Book Review - The Demon Under the Microscope: From Battlefield Hospitals to Nazi Labs, One Doctor's Heroic Search for the World's First Miracle Drug by Thomas Hager

I love history and the development of art, music, technology, and science. It always nice to find an author who did his homework.

The Demon Under the Microscope: From Battlefield Hospitals to Nazi Labs, One Doctor's Heroic Search for the World's First Miracle Drug by Thomas Hager is a nonfiction historic look at the development of drugs and antibiotics focusing mostly on the sulfa drugs of the 1930s and 40s. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Information. The author did his homework. This book does an excellent job presenting the development of sulfa drugs, explaining what they were and how they work, and their effect on the world at the time. He also discussed the developments that came before it that paved the way for the sulfa drugs to exist and briefly covered what came after to replace them, completing the story.

Presentation. The story is well paced, very interestingly told, and has the right mix of scientific information and anecdotal diversions to hold the readers' interests and present the topic in a complete manner.

The Bad

Conclusion. It's a shame the author had to make a political statement at the end of the book. It did not fit the message or tone of the other 99.9% that came before it. It's more of a soundbite you'd hear on a talk show as opposed to the well researched scholarship of the rest of the book. It's little more than pandering to some uninformed audience who probably won't even pick up this book because it is too scholarly and well researched for that group's taste.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I was left not wanting.

Overall

The Demon Under the Microscope: From Battlefield Hospitals to Nazi Labs, One Doctor's Heroic Search for the World's First Miracle Drug by Thomas Hager is a nonfiction historic look at the development of drugs and antibiotics focusing mostly on the sulfa drugs of the 1930s and 40s. The author did his homework. This book does an excellent job presenting the development of sulfa drugs, explaining what they were and how they work, and their effect on the world at the time. He also discussed the developments that came before it that paved the way for the sulfa drugs to exist and briefly covered what came after to replace them, completing the story. The story is well paced, very interestingly told, and has the right mix of scientific information and anecdotal diversions to hold the readers' interests and present the topic in a complete manner. It's a shame the author had to make a political statement at the end of the book. It did not fit the message or tone of the other 99.9% that came before it. It's more of a soundbite you'd hear on a talk show as opposed to the well researched scholarship of the rest of the book. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Book Review - One Doctor: Close Calls, Cold Cases, and the Mysteries of Medicine by Brendan Reilly, MD

Medical reform is a very heated political topic currently, and I was a little nervous about reading this book afraid the author would use it to push his political agenda. Happily it is a fairly honest autobiography with the doctor expressing how he truly feels from years of experience.

One Doctor: Close Calls, Cold Cases, and the Mysteries of Medicine by Brendan Reilly, MD is a nonfiction autobiography and history of medicine during the latter 20th Century with commentary about problems with and short comings of the medical system. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and one of those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Writing. The book is well written. It's clear the author is a doctor and not a writer, but it doesn't detract form the enjoyment or the understanding of the stories and messages.

Stories. The author shares a lot of interesting stories from a variety of situations. There is a wide variety, and any similar stories are shared to contrast and compare with others to help the reader understand the challenge of practicing medicine.

Honesty. I appreciate how honest the author is about both successes and failures. He recognizes the good modern medicine can do, but also recognizes the limits and the dark areas of the unknown. He cites examples of patients being helped and hurt by the medical profession. He doesn't try to push any political agenda or manipulate the reader into taking a particular stance.

The Bad

Uncertainty. The author repeatedly discusses how a lot of questions in medicine aren't questions for science or medicine but philosophy and religion, and he never seems to have any answers or insights. I'm not sure if he has no strong personal convictions, no religious beliefs, or he's trying to stay neutral in the moral area, but it makes him come off as weak and ill equipped to answer essential questions.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the doctor had shared more of his moral convictions and how they influenced the decisions he made and the actions he took. It would have made the book less wishy washy and unsure.

Overall

One Doctor: Close Calls, Cold Cases, and the Mysteries of Medicine by Brendan Reilly, MD tells the story of a doctor during the latter 20th Century and early 21st Century at various types of medical institutions and in various roles. He shares the good and bad medical professionals do and discusses problems and limitations with the medical system as he sees them. It is a very honest and introspective look with his opinions of areas in need of improvement and why. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

Book Review - When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales from Neurosurgery by Frank T Vertosick Jr., MD

I really enjoy reading about other people's lives and getting a peek at what they go thru and how they arrived at where they are at. I also enjoy science and learning more.

When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales from Neurosurgery is collection of autobiographical stories with a few personal essays in between written by Frank T Vertosick Jr., MD. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparentused to read.

The Good

Author's Attitude. The author isn't the typical conceited doctor who thinks he's god and can do no wrong. He is, instead, a bit of a psychopath. He even devotes an entire chapter to how it may be necessary to be a successful surgeon. He is also irreverent and sees the medical practice as some giant cult with the old doctors the high priests that demand all entrants be initiated in the same manner they were. His whole attitude really added to the reading experience and gave a whole different perspective that was refreshing and amusing and brings the necessary but otherwise boring exposition to life.

Visceral Nature of the Stories. The author selected only the most extreme experiences to share and tells each one so masterfully to elicit the maximum emotional response. He does include a disclaimer that names and details have been changed to protect patient privacy, so some of the drama may be imagined.

Personal Philosophy. The author stops every so often to deliver his personal philosophy about some aspect of life. I find his views very insightful and well thought out. He definitely has his views, but I never felt he was trying to force them onto the reader or tell the reader his views were wrong. He merely presented what he believed and why with great conviction.

Afterword. This was written in the 90s about experiences mostly in the 70s and 80s, so some of the information is a little dated. Many advances have been made, and the author takes time at the end to address those, show how parts of the practice have progressed and how others haven't changed since the 50s.

The Bad

Ummm...

Warning

Mostly Focuses on Negative. Most of the stories the author tells are quite horrific and upsetting. I really enjoyed them, and they help the reader understand just how dangerous and amazing and unpredictable surgery is. I'm glad he included them; I just want those with weaker constitutions to beware.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

Honestly, I think it's just right.

Overall

When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales from Neurosurgery is a fascinating collections of stories from one neurosurgeon at different points in his career. The stories go from the grotesque and gut wrenching to absolutely stunning and heart warming. Each is well told and elicits the maximum visceral response. The author's irreverent attitude brings even the most mundane parts to life. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.