laurenpalmerx's review
4.0
This is a really interesting memoir, filled with the perfect amount of science and personal anecdote. I am a huge medical memoir fan and found this one as interesting and thought-provoking as many others.
I loved consuming this in audio format as it is read by Dr Morgan himself and gives the book a personal touch, like he is giving a speech at a convention. Because it is quite technical, I’m not sure I would have consumed the information as well in physical form.
His views on smoking were quite strong which may conflict readers, as a non-smoker I didn’t feel offended by the section but I can imagine smokers may object! Obviously, as a scientist he is speaking from experience and is using his voice to urge others to make better choices. I appreciated the section on CPR.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and loved learning about the ICU which is quite under-represented in NHS discussions in the media. It gives amazing insight into the ICU, the NHS generally and also the human body. Brilliant!
Thank you Netgalley for the early copy.
I loved consuming this in audio format as it is read by Dr Morgan himself and gives the book a personal touch, like he is giving a speech at a convention. Because it is quite technical, I’m not sure I would have consumed the information as well in physical form.
His views on smoking were quite strong which may conflict readers, as a non-smoker I didn’t feel offended by the section but I can imagine smokers may object! Obviously, as a scientist he is speaking from experience and is using his voice to urge others to make better choices. I appreciated the section on CPR.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and loved learning about the ICU which is quite under-represented in NHS discussions in the media. It gives amazing insight into the ICU, the NHS generally and also the human body. Brilliant!
Thank you Netgalley for the early copy.
beaprosser's review
3.0
Not bad, a nice look at intensive care and very readable. If you're medical it might be a little boring- he explains conditions and processes very well but it's likely you will be familiar with them.
katiejj's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this (after all, I bloody love a medical memoir) but it felt a bit wooly and aimless. I wasn't really sure what the author's message was other than a bit of a reminisce. And there was an odd mixture of medical jargon and overly simplified descriptions. It was an enjoyable, quick read that gave some food for thought but probably needed another lap through the edit mill.
esilannanosnhoj's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
laurag22's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a fascinating book made all the better by the audiobook being read by the author. It is a whistle stop tour of what is intensive care, what it entails and how it came to be. It is made more personal by the including of the cases of at least two patients in each chapter and you get a good amount of closer as to their stories as well as learning about the medical environment. This is a more personal and serious intensive care equivalent to this is going to hurt and I would recommend to everyone interested in learning more about our health service, both personal and professional.
sarabook's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After the runaway success of [b:This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor|35235302|This Is Going to Hurt Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor|Adam Kay|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495900231s/35235302.jpg|56583337] there seems to have been a glut of medical memoirs released, so what makes ‘Critical’ so different? This is centred around the role of an ICU, or critical care, consultant and is part memoir, part science as were taken on a journey through life within the most intense and life changing department in the hospital.
It’s set out in a really nice way, divided into chapters reflecting on specific organs of the body (ie the brain, the lungs, the heart etc.) and goes on to explain some of the many reasons a person may be in the ICU because of that particular body part. It sets out the biology behind the conditions in such a way that most people would be able to get their head around them, and builds on knowledge gained in previous chapters to further explain certain ailments. It’s almost like a really good lecturer, who knows what he’s talking about, taking you through a medical class.
Matt Morgan is also incredibly passionate about what he does, and his love and compassion for his patients jumps from the page. He explains what it is to feel failure, remorse and regret, and the issues surrounding mental health in doctors was particularly poignant. The most touching aspects were often centered around individual patients who really seemed to touch Matt personally. As medical professionals, we become so desensitised to health that we become at risk of losing a part of ourselves and our compassion. But Matt shows, in the care he takes when talking to bereaved relatives, when asking about a lost loved ones past, that he really does care.
The section on brain stem death and organ donation was particularly hard for me to read for personal reasons. It’s a mirror image of my own past, and I thought it was touched upon in an extremely empathetic and endearing way - and I don’t think I could ever give a book any higher praise than that. This doesn’t play for laughs or attempt to trivialise what is to be a doctor, but rather bring to the attention of the wider audience what it is to work in the NHS in a high pressure and incredibly important job.
A great read.
After the runaway success of [b:This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor|35235302|This Is Going to Hurt Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor|Adam Kay|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495900231s/35235302.jpg|56583337] there seems to have been a glut of medical memoirs released, so what makes ‘Critical’ so different? This is centred around the role of an ICU, or critical care, consultant and is part memoir, part science as were taken on a journey through life within the most intense and life changing department in the hospital.
It’s set out in a really nice way, divided into chapters reflecting on specific organs of the body (ie the brain, the lungs, the heart etc.) and goes on to explain some of the many reasons a person may be in the ICU because of that particular body part. It sets out the biology behind the conditions in such a way that most people would be able to get their head around them, and builds on knowledge gained in previous chapters to further explain certain ailments. It’s almost like a really good lecturer, who knows what he’s talking about, taking you through a medical class.
Matt Morgan is also incredibly passionate about what he does, and his love and compassion for his patients jumps from the page. He explains what it is to feel failure, remorse and regret, and the issues surrounding mental health in doctors was particularly poignant. The most touching aspects were often centered around individual patients who really seemed to touch Matt personally. As medical professionals, we become so desensitised to health that we become at risk of losing a part of ourselves and our compassion. But Matt shows, in the care he takes when talking to bereaved relatives, when asking about a lost loved ones past, that he really does care.
The section on brain stem death and organ donation was particularly hard for me to read for personal reasons. It’s a mirror image of my own past, and I thought it was touched upon in an extremely empathetic and endearing way - and I don’t think I could ever give a book any higher praise than that. This doesn’t play for laughs or attempt to trivialise what is to be a doctor, but rather bring to the attention of the wider audience what it is to work in the NHS in a high pressure and incredibly important job.
A great read.