I never thought I would enjoy a book about a surgeon's work and ruminations nearly as much as I did Better by Atul Gawande. The book has been my companion during the evening walks for several days and it has been an amazing experience. He takes on many difficult subjects including malpractice law -which I found particularly insightful. Gawande looks at the malpractice from the perspective of all involved parties - the doctor, the patient, the legal system and the families impacted. No clear winners emerge in his analysis as is true with any area of life where we seek resolution and restitution for irreparable wrong.
Over and over through the book, Gawande shows that being a doctor is a complicated business. They too are human, and prone to mistakes, negligence, poor judgement and imperfections of character. The participation of doctors in the execution of criminals in death row was deeply thought-provoking. Gawande interviews several doctors and nurses who have assisted with administering the lethal injection. They talk about their reasons for doing what they do and how they deal with ethical conflicts.
Keeping with the theme of the book, this too is not a black and white topic with heroes and villains clearly defined. He freely acknowledges his own failures and mis-steps and talks about those he learned valuable professional and life lessons from. A reader, no matter what their profession and their level of understanding or interest in the area of the author's expertise, would come away better informed. They would learn something they could use in their own lives and careers. That is where this book truly shines from my perspective.
I love Gawande's fluid prose style and the excellent story-telling and wish more works of non-fiction could emulate what he does - keep the reader enthralled to the very end.
Over and over through the book, Gawande shows that being a doctor is a complicated business. They too are human, and prone to mistakes, negligence, poor judgement and imperfections of character. The participation of doctors in the execution of criminals in death row was deeply thought-provoking. Gawande interviews several doctors and nurses who have assisted with administering the lethal injection. They talk about their reasons for doing what they do and how they deal with ethical conflicts.
Keeping with the theme of the book, this too is not a black and white topic with heroes and villains clearly defined. He freely acknowledges his own failures and mis-steps and talks about those he learned valuable professional and life lessons from. A reader, no matter what their profession and their level of understanding or interest in the area of the author's expertise, would come away better informed. They would learn something they could use in their own lives and careers. That is where this book truly shines from my perspective.
I love Gawande's fluid prose style and the excellent story-telling and wish more works of non-fiction could emulate what he does - keep the reader enthralled to the very end.
Comments