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The Knife’s Edge

The Heart and Mind of a Cardiac Surgeon

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The Knife’s Edge

Yazan: Stephen Westaby
Seslendiren: Gordon Griffin
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Özet

A TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2019

An intimate and compelling exploration into the unique psyche of the heart surgeon, by one of the profession’s most eminent figures.

Although Professor Stephen Westaby was born with the necessary coordination and manual dexterity, it was a head trauma sustained during university that gifted him the qualities of an exceptional heart surgeon: qualities that are frequently associated with psychopathy. His thirty-five-year career has been characterised by fearlessness and ruthless ambition; leaving empathy at the hospital door as thousands of patients put their lives in his hands.

For heart surgeons, the inevitable cost of failure is death and in The Knife’s Edge, Westaby reflects on the unique mindset of those who are drawn to this exhilarating and often tragic profession. We discover the pioneers who grasped opportunities and took chances to drive innovation and save lives. Often difficult, uninhibited and fearless, theirs is a field constantly threatened by the risk of public failure.

Like those before him, Westaby refuses to draw the line in his search of a lifetime solution to problems of the heart. His determination is unerring – a steadfastness underpinned by his unusual mind. But as we glimpse into the future of cardiac surgery, for all its remarkable scientific advancement, one question remains: within the confines of socialised medical healthcare systems, how can heart surgeons – individuals often hardwired with avoidance of self-doubt, a penchant for glory and a flagrant disregard for authority – truly flourish?

 History & Philosophy Medical Medicine & Health Care Industry Philosophy Professionals & Academics Science Surgery Samimi Tıp
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Eleştirmen yorumları

‘Wholly believable… The book [has] an unmistakable feeling of authenticity.’ Daily Telegraph
‘What makes this memoir so readable is Westaby’s unexpected admissions of vulnerability.’ The Times, Book of the Week
Praise for Fragile Lives:
‘Raw and moving… the writing is thrilling. Fragile Lives is a frank and absorbing memoir by a man who has done about as much good to his fellow human beings as it is possible to do in one lifetime.’ – The Times, Book of the Week
‘With his battle cry of “bugger protocol” and his renaming of medical directors as “the Stasi”, Westaby comes across as the bloke you’d want on your side in the fight to stay alive.’ Guardian Books of the Year
‘The stakes could not be higher in this bloody, muscular and adrenaline-charged memoir from a pioneering heart surgeon… at points it made my own heart race dangerously. ‘Surgeons are meant to be objective,’ Westaby tells himself, ‘not human’. What makes this book so fascinating, and so moving, is the terrible tension between these necessary qualities.’ – Sunday Times
‘A full-frontal and thrilling portrayal. Each story in this fascinating book brings a new nail-biting surgical adventure… A gifted surgeon, Westaby is also a natural writer… Fragile Lives succeeds on many levels: political battle cry, chronicle of bloody feats, history of modern cardiology, tribute to patients and paean to surgery.’ – Daily Telegraph
‘The book is a cracking example of a thriving sub-genre of autobiography, the medical memoir. Anyone who enjoyed the 2014 bestseller Do No Harm by the brain surgeon Henry Marsh, a friend of Westaby’s, will relish Fragile Lives, too. Each story is gripping, written in a vivid, almost brutal way that matches the blood and gore of cardiac surgery.’ – Financial Times
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A "no holds barred" book written by an eminent heart surgeo. The book is written in such a style that medical terms are kept to a minimum, making the a perfect read for all. It is a book that must be read by medical practitioners, and management including those in Government. One point that he explains clearly is the beurocracy involved between staff and management which makes the system top-heavy. I can't wait to start reading another book by this great man!

An insight on the 'sharp end" of our NHS.

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Made me realise that as a Podiatrist I could have been a heart surgeon if I had less empathy... brilliant account and insight in to how a normal bloke can help change and improve a niche of surgery that saves so many lives nowadays from one of the worlds biggest killers. A normal bloke who used lateral thinking, courage, and a will to make a difference.. also a story of how the target and name and shame culture is strangulating progression in such an important field of surgery. A great read or listen I should say as gripping as any thriller ....

Makes you proud to be from Lincolnshire

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Honest insightful and thought provoking memoir of a fantastic career.
listened to in only a couple of sittings.

Brilliant

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Loved the story line, this book is very educational and entertaining. The narrator is excellent

Excellent read

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All too often people write a bestseller and then quickly follow it up with a sequel that lacks the fundamental inspiration required, not Mr Westaby.

Again, compelling emotive stories balanced against philosophical reflections of a not-so-perfect man who made numerous contributions to modern healthcare and surgery.

And again…!

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