Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!! What a great read. I literally flew through this book b/c I physically could not put it down. Being in the medical field, I could truly relate to everything he said. However, this was not the reason I liked the book so much. I liked the book because it was a fresh, honest and very humble approach to the 'operation' of medicine today. So much was true!! and totally not the way medicine is viewed by the typical patient.

Atul Gwande is a mastermind when it comes to being able to articulate the complexity of the world in which I work, the intricacies of the culture and the failures of the field. I recommend this book to just about everyone; you certainly don't have to be 'medical' to appreciate his message. In fact, if you're NOT medical, I recommend you read it even more to gain a fresh perspective of 'your' doctor, empathy for the humaness behind the face and respect for the limitations of treatment.

This book is Gwande's first book, a New York Times best seller and a finalist for the 2002 National Book Award. His other book is Better, which is in my pile too.

http://www.gwande.com/
He also writes for The New Yorker, where he recently wrote a fascinating article re: our current healthcare debate. Find it here.