the body but not the soul of the patients, he treats. When he acknowledges the person within the body the relationship broadens and he as a physician has opened himself up to the pain as well. He does this from time to time.
ZEN-LIKE IN THOUGHT:
I found this book very Zen-like in its concentration of detail. If Richard Selzer decides to write a book like "Sweeping Changes" a book on Zen philosophy on cleaning, but except on the art of living, he would be well-qualified. He makes holy what many take to be ordinary. Bravo.
Good but not great. Score: 7.......1999-05-28
Under the old Amazon.com ranking system, I would give this book a seven on a ten point scale. As a fellow surgeon who enjoys Selzer's writings, I thought this was a good, yet not great collection of ruminations. Some of the chapters were quite touching, some were funny, and some were quite plain. A few actually suffered from Selzer's exuberant imagination as he tried to stuff meaning and metaphor into patients' stories that didn't fit. Taking it all together, I'm glad I bought it, but I liked his book Mortal Lessons much better.
For anyone in the human 'helps' professions.......1999-04-14
This book delivers a knockout punch of genuine compassion. Teachers, ministers, politicians; even peace officers can find value in these writings. Doctors are not healers, but servants. Dr. Selzer knew the meaning of humility.
Selzer prepares medical hopefuls for the art of surgery........1999-01-11
Richard Selzer prepares those with an interest in surgery, specifically medical hopefuls, for the science of medicine through personal experiences that are shared with the reader in Letters to a Young Doctor. He shows that surgery, or being a doctor on a whole can have its days of redemption and it's times of tragedy. Selzer uses emotions to create an emotional bond between the reader, the writer, and the patients. Personal testimony of specific examples, tied in with metaphors, comparisons, and imagery, prepare the reader for what he/she must face in the future as a particepent in the field of medicine. The book is organized into 23 different stories and experiences used by Selzer to prepare medical students with what they will encounter as doctors/surgeons. This also includes 5 letters written specifically to the students of surgery in first person viewpoint. These divided sections of the book hold the same ideas, but are presented in different a manner each. One part might discuss the impact being a doctor may have on society. Another might focus on the aspects in specific, such as the respect one must hold for the tools used in surgery. But all these parts create a whole idea, that being a doctor has its success by in accompanied by the horrors. And this prepares medical students for the life of a surgeon. That is the beauty of Selzer's work. In preparing the young medical world for the future of which they wish to experience as doctors, Richard Selzer pushes the dismay and prosperity of surgery and being a doctor, a healer, into the light. He shares through personal experiences the emotions felt day to day. Selzer uses comparisons to support the specific examples and imagery to support the comparisons. He is thorough in his work and leaves an impression on his audience, the medical hopefuls of the world. The impact he has creates an effect that, in turn, touches everyone.
Book Description
Dr. Larimore and his family are back in this hilarious, dramatic, and poignant sequel that follows this real doctor’s second year of practice in a rural mountain town.
Customer Reviews:
Book review.......2007-10-22
Good series of books for pleasure reading. I enjoy books that take place in the NC mountains.
Doctoring the body and the soul.......2006-04-14
Dr. Walt Larimore returns with the second book of his series which chronicles the early days of his practice in the Smoky Mountains. This book is as charming as the first one, as the residents of tiny Bryson City try to get used to the big city ways of one of its newest practitioners. In the first book of the series, Dr. Larimore discovers that some simple country remedies work just as well or better than the latest medical technology. In this book, he learns that the key to curing patients is not only in the physical realm, but in the mental and spiritual areas as well. He goes into greater detail about his daughter's cerebral palsy, and does not hesitate to tell some funny stories in which he is the butt of the joke. This book and the others in the series make for delightful reading.
Terrific Read!.......2006-01-24
I very much enjoyed the first novel in this series, Bryson City Tales, and was delighted when this second book was published. If you are a fan of reading about small-town life, you'll love these books. Dr. Larimore's narrative brings the reader right into the story. The stories range from amusing, heartwarming, suspenseful, sad, to inspiring. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book, Bryson City Secrets, due out in March! If you're looking for a terrific read, I recommend these highly.
Bryson City Seasons.......2005-08-14
Very good! Really good for older readers who can appreciate the memories/stories of a young doctor ,husband, and father practicing in the N. C. Mountians. I recommend this book---as well as the first one---Bryson City Tales
A second peek into the life of a small-town physician.......2004-12-11
In BRYSON CITY SEASONS, Dr. Walt Larimore's follow-up to BRYSON CITY TALES, Larimore invites us into the life of one doctor and his family experiencing life as a small-town physician, grappling with inter-office politics and jealousies, family life, tricky diagnoses, and questions of faith in a rural Smoky Mountain town in North Carolina.
As this sequel opens, Larimore and his big-city wife Barb are anticipating their tenth anniversary together. Their young daughter Kate, who was born with cerebral palsy, and strong-willed colicky little boy Scott, make up this family of "flatlanders" (the term used by the locals for outsiders). The Larimores have found that Bryson City has everything you'd look for in a small town --- from Super Swain Drugs, the old-fashioned drugstore with a breakfast and lunch grill, a loyal following of the high school football team's wins and losses, and small town parades complete with Shriner clowns on mini motorcycles, to the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club. Larimore paints an enjoyable yet realistic portrait of Bryson City, with all of its inviting warmth and disappointing warts.
Unexpected tragedies --- such as a man whose head is crushed by a tree, a first encounter with the death of an AIDS patient, and concern over a baby born with Down Syndrome --- all give Larimore opportunities to reflect on God as the director of "a great production." For Larimore, even his daughter Kate's cerebral palsy is a gift from God, who "knew exactly what he was doing."
"Even though I wasn't sure of all the whys and all the reasons for the many events in my life and my patients' lives that sometimes seemed haphazard or random, I knew there was One who did," Larimore writes. While some Christian readers will not adhere to Larimore's particular theology about evil and suffering, they should find his reminders of the confidence we can have in God's love and care for us compelling and reassuring.
But to imply that this is heavy reading would be a misnomer. The necessary darker side that writing about a medical practice necessitates is leavened throughout with Larimore's lighter reminiscences, including the hilarious recounting of his involvement in the Miss Flame contest. The readers see a different side of the doctor as he dons an overstuffed bra and midnight blue sequined evening gown, complete with blond wig and high heels to compete in the contest (and later sports a shiny red one-piece swimsuit). Other lighter moments include a "secret" recipe for barbecue sauce given to the reader, complete with a short recounted history of the condiment.
Occasionally, the text becomes a bit dialogue-heavy as Larimore relies on conversations to carry the stories. Larimore is also apt to fall into an instructional tone ("Researchers have now found that loneliness and anger are two of the leading causes of death. Even in the 1980s, an increasing number of well-designed studies...") and can't resist the occasional statistic or elaborating on a medical case. Some readers will enjoy these medical asides, while others may find that they slow down the pacing of the stories. Larimore ends his book with some hints at new troubles down the road and the potential of a new practice, which will keep his fans anticipating the next installment.
Those readers who enjoy Philip Gulley's "Front Porch" series or James Herriot's veterinary tales will embrace this Christian doctor's latest homespun reflections on his life and medical practice in a small town.
--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby (phrelanzer@aol.com)
Book Description
While supervising a small group of interns at a major New York medical center, Dr. Robert Marion asked three of them to keep a careful diary over the course of a year. Andy, Mark, and Amy vividly describe their real-life lessons in treating very sick children; confronting child abuse and the awful human impact of the AIDS epidemic; skirting the indifference of the hospital bureaucracy; and overcoming their own fears, insecurities, and constant fatigue. Their stories are harrowing and often funny; their personal triumph is unforgettable.
This updated edition of The Intern Blues includes a new preface from the author discussing the status of medical training in America today and a new afterword updating the reader on the lives of the three young interns who first shared their stories with readers more than a decade ago.
Customer Reviews:
Marion is my favorite !!.......2007-05-25
Another book by Marion that is an easy read and really tells the whole story behind becoming a doctor. There are several interns that tell their story through internship. Great book if you are interested in the meidcal field.
Well Written.......2007-02-08
I served a nine-month rotating internship at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver Colorado. Having done much of my training at Tulane Medical Center, I decided I wanted to be in a Louisiana public hospital for my residency. I returned to New Orleans and completed my internship and residency at Charity.
Although the internships in the book took place at large New York City hospitals, like Charity they both primarily serve medically indigent populations.
The emotional struggles (combined with the organizational conflicts) described in the book hit home. These individual stories highlight the common thread of experience shared by all physician's who refined their skills in public ERs.
Gives a good idea about residency.......2007-01-26
This book is not intended to be entertaining, it's meant to portray the hard year of internship. But somehow, it still manages to be a good read. For someone who wants to get an idea about what it's like to take call every fourth night and get very little sleep, dealing with life and death in a very difficult arena, it is a nice start. The book is composed of transcribed audio recordings from the interns on their experiences.
I'm not going to lie. They whine a lot. If you don't have the patience for that or don't like to be unloaded upon, this may not be the book for you. And it can be depressing, and droning, and hard to read. What keeps you going is the urge to know what becomes of these interns.
They're actually pretty entertaining themselves. The two guys, Mark and Andy, have a great sarcastic sense of humor that keeps the book afloat and that the young woman and new mother, Amy, lacks. Her chapters move the slowest.
While it isn't the most optimistic in the world (One of Mark's excerpts reads, "There was a point there where I swear I was this close to taking all the charts, throwing them out the window, and saying 'Forget it! I'm sorry I ever applied to medical school! I never really wanted to be a doctor anyway!') and advises against the intern-to-be reading, it is ultimately a satisfying and honest account, without any processing or gloss. It is gritty, and it is real, from nights in the Bronx's Jonas Bronck ER to the intern's personal lives. They're young and inexpirienced doctors without yet the trademark sense of entitlement and confidence. We watch as they grow into their white coat.
Tedious at times but still a good and quick read.......2006-12-31
I agree with some reviewers that the book is tedious at times and pleasant and entailing at others. I also agree with the author that the experiences in this book are not unique. The book is written in a journal style summarizing each of the three interns' own 'tape-recorded' account of their stories on a month by month basis. Hence, at times you may think the book is not very well structured or written because the whole book really seems like a word-for-word retyping of what each intern said to their tape recorder.
It's tedious because so many times the reader (me in specific) gets aggrevated with a constant "same old, same old" coming from the interns. Pretty much, every month the interns complain about exactly the same thing: long and dehumanizing hours, lack of sleep, lack of social contact with other peers (Amy keeps on talking about her daughter all the time, which also gets frustrating after a while). What makes the book interesting, though, are some of the stories that the interns manage to describe in between all the complaining: stories about a mother of a patient trying to kill an intern because she thought the intern molested the little infant by doing a straight catheterization (actually that was the author's story). But nonetheless, plenty of very interesting experiences.
Also, what's nice about the book is that you get a perspective from both males and a female, interns with no kids and a kid. Unfortunately no experiences from completely single interns, but Mark comes close.
One thing I didn't like about the stories, but got used to it, was that some aren't explained to the end. They stop as if in the middle of the most interesting moment where you want to know more as to what happened to the patient. That's because once these interns sign the patient out to another unit they lose contact with that patient and only rarely follow up. You realize soon that this book isn't about the medical diagnosis and treatments but about the experiences, fears, anxiety, and emotional dilemmas these interns must go through to survive.
Overall, I liked it quite a bit and still recommend it. But don't read it if you're (for example) a fourth year med student who is easily disturbed and already frightened about the internship. Reading it might only stress you more.
Making of a Doctor.......2006-11-06
This book is simply funny. I bought the book to help me in my mid-career crisis. I am currently and Emergency Department nurse and I was feeling bored in my job. After reading this book I had to laugh and appreciate the views of the interns. Interns in the ER are funny and procedure crazy. The "pain and Agony" each of them experiences is very descriptive. If you are looking into a career in medicine it is definitely a must read. I realized that I can't see myself taking a step back and doing "scut" and re-learning a new frame of mind. The plus side though, when a new intern is the area I make sure I help them out. I recommend this book for anyone.
Books:
- One Man, One Rifle, One Land: Hunting All Species of Big Game in North America
- Rebel with a Cause
- Recollections of My Life
- Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay
- Shaping the Next One Hundred Years: New Methods for Quantitative, Long-Term Policy Analysis
- Singled Out: How Singles are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After
- Smythe Sewn Foiled Super Size Unlined (Paperblanks: Old Leather)
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
- Someday
- Something Beautiful for God
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