Synopses & Reviews
"It turns out there are all kinds of things about working in an ER that most of us haven't learned from TV or having sat in one. In
Something for the Pain, Paul Austin'"the ER doc you'd hope to get if something really bad happened'"tells us, vividly and with uncommon candor, how, if you aren't careful, saving people's lives can make you sick."'"Ted Conover, author of
NewjackIn this eye-opening account of life in the ER, Paul Austin recalls how the daily grind of long, erratic shifts and endless hordes of patients with sad stories sent him down a path of bitterness and cynicism. His own life becomes Exhibit A, as he details the emotional detachment that estranges him from himself and his family. Gritty, powerful, and ultimately redemptive, Austin's memoir is a revealing glimpse into the fragility of compassion and sanity in the industrial setting of today's hospitals.
Review
"Starred Review. This vivid memoir of an ER doctor will make readers by turns cry and cringe. A definite page-turner and a riveting debut." Library Journal
Review
"Austin gives a stunning account of the chaos of the emergency room, the constant drama of urgent situations calling for immediate and decisive action. He pulls us inside the chronic exhaustion ER docs fight against and fully engages us in the difficult juggling doctors do." Boston Sunday Globe
Synopsis
"What makes this inspiring medical memoir stand out is the courageous measure of Austin's humanity."--
Synopsis
In this eye-opening account of life in the ER, Paul Austin recalls how the daily grind of long, erratic shifts and endless hordes of patients with sad stories sent him down a path of bitterness and cynicism. Gritty, powerful, and ultimately redemptive, is a revealing glimpse into the fragility of compassion and sanity in the industrial setting of today's hospitals.
About the Author
Paul Austin was named a 2008 tuition scholar at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and his essays have appeared in Creative Nonfiction, The Southeast Review, and The Gettysburg Review. A former firefighter, he has more than twenty-five years of experience working in emergency rooms. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.