Ben Waber reviewed When Death Becomes Life by Joshua D. Mezrich
A Touching, Rapid Tour Through Surgical Science and Practice
3 stars
This book is part memoir, part history of 20th century surgical science, part scientific explainer. The memoir portions are the most touching, and the examination of surgical training and practice are illuminating. The historical analyses are interesting but extremely limited, and devolve into hagiography. Particularly egregious is the veneration of the racist, wildly unethical and ultimately unsuccessful first heart transplant surgeon, which is covered much more fully in Rob Dunn's book on the topic. Overall, if you skip that part it's an entertaining and informative read.
This book is part memoir, part history of 20th century surgical science, part scientific explainer. The memoir portions are the most touching, and the examination of surgical training and practice are illuminating. The historical analyses are interesting but extremely limited, and devolve into hagiography. Particularly egregious is the veneration of the racist, wildly unethical and ultimately unsuccessful first heart transplant surgeon, which is covered much more fully in Rob Dunn's book on the topic. Overall, if you skip that part it's an entertaining and informative read.