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Blood and Guts

A History of Surgery

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Blood and Guts

By: Richard Hollingham
Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
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About this listen

Today, astonishing surgical breakthroughs are making limb transplants, face transplants, and a host of other previously undreamed-of operations possible. But getting here has not been a simple story of medical progress. In Blood and Guts, veteran science writer Richard Hollingham weaves a compelling narrative from the key moments in surgical history. We have a ringside seat in the operating theater of University College Hospital in London as world-renowned Victorian surgeon Robert Liston performs a remarkable amputation in 30 seconds - from first cut to final stitch. Innovations such as Joseph Lister's antiseptic technique, the first open-heart surgery, and Walter Freeman's lobotomy operations, among other breakthroughs, are brought to life in vivid detail. This is popular science writing at its best.

©2008 Richard Hollingham (P)2019 Tantor History History & Commentary History & Philosophy Medicine & Health Care Industry Science Surgery Medicine Nursing Education

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A look at some of the surgical breakthroughs that has led us to the medical progress we currently have- the good and the bad! An interesting history, showing everything it took to improve surgeries and there's no shying away from some of the worst that it has to offer. The narrator also did a good job.

graphic, brutal, interesting

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Put simply, a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable listen. It has been well researched and is delivered perfectly by the narrator.

Educational and Entertaining

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The main negative aspect of reviews I have seen for this book stem from people who seem incapable of reading the blurb. The story of surgery and its beginnings is a vast one, which this book does not cover in its entirety. Nor does it claim to. It clearly states 'key moments' in the blurb. So if you are complaining this is not a complete history of medicine, it really is your fault and not the author's. Admittedly, I will concede that a title of 'A Brief History of Surgery' might have been more apt.

Little disclaimer aside, this is a wonderful jaunt through the murky depths of medicine's past. Whether you want to learn how transplants first came into being, the pit-falls and benefits that come with them, or if you have a desire to learn why ice-pick lobotomies are an incredibly bad idea, or how surgery has gone from educated guess work to, pun intended, surgical precision, this is the book for you. 

For the more morbidly curious of readers out there, this does, of course, come with a plethora of tales about the first souls that underwent new procedures and the tragedies that befell them. It's an eye-opening look into how far we've come and sparks a bit of thought, at least in my mind, as to how far we may yet go, where surgery and, indeed, all of medicine is concerned.

At it's core, I feel this book is meant to spark curiosity and interest in those who do not typically look at this subject as an area they would normally spend their reading time on. And, in that, it certainly succeeds.

The narration of this book was wonderful and suited the subject matter perfectly

A great introduction to Surgery's past

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An informative and fun insight into the history of surgery.
Great narration and recommend if you find this area of interest.

Fascinating

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I absolutely loved this. It’s well written, well performed and very informative without being overwhelming.

Concise, interesting book!

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