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cmbohn's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Death, and Pregnancy
xiaoban's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
One of the better med books out there. I felt like the title and introduction were a bit misleading and oversimplified issues within the healthcare system.
I loved that he touched on the significance of 3rd party witnesses during exams as I feel like that’s an issue that should be discussed more. The book is by NO MEANS comprehensive, but it’s a solid opinion piece on ways to improve access to care and patient outcomes/satisfaction. Lots of food for thought!
Thank you Meeks for lending me this book once upon a time ago <3
I loved that he touched on the significance of 3rd party witnesses during exams as I feel like that’s an issue that should be discussed more. The book is by NO MEANS comprehensive, but it’s a solid opinion piece on ways to improve access to care and patient outcomes/satisfaction. Lots of food for thought!
Thank you Meeks for lending me this book once upon a time ago <3
qwu's review against another edition
3.0
My mother has always wanted me to become a doctor.
But I was terrible at chemistry in high school. I was, granted, better at biology. Still, I did not stand a chance for medical school. I went to business school instead.
I have never stopped questioning the point of my career, though. As I grow older, I realize how much I regret not having been able to go to medical school. I want to become a doctor. The way Gawande describes his work in his books makes it look like an impossible job. And I like "impossible's".
My good friend from high school, however, did end up going to medical school. She has wanted to drop out on multiple occasions because she did not think it was right for her. She talked of all those wasted years, her lack of talent, and her frustration.
We both at some point, questioned the choices we made for our lives when we were young and had barely seen the world.
It is hard to live a life, doing things you have no passion in. I made my peace. She is working on it.
But I was terrible at chemistry in high school. I was, granted, better at biology. Still, I did not stand a chance for medical school. I went to business school instead.
I have never stopped questioning the point of my career, though. As I grow older, I realize how much I regret not having been able to go to medical school. I want to become a doctor. The way Gawande describes his work in his books makes it look like an impossible job. And I like "impossible's".
My good friend from high school, however, did end up going to medical school. She has wanted to drop out on multiple occasions because she did not think it was right for her. She talked of all those wasted years, her lack of talent, and her frustration.
We both at some point, questioned the choices we made for our lives when we were young and had barely seen the world.
It is hard to live a life, doing things you have no passion in. I made my peace. She is working on it.
yusrara's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
2.25
askedrelic's review against another edition
5.0
What’s The Point?
Gawande's second book, Better, delves again into explaining medical issues. Covering improvements in cleaning hands and saving lives on the battlefield, the moral issues around capital punishment, malpractice lawsuits, and improving birth rates in hospitals and overall performance, many topics are presented and fully explained.
How Was It?
An interesting and quick read. The book is mostly exposition, with many references, and personal anecdotes from Gawande. Most of the insights were new to me and as a programmer, I was able to correlate most of the wisdom to my profession. I am still impressed at the self reflectiveness of the book, discussing the medical profession's successes and failures. I feel many writings on the medical community are not nearly as accessible as this book.
Who Should Read It?
Anyone looking to learn about the medical community and understand their observations on performance. Or anyone interested in evaluating their own professions performance standards.
Gawande's second book, Better, delves again into explaining medical issues. Covering improvements in cleaning hands and saving lives on the battlefield, the moral issues around capital punishment, malpractice lawsuits, and improving birth rates in hospitals and overall performance, many topics are presented and fully explained.
How Was It?
An interesting and quick read. The book is mostly exposition, with many references, and personal anecdotes from Gawande. Most of the insights were new to me and as a programmer, I was able to correlate most of the wisdom to my profession. I am still impressed at the self reflectiveness of the book, discussing the medical profession's successes and failures. I feel many writings on the medical community are not nearly as accessible as this book.
Who Should Read It?
Anyone looking to learn about the medical community and understand their observations on performance. Or anyone interested in evaluating their own professions performance standards.
mrscaew's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting book- I zoned out a bit in the middle during the section about death sentencing. Really crazy to think about how much of the issues in medical system are not actually due to lack of research and innovation, but poor management and operations (many such cases, I suppose). Fascinating anecdotes throughout.
naharobed's review against another edition
3.0
Being Mortal by surgeon/professor/writer/lab director (aka genius) Atul Gawande was one of my favorite books I read last year. I didn’t love this one as much, but that being said it was still super thought-provoking and eye-opening and a book I would still highly recommend.
The book is broken down into three parts: diligence, doing right, and ingenuity. Gawande offers much discussion and reflection about what being a doctor means, the standards to which they are held, what can reasonably be expected of them, and how doctors can and should strive to be better. He sprinkles in a lot of personal examples of his own patients or anecdotes of his own experience as a doctor. He touches on so many interesting topics/dilemmas. Some of my favorites include doctors and malpractice lawsuits, the morality of doctors assisting in prisoner executions, and doctors in poor countries making do with the resources available to them.
Gawande’s writing is exquisite (which frankly isn’t fair, choose one thing to be good at) and will definitely leave you with much food for thought.
The book is broken down into three parts: diligence, doing right, and ingenuity. Gawande offers much discussion and reflection about what being a doctor means, the standards to which they are held, what can reasonably be expected of them, and how doctors can and should strive to be better. He sprinkles in a lot of personal examples of his own patients or anecdotes of his own experience as a doctor. He touches on so many interesting topics/dilemmas. Some of my favorites include doctors and malpractice lawsuits, the morality of doctors assisting in prisoner executions, and doctors in poor countries making do with the resources available to them.
Gawande’s writing is exquisite (which frankly isn’t fair, choose one thing to be good at) and will definitely leave you with much food for thought.