Archive for the ‘Good books’ Category

How risk scrambles our brains

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

Risk
The science and politics of fear
By Dan Gardner
Virgin Books, 2009 (paperback); ISBN 9780753515532

This is one of those great, elegant, clear books about complex subjects which are a joy to read.

Its scope is an understanding of the psychology, sociology and politics of risk and risk perception in almost all aspects of our lives, from familiar, everyday risks like car-travel, to the big perplexing issues of environmental toxicology and terrorism. There are some specific examples from medicine and pharmaceuticals (the US silicone breast implant crisis, and lots about cancer and cancer risks statistics among others), but the book deals with much broader issues which shine a bright light on all aspects of risk in healthcare.

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Something for the pain (book review)

Friday, April 10th, 2009

Something for the pain
One doctor’s account of life and death in the ER
Paul Austin
W W Norton and Company, 2008
ISBN: 978 0 393 06560 2
www.paulethanaustin.com

This is a great book, written by a man wrestling with all the challenges and contradictions of emergency doctoring. His competence, intelligence and humanity make his practice distinguished and his writing riveting and illuminating. The technical and emotional journey is a tough one, but his acute awareness and thoughtful introspection enrich this memoir with vivid and instructive accounts of relationships with patients and colleagues; of failures and successes; of the emotional impact of facing the daily drama of the ER: how much time is there for empathy and compassion? How far should suffering be kept at a distance? What is there to offer to the bereaved?

Austin’s practice seems to be a perfect blend of technical competence and expert communications – even though there are times when he fails by his own high standards. Against all the odds of pressure and disorder, he struggles to maintain his humanity in relations with patients and colleagues – even those whose weaknesses or obstreporousness compromise the work.

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