1 comments about Bare Bones: A Surgeon's Tale.

1. Very interesting and sincere book of life experience and wisdom, indispensable for any orthopaedic practinioner; it's going to be an extremely exciting reading for anyone, concerned with orthopaedic surgery and modern medicine in general. The very epigraphs to the chapters are worth jotting down and being remembered through one's life. I'd especially recommend it to my fellows orthopaedic surgeons, who, in author's unvarnished narrative, would find their own practice events mirrored to some extent, and also feel themselves for a moment communicating with many legendary figures of American orthopaedics. It made me more humble and at the same time opened new horizons for my mind. A must-have book.

5 comments about Voice for the Mad: The Life of Dorothea Dix.

1. I casually picked up this book, read the introduction, and was hooked. The idea that Dorothea Dix could fashion a political career -- sitting with legislators to draft laws, guiding bills through the House and Senate with personal patronage -- generations before women could vote, well, this amazed me. But more amazing is the whole first section of the book, in which Gollaher details Dix's terrible and depressing early life in New England. The strength in this book is how he connects the dots of her painful early life with her painfully successful career in Washington and dozens of state capitals around the country. I can't think of anyone who paid a greater psychic price for success. Her story is largely a tragedy, exquisitely told here.



2. This is a great biography, if somewhat exhastive in its detailing of Dorothea Dix's incredibly energetic and productive life. What captivated me was Gollaher's ability to evoke Dix's essential sadness, something that went back to her early childhood and that made her self-aware yet remote from other people. Ironically it was her self-possession, her sense of being different from everyone else, that enabled her to related to the mentally ill and create a unique career.



3. I bought this book after reading the following award citation it received from the Organization of American Historians: "VOICE FOR THE MAD provides more than a fine analysis of how and why a key northern antebellum reformer came to her reform, more than a well-written, sophisticated account of how a well-traveled reformer sought progress in Europe and the Americas, more than an illuminating account of how and why Americans created asylums for the insane. Gollaher's study also throws important light on how a woman outside the home could be an important lobbyist inside antebellum male legislatures; on how and why antebellum religion generated a white-hot reformist passion; on how and why reformist passion often stopped short, as in Dix's case, of anti-slavery; and perhaps most astonishingly, on how and why the Yankee woman as a reforming fanatic could succeed in Southern legislatures...[A] gem of a biography." Amazingly, the book is even better than this, because it reveals how a person was able to use her own demons -- her anger, her feelings of abandonment, her incredible nervous energy -- as sources of strength in the public arena of politics.



4. Gollaher paints a very dull picture of Dorothea Dix. There is not one colorful insight into this fascinating, world-changing woman. If there was even a hint of love or respect, or even curiosity about his subject, the author never reaveals it. There is an inexcusable failure on the author's part to make this famous lady 'touchable'. He discredits her faith with one stroke of his pen and rambles about the more cerebral parts of her life and work. Yes, she was interested in other things besides helping people but I don't care to know about how many bugs she collected and how many famous persons she socialized with. I want to know about Dorothea Dix! This was one of the most discursive, spiritless biographies I have read in many years. Read another biographer's account of this amazing woman, perhaps one that is written by a woman.



5. I have read many biographies of Dorothea Dix, and this one is the best of the best! She was a fascinating woman of her age. Devotedly religious, she found a life similiar in many respects to Mother Teresa of our age - although Miss Dix was much more effective using legislation as a tool in her relief work. Her work with the mentally ill has been studied by many professionals in the field. David Gollaher brings all the available historical documents together in an easy-to-read format for the general public. I hope this book will be rereleased for a new generation of students, social workers, nurses and doctors. Highly recommended for any public or private library.

No comments about Rocke Robertson: Surgeon and Shepherd of Change.

2 comments about Healing Lessons.

1. I recommend this book to those living with cancer and those who love them. This book reveals that those of us who care about someone with cancer, even a world-reknowned physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, are feeling many of the same emotions and drains. Sloan-Kettering is a wonderful hospital and Sid Winawer is amongst its many, many stars.



2. I read this book days after discovering my father has stomach cancer. I am so greatful for this book. There are not many books that deal exclusively with gastric cancer and that is what made this book so important to me. For me it was good to go through the entire process of before diagnosis to death throught the voice and eyes of a top Gastroenterologist. I thought the book was a bit over the top with the descriptions of their wealth and fortunes. I also skipped over the religious/god bit. But overall I was truly touched with the descriptions of her death. With reagrd to the alternative treatments I suppose it discouraged me from waisting money on it. It helped me focus of what does work and the thought that hope is a powerful motivator. It gave me and idea of what to expect for my father and for that I am grateful.

4 comments about The Woman Who Knew Too Much: Alice Stewart and the Secrets of Radiation.

1. As Research Director of the Hanford Veterans Cancer Mortality Study I have worked closely with Dr. Alice Stewart. I have learned from her, laughed with her and admired her as the most extraordinary human being I have ever known. But, I never knew her well enough. You must read this book! It will give you a new understanding of the meaning of courage and integrity. More importantly - have your children, especially your daughters, read this book. Thank goodness Gayle Greene has written this eminently readable biography of Alice. It allows us to understand where her drive comes from and how Dr. Stewart can suffer the slings and arrows of the federal scientific pygmies who attack her work. The heart of the story, and a key to Dr. Stewart's personality, can be found in the juxtaposition of the the ending words of Chapter 13 where Professor Greene says "Alice is called in by...radiation victims, her investigations turn up cancer in excess ... the studies are handed over to official bodies...the official studies invoke the A-bomb data to discredit her finds....Time passes." `It's a long, slow business,' she (Dr. Stewart) says." Compare this with one of Dr. Stewart's favorite quotations, "truth is the daughter of time." She has waited, we will wait; but Dr. Helen Caldicott is right "her work may (I say `will') receive the recognition and thanks of the future." When one finishes reading this marvelous book one cannot help but think of George Sand saying "humanity is outraged in me and with me. We must not dissimulate nor try to forget this indignation; which is one of the most passionate forms of love." Thank the Good Lord for this stunning creature called Alice Stewart. And thank Gayle Greene for helping us to know her just a bit better.



2. The book spans the lifetimes of Dr. Stewart and her parents. It offers a fascinating description of medicine in Britain in the late 19th century, the entry of women into the medical field, and the institutional resistance in the second half of the 20th century to the fact that low levels of radiation are dangerous. Given the recent announcements by the US Government concerning health risks in the nuclear arms industry, this is a timely and fascinating book. Well written and researched.



3. Courage and Integrity in Science: A Precious Rarety

   The Woman Who Knew Too Much: Alice Stewart and the Secrets of Radiation by Gayle Greene. Dr. Stewart is a British physician and epidemiologist (born in 1906 into a large family of physicians) who revolutionized the concept of radiation risk. In the 1950s, while surveying childhood mortalities in the British Isles, she finds that then quite common X-ray examinations during pregnancy doubled the risk for childhood cancer. Fueled by the wrath of radiologists, her work has been viciously derided among the medical establishment for more than two decades. In the 1970s, she finds that some workers at nuclear weapons production sites, such as Hanford, WA or Oakridge, TN are dying of radiation induced cancers, showing that presumed "safe" levels of occupational exposures put these workers at a twenty times higher risk than officially admitted. With that finding she places herself on the "enemy list" of an immensely powerful nuclear weapons establishment, including its scientific elite, and at the center of an international controversy over radiation risks. Stewart's fascinating story, a collaborative memoir told by herself and Greene with verve and humor, is one of a woman scientist's ingenuity, independence, perseverance, compassion, and integrity, a fascinating tale in the checkered history of a mostly male-dominated science. Rudi H. Nussbaum, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Physics and Environmental Science.




4. "Truth is the daughter of time", a saying used by Alice Stewart, cannot come soon enough in this era.
   Gayle Greene should be held in the highest esteem for the eloquent presentation of Alice Stewart's quest for truth. Her writing is crisp and unencumbered, and it hold the reader's interest into the life of this feisty, humorous, brilliant woman. Dr. Stewart, just by being of the female gender, found it hard to be taken seriously, and it was not until late in her life that she was honored for a life of accomplishment and dedication. A simple woman born to parents who were both doctors; doctors who put their patients ahead of money and power.
   It was a tenet to be carried on by their daughter, Alice Stewart, who never gave up trying to educate the public about radiation proliferation. Thanks to her, thousands of babies were saved from the horrors of exposure to radiation when the medical profession listened to what she had to say about xraying during the first trimester.
   Later Alice was funded to examine the effects of radiation on works who handled nuclear materials and weaponry. When her message was not what the AEC and others wanted to hear or receive, they tried to confiscate her work and cut her funding. Indeed, the funding was cut off, but she managed to secure her work and continue its research. Gayle Greene's writing abilities are able to give you the sense of Dr. Stewart's anguish and frustration.
   The Woman Who Knew Too Much is a classic example of the control of information which the public direly needs, but which is buried and censored. This book, though written several years ago, is as pertinent as if it were published yesterday, and it should be read by all who are interested in the welfare of humanity. The inclusion in a science or social studies curriculum of the developing minds of students would be a well-deserved legacy for this wonderful woman who died in 2002 at the age of 96.

1 comments about The Caring Physician: The Life of Dr. Francis W. Peabody (Boston Medical Library in the Countway Library of Medicine).

1. The Caring Physician, the story of Dr. Francis W. Peabody, was an inspiration to me. Dr. Peabody's professional life, e.g. how he grew into his role as an M.D., how seriously he regarded his responsibilites, and how he cared for his patients are essential messages for us in health-care today.

5 comments about Long Goodbye: The Deaths of Nancy Cruzan.

1. During my training as a chaplain at Baylor University Medical Center, it was considered part of the "dues" of training that one would take lots of being on-call at the hospital for handling of emergencies. To that end, there was a "call room" where a chaplain could catch a little sleep, while waiting. On one of those sleepless nights in the call room, I viewed a Frontline special on the story of Nancy Beth Cruzan. She was a young woman, fully alive, who, as a result of a terrible accident, would become a test case for end-of-life matters for years to come. After seeing that special, I was deeply touched by the need to convey what our wishes were for the ends of our lives.

   The Nancy Beth Cruzan case took the better part of ten years before resolution. The lawyer who fought for her right to be disconnected from the feeding tube was William Colby, the author of this outstanding book. Those of us on the front lines of trying to help families prepare for the issues they will face at the end of life will find insight into the ramifications of that case, as well as grist for the mill of the work that we are doing.

   Colby is a highly readable author (at times, I felt like I was reading a Grisham novel), the Cruzan's case is deeply compelling, the story is truly tragic, and readers will come away with an appreciation of the law and concepts that are involved in pursuing these matters. There are several important story lines running throughout this volume: There are the lawyers, one who pulls an unexpected punch; the politicians, aiming for re-election; the Cruzans, especially Nancy's father, Joe, a salt-of-the-earth laborer, broken to the core over the loss of his little girl; a common sense probate judge, just trying to do the right thing; and the right-to-life movement (with whom we generally have sympathy, but not in this case). Indeed, under the skillful telling of Mr. Colby, law itself becomes a character, fickle at times, inflexible at others, and, at the last, compassionate.

   ElderHope heartily recommends this excellent book.




2. Despite this book being written by the lawyer who represented the parents of Nancy Cruzan who wanted feeding apparatus to be withdrawn and thus to have Nancy die, this book presents the issues and the struggle fairly and even-handedly. This is shown in a way since after reading it I conclude the U.S Supreme Court's decision was right--in the circumstances shown the family could without monetary loss have permitted their child to not be starved to death. The account of the trial and of the appellate history of the case is absorbing and shows the author is an able lawyer, admirable in representing his clients. I have no hesitancy in saying if it had been my child I would not have gone to the efforts which Nancy's father went to in order to have his child die. But psychologically Nancy's parents wanted the living death to end and their lawyer was right to seek the relief his clients desired. An extraordinary book.



3. Long Goodbye: The Deaths Of Nancy Cruzan by William H. Colby is the in-depth and true story of a judicial trial concerning Nancy Cruzan, a woman who was thrown from her vehicle and suffered horrific injuries. Since that tragic accident, Nancy has remained in a coma for five years, until her family abandoned hope for her revival and requested the removal of Nancy's feeding tube so her life could end peacefully. But the state intervened and denied the family's wishes. Thus began a extended legal battle began over who had the authority and the right to authorize the end of medical intervention with respect to a patient like Nancy. Long Goodbye is a profoundly emotional story of striving to do what one hopes is the right thing, in accordance with the wishes of those who cannot speak for themselves -- and the role of government to intrude into family and medical issues. This is a profoundly important issue that plays out in our hospitals and nursing homes every day. At the crux of the matter is the right to life, the right to die, and who has the final authority over a loved one caught up in a plight similar to Nancy Cruzan and her family.



4. I really am enjoying this book. Although I am reading it as an assignment, I believe I would have read it regardless.



5. no matter the side you take in the persistent vegetative state, this book exposes you to the intricate details of life and death matters. William Colby is not only an outstanding lawyer but a great author. the book is detailed with facts and carries you into a world that we dont normally think about or decide to ignore: the world of legal matters concerning death and what happens if this is a personal matter. you'll learn a lot from this book aside from it being an interesting and engaging read!!!!!!!!!

5 comments about Margaret Sanger: Her Life in Her Words.

1. This selection of Sanger documents is odd and not made with the best of care. While Reed claims that this is Sanger's "Life in Her Words" there is probably more of Reed than Sanger in the book, if you counted words. Each document is introduced by a lengthy and not all that well written essay, and equal weight (and space) seem to be given to Sanger's views on race and eugenics and her recipes for chicken curry. There is some very sloppy research here as well, with no attribution. Reed's biographical sketches are incomplete and in one case, "Oliver" Johnson instead of "Olive" Johnson, downright embarrassing. The fact that Reed disputes Sanger on the name and gender of her British associate would be laughable if it didn't raise so many questions about her other identifications. Reed claims a Ph.D. on the cover, but I don't think it could be in history.



2. This poorly written book offers more of the words of the author, Miriam Reed, than Sanger's. There is no doubt that Margaret Sanger was and is one of the most unforgettable and fascinating figures in American history, but this book (I don't know how to define it) does not do her justice. Snippets of Sanger's words arescattered throughout undermining the author's intent, the documents are badly introduced and oddly over-interpreted. If the author wanted to write a biography she should have. If readers want to read Sanger's own words, check out her Autobiography. This one just doesn't do it. I, for one, am extremely disappointed.



3. A beautifully written, passionate, intimate look at a seminal figure in America's history. While Sanger has been justly honored as an early 20th century feminist icon, her fight to publicize the importance of family planning and legalized birth control have shaped rights and institutions we take for granted today. Miriam Reed has crafted an excellent new resource for anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating woman. Good job!



4. First, I'm a Margaret Sanger fan. Her work did as much to ultimately liberate women as did the right to vote and the attempted passage of the ERA. I love this book because Dr. Reed has read every single piece of primary research available on Sanger, and then overlaid it with her own (Reed's) summations and conclusions. It is deeply researched, has the blessings of the Sanger family, and provides a non-biased look at a woman, though changing the world, who still had personal flaws and failings. It's arranged chronologically and also contains short biographies of each soul mentioned in the book, an in-depth section of footnotes, a thorough bibliography, and a complete index. This was not Dr. Reed's disseratation -- but it certainly could have been.



5. An interesting book on early 20th century America that many of the recent immigrants like me are not aware of. It is fascinating and I highly recommend it.

4 comments about An Unspoken Art: Profiles of Veterinary Life.

1. This is a very interesting look at everyday veterinary life for people interested in medicine and animals. Gutkind has interesting thoughts on the comparison of human doctors to animal doctors. The book lacked the "wow" impact on the reader and that is why it is not rated "10." Since the book is written about east coast veterinarians and facilities, it would probably appeal more to easterners than us folks in the west. Overall, it is very good reading for anyone curious about veterinarians and young people wanting to go into this field.



2. While the author has it right when referring to veterinary medicine as an "unspoken art," the book lacks in serious impact....the first few chapters are devoted to veterinarians whose clients are wealthy New Yorkers. A turnoff for me, and worlds away from many of the "frontline" vets that I know. I appreciate his respect and admiration of the profession, but think the book could have contained more substance and stories.



3. This book is not very well written. It's unfortunate that the author finds himself in such exciting situations (a tuskectomy!) and then is unable to clearly communicate with the reader. The scope of the book is limited (a few veterinary situations, all within a convenient commute for the author) and to me (a pre-vet student) the writing is boring, stiff, and uninspiring. For those who may never get to see real-life veterinary trauma I wish there had been more than a dry book report about the procedures. Stick to James Herriot - you'll be much happier.



4. Gutkind presents to us an extremely realistic view of veterinary practices in the present day, documentary style. While his stories do not possess the same inspiring charm and warmth of the beloved author James Herriot, he gives us an interesting presentation of veterinary medicine. I have to admit that while James Herriot has inspired the pursuit of veterinary medicine, Gutkind forces one to re-think whether that is the career choice that you're looking for. He provides us with a this-is-how-it-is attitude that does not lace the profession with perfect-world ideals but instead allows us insight into veterinarians who have conflicted opinions (even regrets) on their career choices.

   My greatest respect still remains with James Herriot, who intensely portrayed the image of a man who truly and absolutely loved his profession, no strings attached- one of the rare, ideal veterinary practitioners the world has yet known. However, I also respect Gutkind for his portrayal of veterinary medicine as well. His book is a realistic in-your-face reminder that you must, must properly consider all your options before committing to a career choice, because what you pursue may not be what you expected it to be.

5 comments about She Went to War: The Rhonda Cornum Story.

1. I pinched COL Cornum's book from my boyfriend, curious to find out more about his boss. She jogs by my workplace almost daily, she seems frail and full of girlish energy. Recently,I met her at a LRMC function and she IS full of girlish energy. As she's a former POW, I was unsure what to expect. Since then, I've been even more curious about the woman my old mentor COL Ron Blanck described as "a woman to watch". That was back in '91 - we'd been following her release on AFN-TV from FARMC HQs during Morning Report. I was hungover but jolted out of my stupor by the respect in his voice. He later made it 4-star and respect was never something he's doled out like party favors.
   I've just finished her book (coincidently on the anniversary of her release thirteen years ago). It was staunchly pro-military and pro-American without resorting to gush-mode. It made me laugh unexpectedly, it made me run to my PC and download Lee Greenwood, it made me understand my former mentor. I took it to bed, I took it to breakfast and finally, I took it in the tub with me where I cried so hard at the reunion passage that I dropped it in the water. It was the autographed copy which she'd recently presented to my boyfriend on his birthday. I hope her sense of humour has rubbed off on him. If not, I'm in big trouble. Buy this book. Buy your own copy and buy some for your family. Then buy some for your neighbors. I need the karma points.



2. I'd heard that there was a female soldier captured during the first Gulf War, but I didn't know anything about her until I read this book. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Rhonda Cornum's strong personality comes through the pages of this book. Just her description of how she coped with her untreated injuries is impressive, and I second the person who admired how she kept her spirits up by singing in her prison cell. I hope if I ever found myself in as adverse a situation as she did, that I would be able to remain as courageous and confident throughout. Her description of the struggles she faced as a woman in the military is blunt without sinking into self-pity. An interesting and impressive slice of the first Gulf War, and a courageous role model and heroine.



3. I express my deep respect, admiration and gratitude for Colonel Rhonda Cornum's service to our country and the medical profession. She is a soldier's soldier. Her book is as entertaining and as inspirational as her career. Read it and it will change your life forever.



4. I thought I'd let readers know that now Col. Rhonda Cornum was nominated for promotion to Brigadier General today.



5. I got this book after the First Gulf War. Rhonda Cornum's courage as a POW is inspirational, especially under the circumstances in shich she found herself. It is well-known how the Ba'athists rotinely employed torture (real torture, not redefined torture) in order to get airmen to make statements critical of the Coalition war effort. In fact, the enemy we were fighting against at the time were barbarians who had no scruples when it came to the men and women who fell into their hands.
   
   An awesome book about an awesome Soldier.