An extremely well-written book that, through storytelling, takes you through how penicillin was discovered and how heart transplantation became possible. But more than the medical triumphs, it captures the egos and battles within the medical community that had to be overcome before these breakthroughs could become reality. A very engrossing read.
Article
▤Article
Aa.co·Follow the author
The Masters of Medicine: Our Greatest Triumphs in the Race to Cure Humanity's Deadliest Diseases
- The book presents the history of major medical breakthroughs as a battle against diseases that kill most of humanity.
- It focuses on the mavericks, moments, and mistakes behind modern cures and longer, healthier lives.
- The author, Andrew Lam, is an award-winning writer and retinal surgeon.
- One featured story describes rival surgeons racing to perform operations on beating hearts, helping lead toward heart transplants.
- Another recounts the Canadian team that discovered insulin amid jealousy and resentment.
- The book covers the discovery of penicillin and the doctors who helped bring it to the world without receiving credit.
- It includes the rivalry between two Americans competing to develop the polio vaccine.
- A discredited New York surgeon’s idea of deliberately infecting patients is described as an early inspiration for a future cancer treatment approach.
- The book also tells the story of the Hungarian doctor who solved the mystery of maternal deaths in childbirth but was ostracized for it.
- The central diseases highlighted include heart attacks, diabetes, infection, cancer, trauma, and childbirth-related deaths.
Your notes
Save this item to your library to add private notes.