23149014345613's review
2.0
Not what I was looking for - too much memoir to be science, too much science to be memoir. Surprisingly, recently read fiction (The Physician by Noah Gordon) proved to be a better medical/historical text, and Hayes flies over too many idea and topics too quickly for it to be academically rigorous or emotionally charged. Harmless, but not worth the time.
leilaniann's review
3.0
A decent blend of personal stories and science, but honestly I think it would have been better as two separate books.
enutzman's review
3.0
This book was different than what I was expecting, but a fairly quick read. I got some of the social history stuff like origins of dracula, ancient Greek doctors, that type of thing. However, there was also a lot of memoir mixed in. Everything from the author's sister's dealings with her first period, to his partner's battles with AIDS. Overall it was an interesting read.
franfernandezarce's review
3.0
*3.5*
now my second bill hayes book read ([b:The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy|1884902|The Anatomist A True Story of Gray's Anatomy|Bill Hayes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320421081s/1884902.jpg|1886066] also read this year) and i can't wait to read his other two books. i do have [b:Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me|30038960|Insomniac City New York, Oliver, and Me|Bill Hayes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485975500s/30038960.jpg|50443176] waiting around my tbr pile of 490 books but i will hunt down his first one, [b:Sleep Demons: An Insomniac's Memoir|1378145|Sleep Demons An Insomniac's Memoir|Bill Hayes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435873814s/1378145.jpg|1368080] since i clearly have no self-control. i also hope he publishes more in the future because, hey, why not more books?
that being said, i was left scratching my head a bit towards the ending of this one. mostly because i didn't realise the ending i was reading was the actual ending of the book. i was more than ready to move unto the next chapter and then, bam! the references section. i'm not sure what i was exactly expecting from the ending but i know it left me wanting more--more resolution, more emotional development, a sense of catharsis perhaps, i don't know.
besides that detail, this book is the perfect mixture of personal history and historical medicine. again, i need to pull up all the usual narrative non-fiction books on medicine ([b:The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World|36086|The Ghost Map The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World|Steven Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430524696s/36086.jpg|1008989], [b:The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine|33931044|The Butchering Art Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine|Lindsey Fitzharris|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487961130s/33931044.jpg|54900132] and [b:Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them|30199426|Get Well Soon History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them|Jennifer Wright|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479730657s/30199426.jpg|50650491]) and add this one to the pile of very specific recommendations.
now my second bill hayes book read ([b:The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy|1884902|The Anatomist A True Story of Gray's Anatomy|Bill Hayes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320421081s/1884902.jpg|1886066] also read this year) and i can't wait to read his other two books. i do have [b:Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me|30038960|Insomniac City New York, Oliver, and Me|Bill Hayes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485975500s/30038960.jpg|50443176] waiting around my tbr pile of 490 books but i will hunt down his first one, [b:Sleep Demons: An Insomniac's Memoir|1378145|Sleep Demons An Insomniac's Memoir|Bill Hayes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435873814s/1378145.jpg|1368080] since i clearly have no self-control. i also hope he publishes more in the future because, hey, why not more books?
that being said, i was left scratching my head a bit towards the ending of this one. mostly because i didn't realise the ending i was reading was the actual ending of the book. i was more than ready to move unto the next chapter and then, bam! the references section. i'm not sure what i was exactly expecting from the ending but i know it left me wanting more--more resolution, more emotional development, a sense of catharsis perhaps, i don't know.
besides that detail, this book is the perfect mixture of personal history and historical medicine. again, i need to pull up all the usual narrative non-fiction books on medicine ([b:The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World|36086|The Ghost Map The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World|Steven Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430524696s/36086.jpg|1008989], [b:The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine|33931044|The Butchering Art Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine|Lindsey Fitzharris|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487961130s/33931044.jpg|54900132] and [b:Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them|30199426|Get Well Soon History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them|Jennifer Wright|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479730657s/30199426.jpg|50650491]) and add this one to the pile of very specific recommendations.
bookfairy's review
4.0
I'm torn, I might bump this to 5 stars.
The story is a little disjointed, with anecdotes thrown in, and small history lessons, all of which I enjoyed, but the flow felt bumpy.
Overall, this is an excellent story of a man and his journey, learning about the history of blood science, and a little bit of the future.
He takes us along for the ride.
The story is a little disjointed, with anecdotes thrown in, and small history lessons, all of which I enjoyed, but the flow felt bumpy.
Overall, this is an excellent story of a man and his journey, learning about the history of blood science, and a little bit of the future.
He takes us along for the ride.
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