I need a good motivating book.

[Azjoe]

I am feeling really down about this long process. I need to read something to keep me going. Anyone have any suggestions?

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[kmjannie]

Have you read "The Alchemist"? Great book. Quite inspirational, and you can read into alot of things that happen to the main character.

All is one.


Cheers,
KJ

 

[Brickhouse]

I second the Alchemist - and if you can tolerate books with a slightly religious slant, I recommend "Conversations with God" Honestly, that book really pushed me to reach for my goals.

 

[medstylee]

I recommend The Anatomy of Hope by Dr. Jerome Groopman (you might have read some of his pieces in The New Yorker). It seems like a great book to read before, during, or even after med school. There are some amazing stories and I think it will make you look forward to becoming a physician.

 

[prophecy2]

Originally posted by Brickhouse
I second the Alchemist - and if you can tolerate books with a slightly religious slant, I recommend "Conversations with God" Honestly, that book really pushed me to reach for my goals.

I second you on the Conversation with God series. That was some powerful writing by Mr. Walsch. However, I think that's a very deep book for starters.

I highly recommend picking up "When Things Fall Apart" by Pema Chodron (a buddhist nun) or you may want to pick up "It's a meaningful Life" by Bo Zoloff. I think those are two great books and they worked some magic for me!


proph...


Brickhouse, are you a big fan of Walsh's work?

 

[Brickhouse]

Originally posted by prophecy2
I second you on the Conversation with God series.


Brickhouse, are you a big fan of Walsh's work?

You know, I read book 2 and most of 3 and they just didn't have the same impact on me....they started to sound "off" - if you know what I mean, and I feel like maybe Walsh's human nature started to take over his initial instincts that I think really hit the nail on the head in book one. To this day, I always remember that my purpose here is to realize my highest thought, that I am exactly who I am supposed to be, and I am having my unique experience so that a higher power (God) might experience everything there is to experience, and that is all very motivating for me.

 

[Mr Reddly]

I would recommend this one:

There's Treasure Everywhere--A Calvin and Hobbes Collection

Truly inspirational



...Karma?

 

[linus]

Originally posted by Mr Reddly
I would recommend this one:

There's Treasure Everywhere--A Calvin and Hobbes Collection

Truly inspirational

lol, i saw that one coming...

 

[Fumoffu]

Good titles. Calvin and Hobbes was the best one yet.

 

[CrazyCarl]

Mountains Beyond Mountains - Tracy Kidder

Fantastic writer, amazing story of Paul Farmer, one of the most impressive doctors living today.

 

[pyroporphrin]

DaVinci Code and Angels and Deamons are both great books. Personally, I dislike fiction but my wife got me to read both books. They are both great. Dan Brown manages to imput a lot of factual information that is very cool. Both deal with the catholic church in some form or another. I would highly recommend both books.

 

[trudub]

Try "It Takes a Worrie Man"! It is a great book you won't want to put down.

 

[pdmumm]

Endurance is without question the most motivating story of all time. Two unbelievable survival stories and it is the best recount of Shackelton and his crew (make sure and read the version told by Frank Worsley, Shack's Captain.) If this book doesn't get you going, nothing will.

 

[Maxip]

If you're feeling bad about the med school process... DON'T read the "Intern Blues".

 

[OldLady]

Tuesdays with Morrie
The Five People You Meet in Heaven

 

[IrishOarsman]

House of God ... at least then you'll know where all the slang started and you can be happy you didn't get stuck with a needle from the yellow patient

 

[mrsmotivation]

"The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren

 

[Azjoe]

I purchased The Alchemist last night. I have a few of the others on order, thanks guys.

 

[exmike]

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

the uncompromising idealist overcomes a society that yields to the powerful.

 

[Azjoe]

I finished The Alchemist last night. Wow what an excellent book. Thanks so much for the recommendation. The ending of that book was incredible.

 

[rpost3]

It's about a shipwrecked boy who's trying to survive on a lifeboat with a live bengal tiger. It's fantastic. Won the British equivilent of the Pulitzer Prize 2 years ago I believe. Also, Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods has me busting out laughing every 5 seconds in public when I read it. Embarassing? Yes. Funny? Definitely.

 

[dizzle]

'complications' by atul gawande. he's a surgeon. incredible book. if you haven't read it you should. the whole book is amazing, but the last chapter will blow your mind.

 

[vtucci]

I would recommend the Harry Potter series for a quick happy fix.

As for medical books (or medicine related topics), I found Sheri Fink's War Hospital about medicine and war in Yugoslavia to be really interesting-- helps renew interest. This is what medicine is at its best (and worst).

 

[kmjannie]

Azjoe,

Glad you liked it.

 

[scootad.]

House of God

 

[curlycity]

Laurie Garrett is a great writer - her stuff makes you want to jump into the fray, and also makes what we go through (as patients or as professionals) seem like a cakewalk compared to the nightmare that is health care in other countries.

I also recommend grandmas for cheering up, or hanging out with anyone who 1) loves you unconditionally, and 2) knows nothing about the whole premed thing.

Calvin and Hobbes rules!

 

[mamaMD]

Here are some book I have either read or have heard are good:

*The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
*Echo Heron's books, she is/was an RN, I have read all her books
*Complications by Gawande
*Stiff: The Curious LIves of Human Cadavers
*Walk On Water by Ruhlman
*House of God
*White Coats

MamaMD

 

[mellantro]

'complications' by atul gawande. he's a surgeon. incredible book. if you haven't read it you should. the whole book is amazing, but the last chapter will blow your mind.

you HAVE to read this book azjoe. great perspective, very down to earth. i loved the very last chapter of that book, dizzle. gawande is an awesome writer.

 

[JM.]

It's about a shipwrecked boy who's trying to survive on a lifeboat with a live bengal tiger. It's fantastic. Won the British equivilent of the Pulitzer Prize 2 years ago I believe. Also, Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods has me busting out laughing every 5 seconds in public when I read it. Embarassing? Yes. Funny? Definitely.

I think that I am going to beat you, because that was the book that I was going to recommend. Now I can't recommend it because I have to be "original".

If you want to read a medicine book, Complications is the best one - because as already alluded to in this thread, the intern blues and the house of ogd are both depressing ( the former more so than the latter).

Yesterday I read a smut novel that inspired me in some other aspects of my life but not in my studies.

You could read the Little Prince, which is a neat little tale.

 

[jlee9531]

The Little Prince...best book ever written.

A Single Shard

 

[Mr Reddly]

The Little Prince...best book ever written.

A Single Shard

Hmm... Never read it. Did a quick search and it looks like that thing has been translated into every single language! Whoa.

 

[LP1CW]

I haven't read "Conversations With God." But isn't it written by a guy that believes he talks to God. How credible can that be? Call me a skeptic, but any book where a person literally believes they've talked to God leaves me wondering. I quicker suggest that he try an anti-psychotic medication than continue writing.

Did I tell you guys about my conversations with Elvis? I might write a book. It's going to be titled, "The Dead House Rock."

 

[dizzle]

i think that after you read 'complications' by atul gawande, you should start reading british pulp. i just finished reading 'ralph's party', by lisa jewell. now i'm reading 'asking for trouble' by elizabeth young. i've never read books like this - always the serious stuff - but screw it! i don't care if you're a guy or a girl - everyone who's stressed out needs a good dose of british pulp! it also does wonders for insomnia - best cure i've found.

 

[JohnnyOU]

I am feeling really down about this long process. I need to read something to keep me going. Anyone have any suggestions?

"See You At The Top" by Zig Ziglar is one of the best books I've ever read. It has nothing to do with medicine, but is something everyone could benefit from reading.

Johnny

 

[PeruvianDoctor]

I enjoy the old "Catcher in the Rye" by Salinger. Always wanted to be the catcher...

 

[getcloned]

For a medically related book, try The Med School Survival Guide, by Jennifer Danek. It's not so much a story, but "101 ways to make the challenges of med school seem like small stuff." Really learned alot.

For fiction, I see the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons have been mentioned, but the other two Dan Brown books, Digital Fortress and Deception Point, are rocket-fast reads. Like reading an awesome movie.

 

[Mossjoh]

I second "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"

and also

"Kill as Few Patients as Possible"

Mossjoh

 

[nrddct]

whose the author for the alchemist?

 

[JohnnyOU]

I second "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"

and also

"Kill as Few Patients as Possible"

Mossjoh

I read that also (The Five People..) it was pretty good...I enjoyed it. Not quite as good as his previous work "Tuesdays with Morrie" though... but that is a really good book.

Johnny

 

[kmjannie]

Paulo Coelho wrote The Alchemist.

Cheers.

 

[avicoo]

"Aging with Grace" is an excellent motivating book (and great guide/description to epidemiological studies).