Editorial Review:

National Bestseller

 

The struggle to perform well is universal: each of us faces fatigue, limited resources, and imperfect abilities in whatever we do. But nowhere is this drive to do better more important than in medicine, where lives may be on the line with any decision.

 

Atul Gawande, the New York Times bestselling author of Complications, examines, in riveting accounts of medical failure and triumph, how success is achieved in this complex and risk-filled profession. At once unflinching and compassionate, Better is an exhilarating journey, narrated by "arguably the best nonfiction doctor-writer around" (Salon.com).

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Another Great Look Inside the Medical Profession:

I thought Atul Gawande's last book, Complications, was one of the best books written on the medical profession in a long while. In it, Gawande showed a deep respect and sympathy for patients while trying to be clear about what would help the medical establishment do a better job from a doctor's point of view. In this book, he covers some of the same ground but, as his title implies, here he is focused specifically on what it takes to do things better as a doctor. The chapters here are grouped under three... more info

Better: Diligence, Doing Right and Ingenuity:

I have to agree with Stephen Laniel that Gawande's Better is such a thought-provoking and insightful book that I couldn't help but keep reading till the end (however, I am such a slow reader, so I wasn't able to finish it in 4 hours. Though I managed to finish reading it on my road trip back to New York City from Maine this weekend. Of course, I was sitting comfortably in the passenger seat.
I do like "The Doctors of the Death Chambers" a lot. I think it was a tough call for the four physicians to... more info

His writing skills are superb:

I love his books because of his writing skills. Introduction with a story, then interlace it with evidence (usually historical), mix it with commentary, and end it with a conclusion to the story. Every chapter is like a reader's digest story or a very exciting magazine clipping...his writing is addictive. I went to his website www.gawande.com for more of his works. My husband, who is also a intern, provides little details about his work besides the "long hours" and "doctors are underpaid at $7 an hour,... more info

Gawande is as good with the pen as with the scalpel:

Better is a very good window on medical practice. There are a lot of books on this subject - and not many have the same cutting edge as this one. All the chapters are good, but the one about the bell curve is outstanding: why some places are much better than others when all should be about the same, using the same medical information that is avaiable for all.

Similar Products:

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande (Paperback)

How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality (Vintage) by Pauline W. Chen (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

The Best American Science Writing 2006 (Best American Science Writing) by Atul Gawande (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

Intern: A Doctor's Initiation by Sandeep Jauhar (Hardcover) - Usually ships in 24 hours

The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness by Jerome Groopman (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First... by Michael J. Collins (Paperback)

On Call: A Doctor's Days and Nights in Residency by Emily R. Transue (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

The House of God: The Classic Novel of Life and Death in an American Hospital by Samuel Shem (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours