bibliomaniac33's review against another edition
5.0
It's hard to believe that less than 200 years ago the idea of germ theory was volatile and controversial. Reading about the surgical and hospital practices of the 19th century was both an eye-opening and gut-churning experience. I think when you read about the discoveries by Pasteur and Lister in a textbook, it doesn't quite do justice do what a radical notion the concept of pathogens was at the time. Fitzharris makes what is often a very brief mention in so much of history, an intriguing and very personal story. As she recounts the life and journey of Joseph Lister and his fight to bring sanitary practices and new technique into the surgery wards of Victorian Britain, Scotland and the U.S., she gives much more insight into the man, his beliefs, and his heart than I've previously read in any medical or history text. I'd definitely recommend to anyone with an interest in public health, medicine, or just an interesting player in history. The Butchering Art is one of the better books I've read in this genre.
nicolesbookreviews's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Drug use, Terminal illness, Medical content, Chronic illness, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
cernunnos's review against another edition
3.0
Written in an easy, journalistic style, this much-hyped book deals with the first fifty years of Lister's life and then comes to an abrupt end. Despite extensive references there are numerous errors which other reviewers have pointed out, some of them absolute howlers (Ilfracombe is in Somerset? How about checking that before publishing? OK, don't bother, no-one will notice). The American English from an Oxford-educated author writing about a British subject is very annoying, but I understand the author is originally from the United States so I'll grudgingly let that pass. The gruesome descriptions of hospital conditions and surgical procedures do not, however, make up for the basic errors in the text.
honniker's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating look into the life of Joseph Lister, the history of hospitals and surgery and the accentance of germ theory.
dashadashahi's review against another edition
4.0
A compelling, if slightly long, narrative of one man's life and the surrounding socio-medical world which he sought to improve. Fitzharris does a good job bringing together the various and complex factors impacting healthcare in the mid to late nineteenth century and making it easy to follow. Occasionally wish she was able to intertwine more international relationships that shaped the medical scene but Fitzharris constrains the work to what impacted Lister's career, so this is understandable.
mkhasai's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. so different from what i normally read, but had me hooked!