Good books?

[mk04447]

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I'm looking for a couple of good books written by doctors to read over winter break... Any suggestions? I'm thinking nothing too clinical, overly sappy motivational, or boring. Like a Buzz Aldrin or Chuck Yeager of medicine?

 

[jdh71]

I've read Gawande's Complications and Better I thought both were pretty good, thought provoking and fairly light reading. He backs up his positions with science sympathetic to his arguments or points, but it's not a rigorous discussion of all the literature on anything. He leans leftish in the writing sometimes (so if you find yourself irate with that kind of thing, then skip him, but most young people these days are [left leaning])

INB4: House of God

 

[mk04447]

I've read Gawande's Complications and Better I thought both were pretty good, thought provoking and fairly light reading. He backs up his positions with science sympathetic to his arguments or points, but it's not a rigorous discussion of all the literature on anything. He leans leftish in the writing sometimes (so if you find yourself irate with that kind of thing, then skip him, but most young people these days are [left leaning])

INB4: House of God

I'll skip it, lean the other way, and I'll turn 40 next year. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[jdh71]

I'll skip it, lean the other way, and I'll turn 40 next year. Thanks for the heads up.

Roger that. That'll teach me to assume.

 

[touchpause13]

I've read Gawande's Complications and Better I thought both were pretty good, thought provoking and fairly light reading. He backs up his positions with science sympathetic to his arguments or points, but it's not a rigorous discussion of all the literature on anything. He leans leftish in the writing sometimes (so if you find yourself irate with that kind of thing, then skip him, but most young people these days are [left leaning])

INB4: House of God

I might have to look into that one

 

[DrEnderW]

Hot Lights, Cold Steel is awesome. Especially if you have any interest in surgery.

All the Gawande books are good too IMO.

 

[Southplains]

When the air hits your brain by Frank Vertosick is a pretty good book by a neurosurgeon. The title is a little sappy but it was an interesting read about his experience in med school/residency.

 

[okokok]

Here's a link to a thread with a few suggestions, and within it is a link to a thread with dozens of suggestions: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/index.php?threads/1045306/ Specialty-specific book recommendations

Edit: huh, I don't know, that was supposed to be a link

 

[mk04447]

When the air hits your brain by Frank Vertosick is a pretty good book by a neurosurgeon. The title is a little sappy but it was an interesting read about his experience in med school/residency.

This sounds interesting and obscure, I may take a look, thanks.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I liked Final Exam by Pauline Chen.

Read Complications by Atul Gawande and didn't find it as good as everyone portrays it. I just ordered The Checklist Manifesto by the same author. Hopefully this one is better.

 

[Coffee Machine]

I second Hot Lights, Cold Steel. It was the book that originally got me thinking seriously about medicine. It alternates between very funny and very poignant, and the author is a natural-born story teller. If I could only recommend one medical book, it would be this one.

When the Air Hits Your Brain is also very good, but a little bit harder to find. You might need some booze or something afterwards, as there are some really, really sad and depressing patient stories.

Others that I've read and enjoyed: Final Exam by Pauline Chen, Brain Surgeon by Keith Black, Intern by Sandeep Jauhar, How Doctors Think by Groopman, Blue Collar Blue Scrubs (by the same guy who wrote Hot Lights, Cold Steel, but about his experience before and during medical school-- also very good, but less medical-ly).

 

[felix2929]

I really liked both books I read by Abraham Verghese: Cutting for Stone and My Own Country