Synopses & Reviews
“Like all doctors, I collect stories…”
From one of Americas most renowned and beloved doctors, and best-selling winner of the National Book Award, comes a remarkable book that brings together the stories of doctors collected over 30 years. Each of these tales, filled with grace and wisdom, explores the mysteries and conundrums of modern medicine. Enhanced by Sherwin Nulands keen insight into the special relationship between doctor and patient, these engrossing stories illustrate the judgment, wisdom, and character of veteran doctors who have mastered the art of care-giving. Taken together, the lessons learned from The Soul of Medicine are as moving and profound as they are timeless.
“A beautiful book.” Oliver Sacks
“Nuland is a gifted storyteller, bringing his doctors…brilliantly to life.” John Irving
Review
“Sherwin Nuland is a hero of mine. A stark and dramatic medical storyteller, possessed of a fierce moral sense, he is among the writers I most aspire to emulate.”
Atul Gawande, M.D., author of Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
“What is extraordinary about Nulands compilation is not the medical heroics but the instances of fallibility and vulnerability that prove the doctor is not just human but caring.” Publishers Weekly
“Heres medicine as its actually practicedby humans awed by the privilege of both their practice and patients.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Sherwin Nuland is a hero of mine. A stark and dramatic medical storyteller, possessed of a fierce moral sense, he is among the writers I most aspire to emulate.”
Atul Gawande, M.D., author of Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
Review
“The idea for Nuland’s newest book ‘The Soul of Medicine,’ is a terrific one.”
—Washington Post “The Soul of Medicine works well on multiple levels: as a collection of fascinating exotica; as a primer on the anatomy and physiology of both the normal and the diseased body; as an application of the history of medicine to modern-day practice; as an exploration of the best, and sometimes the worst, deeds of physicians and surgeons in the last half-century; and as a chronicle of the healing arts.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Sherwin Nuland is a national treasure.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“In recent years, many physician-writers have published memoirs or stories about their patients. Nuland's contribution represents the best of this genre. What distinguishes this book from the rest is the compelling nature of the tales, the beautiful craftsmanship of the writing and the author's uncanny ability not merely to tell a story but to bring out the underlying messages and implications."" —St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Sherwin Nuland is a hero of mine. A stark and dramatic medical storyteller, possessed of a fierce moral sense, he is among the writers I most aspire to emulate.” —Atul Gawande, M.D., author of Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
“The Soul of Medicine has given me (as it will countless others) enormous pleasure… All the pieces are gems, and so deeply felt, and their selection and conviction bring a remarkable unity to the book… A beautiful book.” —Oliver Sacks, bestselling author of Musicophilia
“What is extraordinary about Nuland’s compilation is not the medical heroics but the instances of fallibility and vulnerability that prove the doctor is not just human but caring.” —Publishers Weekly
“Here’s medicine as it’s actually practiced—by humans awed by the privilege of both their practice and patients.” —Publishers Weekly
“…offer[s] insights into how physicians think, how medicine has changed, and medical and ethical dilemmas.” —Library Journal
“…the tales indeed resemble Chaucer’s—some humorous, others poignant, and where they are cryptic, accompanied by a note from the more-than-skillful narrator.” —Booklist
Synopsis
Like all doctors, Sherwin Nuland collects stories, and over thirty years in the practice of surgery, he has collected a consider number of both his own stories as well as the stories of surgeons he has worked with and admires. The remarkable stories told in this book are filled with the lessons of humanity. They describe that sacrosanct connection between two people we call the doctor-patient relationship, and that othe relationship between the mentor and student, so important to the perpetuation of medical knowledge, judgement, wisdom and character. Doctors have peculiar ways of approaching certain kinds of problems, and many of those ways are captured with with grace and elequence in The Soul of Medicine.
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About the Author
Sherwin B. Nuland is Clinical Professor of Surgery at Yale University School of Medicine and a Fellow at Yale's Institute for Social and Policy Studies. He is the author of over ten books, including the National Book Award-winning, HOW WE DIE: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter, an inquiry into the causes and modes of death that spent 34 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. In addition he is a contributor to leading publications including the New Yorker, the New Republic, and the New York Review of Books.