Best of
Medical

2015

Trauma Room Two


Philip Allen Green - 2015
    It is a place where life and death meet. A place where some families celebrate the most improbable of victories while others face the most devastating of losses. A place where what matters the most in this life is revealed. Trauma Room Two is just such a place. In this collection of short stories, Dr. Green takes the reader inside the hidden emotional landscape of emergency medicine. Based on fifteen years of experience as an ER physician, he reveals the profound moments that often occur in emergency rooms for patients, their families, and the staff that work there.

The Brain's Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity


Norman Doidge - 2015
    His revolutionary new book shows, for the first time, how the amazing process of neuroplastic healing really works. It describes natural, non-invasive avenues into the brain provided by the forms of energy around us—light, sound, vibration, movement—which pass through our senses and our bodies to awaken the brain’s own healing capacities without producing unpleasant side effects. Doidge explores cases where patients alleviated years of chronic pain or recovered from debilitating strokes or accidents; children on the autistic spectrum or with learning disorders normalizing; symptoms of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and cerebral palsy radically improved, and other near-miracle recoveries. And we learn how to vastly reduce the risk of dementia with simple approaches anyone can use. For centuries it was believed that the brain’s complexity prevented recovery from damage or disease. The Brain’s Way of Healing shows that this very sophistication is the source of a unique kind of healing. As he did so lucidly in The Brain That Changes Itself, Doidge uses stories to present cutting-edge science with practical real-world applications, and principles that everyone can apply to improve their brain’s performance and health.

American Pain: How a Young Felon and His Ring of Doctors Unleashed America's Deadliest Drug Epidemic


John Temple - 2015
    From a fortress-like former bank building, American Pain's doctors distributed massive quantities of oxycodone to hundreds of customers a day, mostly traffickers and addicts who came by the vanload. Inked muscle-heads ran the clinic's security. Former strippers operated the pharmacy, counting out pills and stashing cash in garbage bags. Under their lab coats, the doctors carried guns and it was all legal sort of. American Pain was the brainchild of Chris George, a 27-year-old convicted drug felon. The son of a South Florida home builder, Chris George grew up in ultra-rich Wellington, where Bill Gates, Springsteen, and Madonna kept houses. Thick-necked from weightlifting, he and his twin brother hung out with mobsters, invested in strip clubs, brawled with cops, and grinned for their mug shots. After the housing market stalled, a local doctor clued in the brothers to the burgeoning underground market for lightly regulated prescription painkillers. In Florida, pain clinics could dispense the meds, and no one tracked the patients. Seizing the opportunity, Chris George teamed up with the doctor, and word got out. Just two years later Chris had raked in $40 million, and 90 percent of the pills his doctors prescribed flowed north to feed the rest of the country's insatiable narcotics addiction. Meanwhile, hundreds more pain clinics in the mold of American Pain had popped up in the Sunshine State, creating a gigantic new drug industry. American Pain chronicles the rise and fall of this game-changing pill mill, and how it helped tip the nation into its current opioid crisis, the deadliest drug epidemic in American history. The narrative swings back and forth between Florida and Kentucky, and is populated by a gaudy and diverse cast of characters. This includes the incongruous band of wealthy bad boys, thugs and esteemed physicians who built American Pain, as well as penniless Kentucky clans who transformed themselves into painkiller trafficking rings. It includes addicts whose lives were devastated by American Pain's drugs, and the federal agents and grieving mothers who labored for years to bring the clinic's crew to justice."

You Can't Run: The Terrifying True Story of a Young Woman Trapped in a Violent Relationship


Mandy Thomas - 2015
    I knew he would never stop, so I just had to do what I could to survive." Mandy Thomas was just 18 when she met the man who would change her life forever. She was soon under his spell – and then her real nightmare began. Mandy found herself part of a cruel and violent relationship that she couldn’t escape. Until one day he went too far… You Can’t Run is Mandy’s searingly honest and moving true story.

No Good Reason


Cari Hunter - 2015
    I can’t do any of this without her.”Detective Sanne Jensen (not blonde, not tall, definitely not Scandinavian) and Dr. Meg Fielding (scruffy, scatterbrained, prone to swearing at patients) are lifelong best friends, sharing the same deprived background and occasionally the same bed.When a violent kidnapping stuns the Peak District village of Rowlee, both women become involved in the case. As Sanne and her colleagues in East Derbyshire Special Ops search for the culprit, and Meg fights to keep his victim alive, a shocking discovery turns the investigation on its head. With the clock ticking, Sanne and Meg find themselves pushed closer by a crime that threatens to tear everything apart.

All the Little Moments


G. Benson - 2015
    Everything changes abruptly when her brother’s and sister-in-law’s deaths devastate her and her family. Left responsible for her young niece and nephew, Anna finds herself dumped and alone in Melbourne, a city she doesn’t even like. She tries to navigate the shock of looking after two children battling with their grief while managing her own. Filled with self-doubt, Anna feels as if she’s making a mess of the entire thing, especially when she collides with a long-legged stranger. Anna barely has time to brush her teeth in the morning, let alone to date a woman—least of all one who has no idea about the two kids under her care. Just when Anna finally starts to feel as if she’s getting some control of the situation, the biggest fight begins and Anna really has to step up once and for all.

Tricky Wisdom: Year I


Camryn Eyde - 2015
    Leaving her small northeast Minnesota town for Harvard in a quest to become a doctor, she moves in with med-student Olivia Boyd, a neurotic, anal, gigantic pain in the backside. The first year of juggling medical school is gruelling, but it’s nothing compared to living with Olivia.Coming out to her friends and family with an anti-climactic flop, Darcy uses her newly publicised sexuality to try and win Taylor’s affections through an ill-hatched scheme that crosses uncomfortable lines. The result is as unexpected to Darcy as Darcy’s affinity for medicine is to Olivia.The first year of medical school is a nerve-wracking encounter in medicine, learning lessons the hard way, and finding what her heart desires.*Minor changes to manuscript updated 2nd September*48,900 words

Lights and Sirens


Kevin Grange - 2015
    Blending months of classroom instruction with ER rotations and a grueling field internship with the Los Angeles Fire Department, UCLA’s paramedic program is like a mix of boot camp and med school. It would turn out to be the hardest thing Grange had ever done—but also the most transformational and inspiring.An in-depth look at the trials and tragedies that paramedic students experience daily, Lights and Sirens is ultimately about the best part of humanity—people working together to help save a human life.

Called for Life: How Loving Our Neighbor Led Us into the Heart of the Ebola Epidemic


Kent Brantly - 2015
    We got your test result.  And I’m really sorry to tell you that it is positive for Ebola.” Dr. Kent and Amber Brantly moved with their children to war-torn Liberia in the fall of 2013 to provide medical care for people in great need—to help replace hopelessness with hope. When, less than a year later, Kent contracted the deadly Ebola virus, hope became what he and Amber needed too.   When Kent received the diagnosis, he was already alone and in quarantine in the Brantly home in Liberia. Amber and the children had left just days earlier on a trip to the United States. Kent’s personal battle against the horrific Ebola began, and as thousands of people worldwide prayed for his life, a miraculous series of events unfolded.  Called for Life tells the riveting inside story of Kent and Amber’s call to serve their neighbors, as well as Kent’s fight for life with Ebola and Amber’s’ struggle to support him from half-a-world away. Most significantly, Called for Life reminds us of the risk, the honor, and the joy to be known when God and others are served without reservation.

Less Medicine, More Health: 7 Assumptions That Drive Too Much Medical Care


H. Gilbert Welch - 2015
      You might think the biggest problem in medical care is that it costs too much. Or that health insurance is too expensive, too uneven, too complicated—and gives you too many forms to fill out. But the central problem is that too much medical care has too little value. Dr. H. Gilbert Welch is worried about too much medical care. It’s not to deny that some people get too little medical care, rather that the conventional concern about “too little” needs to be balanced with a concern about “too much”: too many people being made to worry about diseases they don’t have—and are at only average risk to get; too many people being tested and exposed to the harmful effects of the testing process; too many people being subjected to treatments they don’t need—or can’t benefit from. The American public has been sold the idea that seeking medical care is one of the most important steps to maintain wellness. Surprisingly, medical care is not, in fact, well correlated with good health. So more medicine does not equal more health; in reality the opposite may be true. The general public harbors assumptions about medical care that encourage overuse, assumptions like it’s always better to fix the problem, sooner (or newer) is always better, or it never hurts to get more information. Less Medicine, More Health pushes against established wisdom and suggests that medical care can be too aggressive. Drawing on his twenty-five years of medical practice and research, Dr. Welch notes that while economics and lawyers contribute to the excesses of American medicine, the problem is essentially created when the general public clings to these powerful assumptions about the value of tests and treatments—a number of which are just plain wrong. By telling fascinating (and occasionally amusing) stories backed by reliable data, Dr. Welch challenges patients and the health-care establishment to rethink some very fundamental practices. His provocative prescriptions hold the potential to save money and, more important, improve health outcomes for us all.

Stories from the Shadows: Reflections of a Street Doctor


James J. O'Connell - 2015
    O'Connell’s collection of stories and essays, written during thirty years of caring for homeless persons in Boston, gently illuminates the humanity and raw courage of those who struggle to survive and find meaning and hope while living on the streets.

The Conversation: A Revolutionary Plan for End-of-Life Care


Angelo E. Volandes - 2015
    Two thirds of Americans die in healthcare institutions tethered to machines and tubes at bankrupting costs, even though research shows that most prefer to die at home in comfort, surrounded by loved ones.Dr. Angelo E. Volandes believes that a life well lived deserves a good ending. Through the stories of seven patients and seven very different end-of-life experiences, he demonstrates that what people with a serious illness, who are approaching the end of their lives, need most is not new technologies but one simple thing: The Conversation. He argues for a radical re-envisioning of the patient-doctor relationship and offers ways for patients and their families to talk about this difficult issue to ensure that patients will be at the center and in charge of their medical care.It might be the most important conversation you ever have.

Brain Storms: The Race to Unlock the Mysteries of Parkinson's Disease


Jon Palfreman - 2015
    In Brain Storms, the award-winning journalist Jon Palfreman tells their story, a story that became his own when he was diagnosed with the debilitating illness. Palfreman chronicles how scientists have worked to crack the mystery of what was once called the shaking palsy, from the earliest clinical descriptions of tremors, gait freezing, and micrographia to the cutting edge of neuroscience, and charts the victories and setbacks of a massive international effort to best the disease. He takes us back to the late 1950s and the discovery of L-dopa. He delves into a number of other therapeutic approaches to this perplexing condition, from partial lobotomies and deep brain stimulation to neural grafting. And he shares inspiring stories of brave individuals living with Parkinson's, from a former professional ballet dancer who tricks her body to move freely again to a patient who cannot walk but astounds doctors when he is able to ride a bicycle with no trouble at all. With the baby boom generation beginning to retire and the population steadily aging, the race is on to discover a means to stop or reverse neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Brain Storms is the long-overdue, riveting, and deeply personal story of that race, and a passionate, insightful, and urgent look into the lives of those affected.

The Death of Cancer: After Fifty Years on the Front Lines of Medicine, a Pioneering Oncologist Reveals Why the War on Cancer Is Winnable--and How We Can Get There


Vincent T. DeVita Jr. - 2015
    But most of us know very little about how the disease works, why we treat it the way we do, and the personalities whose dedication got us where we are today. For fifty years, Dr. Vincent T. DeVita Jr. has been one of those key players: he has held just about every major position in the field, and he developed the first successful chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a breakthrough the American Society of Clinical Oncologists has called the top research advance in half a century of chemotherapy. As one of oncology’s leading figures, DeVita knows what cancer looks like from the lab bench and the bedside. The Death of Cancer is his illuminating and deeply personal look at the science and the history of one of the world’s most formidable diseases. In DeVita’s hands, even the most complex medical concepts are comprehensible.Cowritten with DeVita’s daughter, the science writer Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn, The Death of Cancer is also a personal tale about the false starts and major breakthroughs, the strong-willed oncologists who clashed with conservative administrators (and one another), and the courageous patients whose willingness to test cutting-edge research helped those oncologists find potential treatments. An emotionally compelling and informative read, The Death of Cancer is also a call to arms. DeVita believes that we’re well on our way to curing cancer but that there are things we need to change in order to get there. Mortality rates are declining, but America’s cancer patients are still being shortchanged—by timid doctors, by misguided national agendas, by compromised bureaucracies, and by a lack of access to information about the strengths and weaknesses of the nation’s cancer centers.With historical depth and authenticity, DeVita reveals the true story of the fight against cancer. The Death of Cancer is an ambitious, vital book about a life-and-death subject that touches us all.

Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor's Reflections on Race and Medicine


Damon Tweedy - 2015
    Instead, he finds that he has joined a new world where race is front and center. The recipient of a scholarship designed to increase black student enrollment, Tweedy soon meets a professor who bluntly questions whether he belongs in medical school, a moment that crystallizes the challenges he will face throughout his career. Making matters worse, in lecture after lecture the common refrain for numerous diseases resounds, "More common in blacks than in whites."Black Man in a White Coat examines the complex ways in which both black doctors and patients must navigate the difficult and often contradictory terrain of race and medicine. As Tweedy transforms from student to practicing physician, he discovers how often race influences his encounters with patients. Through their stories, he illustrates the complex social, cultural, and economic factors at the root of many health problems in the black community. These issues take on greater meaning when Tweedy is himself diagnosed with a chronic disease far more common among black people. In this powerful, moving, and deeply empathic book, Tweedy explores the challenges confronting black doctors, and the disproportionate health burdens faced by black patients, ultimately seeking a way forward to better treatment and more compassionate care.

How Long Will This Take? I Have Stuff to Do


Kerry Hamm - 2015
     Every day, some nurses, doctors, and ER staff members struggle to survive eight, 10, 12, or 16-hour shifts, and patients like these are why. True stories from this small-town ER in Ohio include tales of embarrassment, rudeness, weird, and downright nastiness that will leave a look of confusion and disgust on your face.

Spectrum


M.J. Duncan - 2015
    Driven, reserved, and recovering from another encounter with a life she would rather leave behind, all Bryn wants is to forget about Anna and focus on her beloved vineyard—but Fate has other plans. No matter where Bryn goes, Anna seems to be there, and despite how annoyed she is by this development, she can’t help but be charmed by Anna’s warm smile and easygoing charisma. But as carefully constructed walls come down, new obstacles take their place, leaving Bryn to question who she is and what she truly wants out of life.

The Heart Healers: The Misfits, Mavericks, and Rebels Who Created the Greatest Medical Breakthrough of Our Lives


James S. Forrester - 2015
    By the middle of the twentieth century, it was killing millions and, as with the Black Death centuries before, physicians stood helpless. Visionaries, though, had begun to make strides earlier. On September 7, 1895, Ludwig Rehn successfully sutured the heart of a living man with a knife wound to the chest for the first time. In 1929, Dr. Werner Forssman inserted a cardiac catheter in his own arm and forced the X-ray technician on duty to take a photo as he successfully threaded it down the vein into his own heart . . . and lived. And on June 6, 1944 D-Day another momentous event occurred far from the Normandy beaches: Dr. Dwight Harken sutured the shrapnel-injured heart of a young soldier and saved his life, and thus the term "cardiac surgeon" was born. In "The Heart Healers," James Forrester, MD, tells the story of these rebels and the risks they took with their own lives and the lives of others to heal the most elemental of human organs: the heart. The result is a compelling chronicle of a disease and its cure, a disease that is still with us, but one that is slowly being worn away by the "Heart Healers."

A Surgeon in the Village: An American Doctor Teaches Brain Surgery in Africa


Tony Bartelme - 2015
    Dilan Ellegala's quest to teach brain surgery in one of the poorest and most remote places on earth. In vivid detail, the book also exposes one of the world's most neglected but serious public health problems - one that kills more people than malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS combined.

Being Mortal: : Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande | Summary & Analysis


aBookaDay - 2015
     Gawande draws on clinical studies, case histories and stories from his own experiences as a doctor and a son to illuminate the subject of mortality relative to modern medical systems. His treatment of the subject covers a broad range of institutions and individuals that shape the lives of the aged and terminally ill. The central thesis of the book is that the experience of the end of life has been problematized and addressed by medical models that place extending life over quality of life and institutional frameworks that place safety and efficiency over the ability for people to have autonomy over the last part of their lives. Gawande is a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a professor at the Harvard Medical School. He is a writer at The New Yorker magazine and author of three New York Times bestselling books.

Ending Medical Reversal: Improving Outcomes, Saving Lives


Vinayak K. Prasad - 2015
    But some tests and therapies are discontinued because they are found to be worse, or at least no better, than what they replaced. Medications like Vioxx and procedures such as vertebroplasty for back pain caused by compression fractures are among the medical "advances" that turned out to be dangerous or useless. What Dr. Vinayak K. Prasad and Dr. Adam S. Cifu call medical reversal happens when doctors start using a medication, procedure, or diagnostic tool without a robust evidence base—and then stop using it when it is found not to help, or even to harm, patients.Drs. Prasad and Cifu narrate fascinating stories from every corner of medicine to explore why medical reversals occur, how they are harmful, and what can be done to avoid them. They explore the difference between medical innovations that improve care and those that only appear to be promising. They also outline a comprehensive plan to reform medical education, research funding and protocols, and the process for approving new drugs that will ensure that more of what gets done in doctors’ offices and hospitals is truly effective.

By Your Side


Candace Calvert - 2015
    She’s finally located the fellow foster child she loves like a sister, but the girl’s in deep trouble. Macy’s determined to help, no matter what it takes. Her motto is to “make it happen” in any situation life throws at her—even when she butts heads with an idealistic cop.Deputy Fletcher Holt believes in a higher plan, the fair outcome—and his ability to handle that by himself if necessary. Now he’s been yanked from Houston, his mother is battling cancer, and he’s attracted to a strong-willed nurse who could be the target of a brutal sniper.When everything goes wrong, where do they put their trust?

The Chimp and the River: How AIDS Emerged from an African Forest


David Quammen - 2015
    Recent research has revealed dark surprises and yielded a radically new scenario of how AIDS began and spread. Excerpted and adapted from the book Spillover, with a new introduction by the author, Quammen's hair-raising investigation tracks the virus from chimp populations in the jungles of southeastern Cameroon to laboratories across the globe, as he unravels the mysteries of when, where, and under what circumstances such a consequential "spillover" can happen. An audacious search for answers amid more than a century of data, The Chimp and the River tells the haunting tale of one of the most devastating pandemics of our time.

The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age


Robert M. Wachter - 2015
    For the past few decades, technology has been touted as the cure for all of healthcare's ills.But medicine stubbornly resisted computerization - until now. Over the past five years, thanks largely to billions of dollars in federal incentives, healthcare has finally gone digital.Yet once clinicians started using computers to actually deliver care, it dawned on them that something was deeply wrong. Why were doctors no longer making eye contact with their patients? How could one of America's leading hospitals give a teenager a 39-fold overdose of a common antibiotic, despite a state-of-the-art computerized prescribing system? How could a recruiting ad for physicians tout the absence of an electronic medical record as a major selling point?Logically enough, we've pinned the problems on clunky software, flawed implementations, absurd regulations, and bad karma. It was all of those things, but it was also something far more complicated. And far more interesting . . .Written with a rare combination of compelling stories and hard-hitting analysis by one of the nation's most thoughtful physicians, The Digital Doctor examines healthcare at the dawn of its computer age. It tackles the hard questions, from how technology is changing care at the bedside to whether government intervention has been useful or destructive. And it does so with clarity, insight, humor, and compassion. Ultimately, it is a hopeful story."We need to recognize that computers in healthcare don't simply replace my doctor's scrawl with Helvetica 12," writes the author Dr. Robert Wachter. "Instead, they transform the work, the people who do it, and their relationships with each other and with patients. . . . Sure, we should have thought of this sooner. But it's not too late to get it right."This riveting book offers the prescription for getting it right, making it essential reading for everyone - patient and provider alike - who cares about our healthcare system.

Dustoff 7-3: Saving Lives Under Fire in Afghanistan


Erik Sabiston - 2015
    Complete opposites thrown together, cut off, and outnumbered, Chief Warrant Officer Erik Sabiston and his flight crew answered the call in a race against time, not to take lives—but to save them.   The concept of evacuating wounded soldiers by helicopter developed in the Korean War and became a staple during the war in Vietnam where heroic, unarmed chopper crews flew vital missions known to the grateful grunts on the ground as Dustoffs.   The crew of Dustoff 7-3 carried on that heroic tradition, flying over a region that had seen scores of American casualties, known among veterans as the Valley of Death. At the end of Operation Hammer Down, they had rescued 14 soldiers, made three critical supply runs, recovered two soldiers killed in action, and nearly died. It took all of three days.

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly: A Physician's First Year


Matt McCarthy - 2015
    But when a new admission to the critical care unit almost died his first night on call, he found himself scrambling. Visions of mastery quickly gave way to hopes of simply surviving hospital life, where confidence was hard to come by and no amount of med school training could dispel the terror of facing actual patients.This funny, candid memoir of McCarthy’s intern year at a New York hospital provides a scorchingly frank look at how doctors are made, taking readers into patients’ rooms and doctors’ conferences to witness a physician's journey from ineptitude to competence. McCarthy's one stroke of luck paired him with a brilliant second-year adviser he called “Baio” (owing to his resemblance to the Charles in Charge star), who proved to be a remarkable teacher with a wicked sense of humor. McCarthy would learn even more from the people he cared for, including a man named Benny, who was living in the hospital for months at a time awaiting a heart transplant. But no teacher could help McCarthy when an accident put his own health at risk, and showed him all too painfully the thin line between doctor and patient.The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly offers a window on to hospital life that dispenses with sanctimony and self-seriousness while emphasizing the black-comic paradox of becoming a doctor: How do you learn to save lives in a job where there is no practice?

There is a Reaper


Michael Lynes - 2015
    A mysterious illness suddenly plunges him and his family into a frightening nightmare of hospitals and doctors and extreme therapies far from his small-town home. Can his doctors diagnose his strange disease? How will he and his family adapt to a bizarre new world they have been thrust into? Heart-wrenching, searing, and powerful, There is a Reaper immerses the reader into Christopher's intense struggle against his pitiless foe as he matures and transforms in the white heat of his epic battle.

Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry


Jeffrey A. Lieberman - 2015
    Lieberman traces the field from its birth as a mystic pseudo-science through its adolescence as a cult of "shrinks" to its late blooming maturity — beginning after World War II — as a science-driven profession that saves lives. With fascinating case studies and portraits of the luminaries of the field — from Sigmund Freud to Eric Kandel — Shrinks is a gripping and illuminating read, and an urgent call-to-arms to dispel the stigma of mental illnesses by treating them as diseases rather than unfortunate states of mind.“A lucid popular history...At once skeptical and triumphalist. It shows just how far psychiatry has come.” —Julia M. Klein, Boston Globe

Crucial Interventions: An Illustrated Treatise on the Principles & Practice of Nineteenth-Century Surgery


Richard Barnett - 2015
    In 1750, the anatomist John Hunter described it as “a humiliating spectacle of the futility of science”; yet, over the next 150 years the feared, practical men of medicine benefited from a revolution in scientific progress and the increased availability of instructional textbooks. Anesthesia and antisepsis were introduced. Newly established medical schools improved surgeons’ understanding of the human body. For the first time, surgical techniques were refined, illustrated in color, and disseminated on the printed page.Crucial Interventions follows this evolution, drawing from magnificent examples of rare surgical textbooks from the mid-nineteenth century. Graphic and sometimes unnerving yet beautifully rendered, these fascinating illustrations, acquired from the Wellcome Collection’s extensive archives, include step-by-step surgical techniques paired with depictions of medical instruments and depictions of operations in progress.Arranged for the layman (from head to toe) Crucial Interventions is a captivating look at the early history of one of the world’s most mysterious and macabre professions.

Special Delivery


J.A. Armstrong - 2015
    She delights in the anticipation of her patients and finds satisfaction in watching new families be born, and families she's helped for years continue to grow. Still, something is missing in the doctor's life. Busy with her work, Brooke is determined to avoid romantic attachments. Tess Sinclair is a single mom raising two incredibly energetic children, Davey and Dani. Every day Tess delivers packages to Salem Women's Health Center hoping to catch a glimpse of an attractive doctor named Brooke Campbell. A chance encounter in a pizza parlor will change the direction of both women's lives forever. The doctor who has spent her life delivering bundles of happiness for others just got an unexpected SPECIAL DELIVERY of her own.

The Health Gap: The Challenge of an Unequal World


Michael G. Marmot - 2015
    The same twenty-year avoidable disparity exists in the Calton and Lenzie neighborhoods of Glasgow, and in other cities around the world.In Sierra Leone, one in 21 fifteen-year-old women will die in her fertile years of a maternal-related cause; in Italy, the figure is one in 17,100; but in the United States, which spends more on healthcare than any other country in the world, it is one in 1,800. Why?Dramatic differences in health are not a simple matter of rich and poor; poverty alone doesn't drive ill health, but inequality does. Indeed, suicide, heart disease, lung disease, obesity, and diabetes, for example, are all linked to social disadvantage. In every country, people at relative social disadvantage suffer health disadvantage and shorter lives. Within countries, the higher the social status of individuals, the better their health. These health inequalities defy the usual explanations. Conventional approaches to improving health have emphasized access to technical solutions and changes in the behavior of individuals, but these methods only go so far. What really makes a difference is creating the conditions for people to have control over their lives, to have the power to live as they want. Empowerment is the key to reducing health inequality and thereby improving the health of everyone. Marmot emphasizes that the rate of illness of a society as a whole determines how well it functions; the greater the health inequity, the greater the dysfunction.Marmot underscores that we have the tools and resources materially to improve levels of health for individuals and societies around the world, and that to not do so would be a form of injustice. Citing powerful examples and startling statistics ("young men in the U.S. have less chance of surviving to sixty than young men in forty-nine other countries"), The Health Gap presents compelling evidence for a radical change in the way we think about health and indeed society, and inspires us to address the societal imbalances in power, money, and resources that work against health equity.

It's All in Your Head


Suzanne O'Sullivan - 2015
    A neurologist's insightful and compassionate look into the misunderstood world of psychosomatic disorders, told through individual case histories

Love & Justice: A Compelling True Story Of Triumph Over Tragedy


Diana Morgan-Hill - 2015
    At the age of 29, Diana Hill fell under a London train. In 7 seconds the tall, glamorous businesswoman went from busy woman of the world with everything to live for to double-leg amputee, her life in ruins. Then it got worse. A few days after her accident, as she lay in hospital, traumatised and heavily sedated, she learnt via a newspaper article that the railway’s Transport Police were to interview “The Fall Girl”, as the Press had labelled her, with a view to prosecution. She had boarded a moving train, they said, and trespassed onto their railway line. Her fight for justice took 5 years and was, she declares with no hesitation, a more harrowing experience than having both of her legs ‘stolen’ from her. As any young, single woman would be, Diana was shocked to the core by the sudden, catastrophic change in her body image. What man would ever love her now? The issues surrounding sexuality and disability are explored here with stark honesty as she recalls her complicated love life, the High Court dramas, and the rawness of her pain amidst a turmoil of emotion, all told with tremendous humour, charm and heart. For Diana loves to tell stories. Especially true ones. A brutally honest, heartwarming memoir that shocks and delights in equal measure – when you're not crying for her you're laughing with her: "A computer is a thing that can be disabled, not a person." Diana Morgan-Hill

Medical School for Everyone: Emergency Medicine


Roy Benaroch - 2015
    There's an elderly man complaining of chest pain, a teenage girl whose arms are swollen with bee stings, and an ambulance bringing in two unresponsive kids from a car crash. What do you do next?In Dr. Benaroch's 24 lectures, experience for yourself the high-stakes drama and medical insights of life in an everyday emergency department: the most intense department in any hospital and home to the kind of split-second decision making, troubleshooting, and detective work that can make the difference between a patient's life and death.Every lecture brings you up close and personal with the common and uncommon medical crises that emergency doctors encounter throughout their careers. As you shadow Dr. Benaroch on his shifts and sometimes even venture off-site, you'll encounter patients coming in with a variety of symptoms and complaints - some of which are easily diagnosed and treated and some of which are more life-threatening than they first appear. At the heart of each case are powerful examples of:How emergency doctors think on their feetHow emergency doctors determine what's really wrong with a patientHow emergency doctors rule in - or out - certain diagnosesHow emergency doctors counsel patients and families on improving healthThis is your opportunity to explore the adventure, mystery, and fascination of emergency medicine - and to discover why it's one of the most exciting and rewarding branches of medicine to work in.

The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare


Marcy Cottrell Houle - 2015
    

EMERGENCY 24/7: NURSES OF THE EMERGENCY ROOM


Echo Heron - 2015
    EMERGENCY 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, portrays thirty-one nurses, each with a distinctive voice and unique view of what really goes on behind the closed doors of the secret and chaotic world of the emergency room. Also included are the moment-by-moment chronicles of eleven nurses who worked in New York City and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001. These compelling accounts give new perspectives on the horrors and heroics of that tragic day. Ranging from inspiring to heart-rending to outrageously funny, these gripping narratives make EMERGENCY 24/7 a fascinating and provocative book—a fitting tribute to the frontline nurses.

Gone in a Heartbeat: A Physician's Search for True Healing


Neil Spector - 2015
    Neil Spector, one of the nation's top oncologists, led a charmed life. He was educated at prestigious universities, trained at top medical centers, and had married the woman of his dreams. It seemed too perfect. And it was.In 1994, it all came crashing down. He and his wife lost two unborn children. And a mysterious illness brought him to the brink of death. In his compelling memoir, Gone in a Heartbeat, Dr. Spector describes in great detail how he was misdiagnosed and, despite being a medical insider, was often discounted by his fellow physicians.As he recounts his own unorthodox approach to medicine and physician/patient relationships, Dr. Spector encourages readers to never surrender their power to a third party. He tells of courageous patients who served as role models, he conceded that doctors do a disservice to patients when "we treat them like statistics," and he advocates for educated patients who can make informed decisions collaboratively and not simply follow instructions. In Dr. Spector's words: "To recognize that we are in control of our own bodies and destinies can be a powerful step toward true healing."Readers of Gone in a Heartbeat will never view the medical profession the same again.

When a Family Member Has OCD: Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Skills to Help Families Affected by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder


Jon Hershfield - 2015
    This book is an essential guide to help family members cope with their loved one’s compulsive behaviors, obsessions, and constant need for reassurance.If your loved one has OCD, you may be unsure of how to express your concerns in a compassionate, effective way. In When a Family Member Has OCD, you and your family will learn ways to better understand and communicate with each other when OCD becomes a major part of your household. In addition to proven-effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques, you’ll find comprehensive information on OCD and its symptoms, as well as advice for each affected family member.OCD affects millions of people worldwide. Though significant advances have been made in medication and therapeutic treatments of the disorder, there are few resources available to help families deal with the impact of a loved one’s symptoms. This book provides a helpful guide for your family.

How the Immune System Works (The How it Works Series)


Lauren M. Sompayrac - 2015
    In this book, Dr. Sompayrac cuts through the jargon and details to reveal, in simple language, the essence of this complex subject: how the immune system fits together, how it protects us from disease and, perhaps most importantly, why it works the way it does.

Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal


Anthony William - 2015
    He’s done this by listening to a divine voice that literally speaks into his ear, telling him what lies at the root of people’s pain or illness, and what they need to do to restore their health. His methods achieve spectacular results, even for those who have spent years and many thousands of dollars on all forms of medicine before turning to him. Now, in this revolutionary book, he opens the door to all he has learned over his 25 years of bringing people’s lives back: a massive amount of healing information, much of which science won’t discover for decades and most of which has never appeared anywhere before.Medical Medium reveals the root causes of diseases and conditions that medical communities either misunderstand or struggle to understand at all. It explores all-natural solutions for dozens of the illnesses that plague us, including Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, hormonal imbalances, Hashimoto’s disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, neurological conditions, chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease, blood-sugar imbalances, colitis and other digestive disorders, and more. It also offers solutions for restoring the soul and spirit after illness has torn at our emotional fabric. Whether you’ve been given a diagnosis you don’t understand, or you have symptoms you don’t know how to name, or someone you love is sick, or you want to care for your own patients better, Medical Medium offers the answers you need. It’s also a guidebook for everyone seeking the secrets to living longer, healthier lives. “The truth about the world, ourselves, life, purpose—it all comes down to healing,” Anthony William writes. “And the truth about healing is now in your hands.”

My Life: Based on the Book Gifted Hands


Ben Carson - 2015
    Carson’s philosophies of serving one’s country, becoming role models for people with disadvantaged backgrounds, using the talents God has given you, embracing what success really is, and believing, youths and adults alike, that with hard work and perseverance, “you can do it.” And on May 4, 2015, Dr. Ben Carson declared himself a candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America.

Epic Measures: One Doctor. Seven Billion Patients.


Jeremy N. Smith - 2015
    While it is one of the largest scientific projects ever attempted—as breathtaking as the first moon landing or the Human Genome Project—the questions it answers are meaningful for every one of us: What are the world’s health problems? Who do they hurt? How much? Where? Why?Murray argues that the ideal existence isn’t simply the longest but the one lived well and with the least illness. Until we can accurately measure how people live and die, we cannot understand what makes us sick or do much to improve it. Challenging the accepted wisdom of the WHO and the UN, the charismatic and controversial health maverick has made enemies—and some influential friends, including Bill Gates who gave Murray a $100 million grant.In Epic Measures, journalist Jeremy N. Smith offers an intimate look at Murray and his groundbreaking work. From ranking countries’ healthcare systems (the U.S. is 37th) to unearthing the shocking reality that world governments are funding developing countries at only 30% of the potential maximum efficiency when it comes to health, Epic Measures introduces a visionary leader whose unwavering determination to improve global health standards has already changed the way the world addresses issues of health and wellness, sets policy, and distributes funding.

Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond


Sonia Shah - 2015
    But which one? And how?Over the past fifty years, more than three hundred infectious diseases have either newly emerged or reemerged, appearing in territories where they’ve never been seen before. Ninety percent of epidemiologists expect that one of them will cause a deadly pandemic sometime in the next two generations. It could be Ebola, avian flu, a drug-resistant superbug, or something completely new. While we can’t know which pathogen will cause the next pandemic, by unraveling the story of how pathogens have caused pandemics in the past, we can make predictions about the future. In Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond, the prizewinning journalist Sonia Shah—whose book on malaria, The Fever, was called a “tour-de-force history” (The New York Times) and “revelatory” (The New Republic)—interweaves history, original reportage, and personal narrative to explore the origins of contagions, drawing parallels between cholera, one of history’s most deadly and disruptive pandemic-causing pathogens, and the new diseases that stalk humankind today.To reveal how a new pandemic might develop, Sonia Shah tracks each stage of cholera’s dramatic journey, from its emergence in the South Asian hinterlands as a harmless microbe to its rapid dispersal across the nineteenth-century world, all the way to its latest beachhead in Haiti. Along the way she reports on the pathogens now following in cholera’s footsteps, from the MRSA bacterium that besieges her own family to the never-before-seen killers coming out of China’s wet markets, the surgical wards of New Delhi, and the suburban backyards of the East Coast.By delving into the convoluted science, strange politics, and checkered history of one of the world’s deadliest diseases, Pandemic reveals what the next global contagion might look like— and what we can do to prevent it.

Warrior Patient: How to Beat Deadly Diseases With Laughter, Good Doctors, Love, and Guts


Temple Emmet Williams - 2015
    Awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion in October 2015.Enjoy the surprisingly funny story of someone who recovers completely from a relentless series of medical problems, many resulting from the system designed to prevent them. Today, the patient plays tennis, walks, bikes and works out in a gym. Almost miraculously, he recaptures “normal.” Read how he does it in this award-winning story of survival.PREFACE: The world we live in has the best doctors and the most advanced medical system that our civilization has ever known. Yet 100,000 patients die and nine million suffer injury every year. If medical mistakes were a disease, it would be the sixth leading cause of deaths in America. In this extraordinary age of medical miracles, patients continue to sink into the quicksand of "going to the hospital." Who has not heard about someone who checked into a facility for "normal" surgery ... leading to their death? A cartoon makes a joke out of it. It shows a doctor in a laboratory, surrounded by white lab rats. "We don't need better medicine," he announces to his colleagues, "we need stronger lab rats." As you read Warrior Patient you become one of the nine million who suffer injury every year. You take an extraordinary, often amusing journey into the quicksand of modern medicine. In the midst of a long list of life-threatening illnesses, you learn to laugh and you learn how to become a much stronger lab rat, a "Warrior Patient." You take advantage of America's fabulous medical system. You are not taken advantage of by that system. The story unfolds with humor and anecdotes that capture characters, times and places, from good doctors to bad ones, from childhood to old age, from Africa to Sweden. In the end, you fully recover. You live again. You have a life. Enjoy the trip.

Medical School 2.0: An Unconventional Guide to Learn Faster, Ace the USMLE, and Get into Your Top Choice Residency


David Larson - 2015
    It is possible to do great in school while still having a rich and well-rounded life. Whether your dream is having time for international volunteer work, having time to do cutting edge research, having time to be the parent and spouse you want to be, having time to exercise relax and unwind, or just HAVING TIME to live more and work less, Medical School 2.0 is your blue print to thrive as a medical student.This step-by-step guide to medical school teaches: • How Dave, a medical student with below-average SAT and MCAT scores used these techniques to go from spending 16 hours a day on medical school and getting a “C” average to spending 1-3 hours a day on medical school and getting the top academic honors, 99.7th percentile on USMLE Steps 1 and 2, induction into the AOA honor society, and getting into his top choice residency in his top choice location, all the while enjoying the process of learning and having plenty of free time to enjoy life outside of medical school. • How to clarify your personal goals for your life in medicine and in medical school and use those to reverse-engineer a personalized and customized curriculum for yourself.• How to sift through seemingly infinite study sources and choose the highest yield information for your own unique goals.• How to apply the latest research findings in the neuroscience of learning and memory to supercharge your brain’s learning potential, maximizing your per-hour learning output.• How to structure and schedule your study sessions and your “work days” to maximize your learning potential.• What to eat and drink to fuel your brain to form and maintain sold long term memories of what you’re learning. This book is the result of hundreds of hours of research interviewing top-performing medical students across the USA to deconstruct the strategies behind their success, researching and integrating the latest science of how our brain’s learn, and then distilling the final product into a group of practical, simple, and extremely high yield tools and tricks to both maximize your mind’s learning output, to enjoy the process of learning, and to have the time to follow your dreams in medical school and beyond. These are the same strategies that the author used in medical school, continues to use now, and has taught to hundreds of other students who have achieved even better results.

Crystal Creek


Charlotte Nash - 2015
    She promised herself she was never going back to Townsville. But when a twist of fate lands her in a Townsville army base clinic, she must confront past hurts if she wants to succeed and, just maybe, find love.Captain Aiden Bell is used to the hard life of an army officer. But his career has taken an emotional toll that he hasn't dealt with until meeting Christina stirs memories, desire - and hope.Crystal Creek is the addictive new novel of romance, medicine and drama from the bestselling author of Ryders Ridge, and Iron Junction, Charlotte Nash.*INCLUDES bonus chapters of Iron Junction*'I was enthralled . . . Nash's skilled storytelling will keep you turning the pages until the very end' FLEUR MCDONALD

First Love


Taylor Hart - 2015
    Especially not with Michael Hamilton, the boy she’d written off ten years ago. Even though they both agree to no complications, Janet's not sure they can stick to it given their past. After a trip to the hot springs, a helicopter ride, and a proposal, even the most cautious single mother would start to wonder if true love really is just about the timing. Now Janet has to make a choice—play it safe or trust that her first love could also be her last.

Meeting Melissa


Margaret Ferguson - 2015
    Orphaned at birth and born with HIV during a time when just the mention of the immune disorder still scared many people, the precocious twelve-year-old never gives up hope. As Julie and Melissa begin anew life together, they don’t need anything or anyone, except each other. Peter is a middle aged Country Western singer who needs a little miracle in his life. His marriage is crumbling, his career waning and he has to be sobered up before every performance. After one last stint in rehab, he’s alone and lost. Until he meets Melissa and her foster mom. How can one young girl change so many lives? Meeting Melissa is a fun, sassy romance filled with first kisses and first true loves; a sweet mix of romantic interludes that will make you laugh and cry. Isn’t it time you met Melissa?

Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine


Paul A. Offit - 2015
    Although America is the most medically advanced place in the world, many people disregard modern medicine in favor of using their faith to fight life threatening illnesses. Christian Scientists pray for healing instead of going to the doctor, Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish mohels spread herpes by using a primitive ritual to clean the wound. Tragically, children suffer and die every year from treatable diseases, and in most states it is legal for parents to deny their children care for religious reasons. In twenty-first century America, how could this be happening? In Bad Faith, acclaimed physician and author Dr. Paul Offit gives readers a never-before-seen look into the minds of those who choose to medically martyr themselves, or their children, in the name of religion. Offit chronicles the stories of these faithful and their children, whose devastating experiences highlight the tangled relationship between religion and medicine in America. Religious or not, this issue reaches everyone -- whether you are seeking treatment at a Catholic hospital or trying to keep your kids safe from diseases spread by their unvaccinated peers. Replete with vivid storytelling and complex, compelling characters, Bad Faith makes a strenuous case that denying medicine to children in the name of religion isn't't just unwise and immoral, but a rejection of the very best aspects of what belief itself has to offer.

The Laws of Medicine: Field Notes from an Uncertain Science


Siddhartha Mukherjee - 2015
    The book, The Youngest Science, forced Dr. Mukherjee to ask himself an urgent, fundamental question: Is medicine a “science”? Sciences must have laws—statements of truth based on repeated experiments that describe some universal attribute of nature. But does medicine have laws like other sciences?Dr. Mukherjee has spent his career pondering this question—a question that would ultimately produce some of most serious thinking he would do around the tenets of his discipline—culminating in The Laws of Medicine. In this important treatise, he investigates the most perplexing and illuminating cases of his career that ultimately led him to identify the three key principles that govern medicine.Brimming with fascinating historical details and modern medical wonders, this important book is a fascinating glimpse into the struggles and Eureka! moments that people outside of the medical profession rarely see. Written with Dr. Mukherjee’s signature eloquence and passionate prose, The Laws of Medicine is a critical read, not just for those in the medical profession, but for everyone who is moved to better understand how their health and well-being is being treated. Ultimately, this book lays the groundwork for a new way of understanding medicine, now and into the future.

Concussion


Jeanne Marie Laskas - 2015
    Bennet Omalu, the pathologist who made one of the most significant medical discoveries of the twenty-first century, a discovery that challenges the existence of America’s favorite sport and puts Omalu in the crosshairs of football’s most powerful corporation: the NFL. Jeanne Marie Laskas first met the young forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu in 2009, while reporting a story for GQ that would go on to inspire the movie Concussion. Omalu told her about a day in September 2002, when, in a dingy morgue in downtown Pittsburgh, he picked up a scalpel and made a discovery that would rattle America in ways he’d never intended. Omalu was new to America, chasing the dream, a deeply spiritual man escaping the wounds of civil war in Nigeria. The body on the slab in front of him belonged to a fifty-year-old named Mike Webster, aka “Iron Mike,” a Hall of Fame center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the greatest ever to play the game. After retiring in 1990, Webster had suffered a dizzyingly steep decline. Toward the end of his life, he was living out of his van, tasering himself to relieve his chronic pain, and fixing his rotting teeth with Super Glue. How did this happen?, Omalu asked himself. How did a young man like Mike Webster end up like this? The search for answers would change Omalu’s life forever and put him in the crosshairs of one of the most powerful corporations in America: the National Football League. What Omalu discovered in Webster’s brain—proof that Iron Mike’s mental deterioration was no accident but a disease caused by blows to the head that could affect everyone playing the game—was the one truth the NFL wanted to ignore.   Taut, gripping, and gorgeously told, Concussion is the stirring story of one unlikely man’s decision to stand up to a multibillion-dollar colossus, and to tell the world the truth.  Advance praise for Concussion “A gripping medical mystery and a dazzling portrait of the young scientist no one wanted to listen to . . . a fabulous, essential read.”—Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks“The story of Dr. Bennet Omalu’s battle against the NFL is classic David and Goliath stuff, and Jeanne Marie Laskas—one of my favorite writers on earth—makes it as exciting as any great courtroom or gridiron drama. A riveting, powerful human tale—and a master class on how to tell a story.”—Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit   “Bennet Omalu forced football to reckon with head trauma. The NFL doesn’t want you to hear his story, but Jeanne Marie Laskas makes it unforgettable. This book is gripping, eye-opening, and full of heart.”—Emily Bazelon, author of Sticks and Stones

When Angels Fly


S. Jackson - 2015
    This may be especially true if one lives in an environment most would consider less than desirable. Some are lucky to find their futures much like their childhood dreams. Others find the paths to their dreams strewn with hurdles. Growing up, Sarah dodged her mother’s blows. She often hid in her room crying about her life. Still, she believes in her future and the happiness it can bring. In their book When Angels Fly, authors S. Stevens and A. Raymond tell Sarah’s story--their stories. The authors use their journals to describe Sarah’s experiences of family dysfunction, strength, courage, faith, abuse, grief, and so much more. You’ll read how, like many, she attempts to escape from her mother’s abuse through marriage. And like many, she learns it is not a viable alternative. Then Sarah experiences a parent’s ultimate tragedy twice, the deaths of her sons, Joshua and Eli. When Angels Fly is about much more than the telling of a family’s tragedy. It is also the story of finding faith after it has wavered. Most of all, it’s a story of love lost and found. After reading When Angels Fly, I realized how fortunate I am that my two children are alive and well. --J. Thayer McKinney, author, Haunting of LaBelle

Emergency: Romance Super Bundle


Bobby Hutchinson - 2015
    Josephs Medical Center in Vancouver, B.C. Each story highlights the lives and loves of those who choose to serve in the medical field. ˃˃˃ THEY FACE LIFE AND DEATH ON A DAILY BASIS, STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN ONE AND DEFEAT THE OTHER. Medicine can heal, doctors know that--but often they also need to learn that love has a power beyond our comprehension. All they--and all of us--have to know is how to give and receive it, unconditionally.

Uncomplicate Business: All It Takes Is People, Time, and Money


Howard Farran - 2015
    Howard Farran shows that running a business isn’t all that complicated—if, you’re focusing on the right three areas: •People: maximizing the potential of employees, customers, and yourself.•Time: mastering the efficiency that helps a business turn the biggest profit possible.•Money: learning to love the numbers that function as the business’s scorecard.With simplicity, good humor, and plenty of stories Dr. Farran reveals the actions that can lead anyone to bigger profits, happier people, and a more fulfilling life.

Charity: The Heroic and Heartbreaking Story of Charity Hospital in Hurricane Katrina


Jim Carrier - 2015
    Then came the water, and for five days, the country’s oldest hospital was under siege. The never-before-told story of the heroic doctors, nurses — and patients — who fought to survive Hurricane Katrina at Charity Hospital in New Orleans.The story traces a remarkable five-day transformation of an infirm institution, caught in a sea of death and indifference, into an island of care and tenderness.

The Naked Surgeon: the power and peril of transparency in medicine


Samer Nashef - 2015
    We all have one, but most of us will never see one. The heart surgeon now has that privilege but, for centuries, the heart was out of reach even for surgeons. So when a surgeon nowadays opens up a ribcage and mends a heart, it remains something of a miracle, even if, to some, it is merely plumbing. As with plumbers, the quality of surgeons’ work varies. As with plumbers, surgeons’ opinion of their own prowess and their own attitude to risk are not always reliable. Measurement is key. We’ve had a century of effective evidence-based medicine. We’ve had barely a decade of thorough monitoring of clinical outcomes. Thanks to the ground-breaking risk modelling of pioneering surgeons like Samer Nashef, we at last know how to judge whether an operation is in a patient’s best interest, which hospital and surgeon would be best for that operation, when it might best be performed and what the exact level of risk is. We have at last made what is important in surgery measurable. But how should surgeons, and their patients, use these newfound insights? Ever since his days as a medical student, Samer Nashef has challenged the medical profession to be more open and more accurate about the success of surgical procedures, for the sake of the patients. In The Naked Surgeon, he unclothes his own profession to demonstrate to his reader (and prospective patient) many revelations, such as the paradox at the heart of the cardiac surgeon’s craft: the more an operation is likely to kill you, the better it is for you. And he does so with absolute clarity, fluency and not a little wit.

Intensive Care


Nicki Edwards - 2015
    But appearances are deceiving, and in one fell swoop everything comes crashing down around her. In a moment of spontaneity, Kate leaves her city life and takes a new role as Nurse Unit Manager at Birrangulla Base Hospital, but her dream move proves harder than expected.Local café owner Joel O'Connor finds himself increasingly drawn to the gorgeous new nurse, but like Kate, he's been scarred by love and isn't looking to jump into anything. Yet their chemistry is hard to deny and after a near fatal incident, Joel and Kate find themselves opening up to one another.Just when Kate thinks she's found love again, their fragile relationship is thwarted by their pasts. Can they both let go of their guilt and grief to move on to a bright new future?

The Kiss of Death


Sarah Natale - 2015
    Though she is considered nobility due to a distant relative, she refuses to think of herself as such. She is close to a childhood friend, Matthias de Bourgueville, with whom she spends much of her time. They have just returned from an outing at the theatre when her world is shaken up. Suddenly the servants have taken sick, and soon everyone in London is becoming ill with a mysterious disease. People are dying rapidly and the physicians can do little to halt the spread of disease. Elizabeth and Matthias begin to lose family members, causing a rift in their relationship as love and religion come between them. For what kind of God would inflict such pain and cruelty? Finally, when her home is bolted shut and she and her sick and dying family are trapped inside a Plague House with no escape, Elizabeth is faced with a choice: remain and die, or flee and take cover in the faith that God will protect her. But time is running out, and she is losing hope. To top things off, Matthias has professed his undying love for her and a proposal of marriage. But if they're all to die anyway, what is the point of going on? This is a story of a young woman faced with the pain of loss and decision to stay strong in a world that's destined to destroy her and everything she loves. It is the tale of looking death in the eye and turning the other cheek. But when faith is lost and death is omnipresent, will she refuse its kiss?

Welcome to New Orleans...How many shots did you hear?: True stories working as a medic and a cop in and around the Big Easy


B.J. Schneider - 2015
    Schneider recounts one hundred of the most remarkable events in his career. You will take a ride with him and his partners experiencing the highs of life saving action, the lows of losing friends on the job as well some of the most hilarious moments experienced by the men and women in EMS. Be there for major events such as Hurricane Katrina and Andrew, the crashing of the Ship Bright field and spend time with the medics of the New Orleans Health Department during some of the bloodiest years of the city’s history. In the end you will have laughed, cried and gained a deep respect for those that put their life on the line to save yours.

CCRN Exam with Online Test


Patricia Juarez - 2015
    Always study with the most up-to-date prep! Look for Adult CCRN Exam, ISBN 9781438012346, on sale October 06, 2020.Publisher's Note: Products purchased from third-party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitles included with the product.

Living Life to the Fullest with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Guide to Living a Better Quality of Life While Having EDS


Kevin Muldowney - 2015
    As a physical therapist, he has developed an exercise protocol to help stabilized the many joint subluxations/dislocations associated with this genetic disorder. This book is intended for the person diagnosed with EDS to both inform them about the healthcare team needed to properly treat them as well as to guide both the physical therapist and their patient with EDS through the Muldowney exercise protocol. This book will cover such topics as: how joints sublux in this population, how to find the right physical therapist, how to exercise without injury and what physical therapy techniques works best. By the end of this protocol people with EDS should be better informed about what is going on with their body and how to make it better.

Heal Endometriosis Naturally: WITHOUT Painkillers, Drugs or Surgery


Wendy Laidlaw - 2015
    Inside this book you will find the road map detailing the 12 basic principles I used to heal my endometriosis naturally after suffering for over 33 years.Heal Endometriosis Naturally shows you how to:* Eliminate underlying triggers of endometriosis * Get rid of the debilitating pain within three menstrual periods* Dissolve and eliminate cysts and adhesions* Beat chronic fatigue

Near Death in the ICU


Laurin Bellg - 2015
    But do we have to fully understand these events to honor the transformative role they often play in the lives of those who experience them? Do we need to prove they are something more than the result of illness, medication or a dying brain to acknowledge their power to impact lives in a positive way?

The Patient's Playbook: How to Save Your Life and the Lives of Those You Love


Leslie D. Michelson - 2015
    And many more of us are not receiving the best care possible, even though it’s readily available and we’re entitled to it. The key is knowing how to access it.The Patient’s Playbook is a call to action. It will change the way you manage your health and the health of your family, and it will show you how to choose the right doctor, coordinate the best care, and get to the No-Mistake Zone in medical decision making. Leslie D. Michelson has devoted his life’s work to helping people achieve superior medical outcomes at every stage of their lives. Michelson presents real-life stories that impart lessons and illuminate his easy-to-follow strategies for navigating complex situations and cases.   The Patient’s Playbook is an essential guide to the most effective techniques for getting the best from a broken system: sourcing excellent physicians, selecting the right treatment protocols, researching with precision, and structuring the ideal support team. Along the way you will learn: Why having the right primary care physician will change your lifeThree things you can do right now to be better prepared when illness strikesThe ten must-ask questions at the end of a hospital stayHow to protect yourself from unnecessary and dangerous treatmentsWays to avoid the four most common mistakes in the first twenty-four hours of a medical emergency This book will enable you to become a smarter health care consumer—and to replace anxiety with confidence.

The Primal Prescription: Surviving The "Sick Care" Sinkhole


Doug McGuff - 2015
    health care system is in a state of disrepair, but the rabbit hole goes deeper than even the staunchest critics may realize. In Primal Prescription, authors Doug McGuff and Robert Murphy combine their expertise in economics and medicine to offer a shocking, disturbing, and ultimately enlightening view into America’s health care system. You’ll discover the real history of what went wrong with U.S. health care and insurance, and why current efforts to clean up the mess are only making things worse.But far from leaving you feeling helpless at the dismal—and sometimes deadly—state of affairs, Primal Prescription equips you with both the knowledge to understand the health care conundrum and the tools for navigating your way out of it. McGuff and Murphy offer an evidence-based “game plan” for taking control of your own medical care, protecting yourself and your loved ones regardless of what the future holds for the rest of the nation.Whether you’re currently tangled in America’s broken health care system or simply trying to avoid its clutches, Primal Prescription is a must-have resource for taking your health into your own hands.

Dragon's Blood & Willow Bark: The Mysteries of Medieval Medicine


Toni Mount - 2015
    Although no one could allay the dread of plague, the medical profession provided cosmetic procedures, women's sanitary products, dietary advice and horoscopes predicting the sex of unborn babies or the best day to begin a journey. Surgeons performed life-saving procedures, sometimes using anaesthetics, with post-operative antibiotic and antiseptic treatments to reduce the chances of infection. They knew a few tricks to lessen the scarring, too. Yet alongside such expertise, some still believed that unicorns, dragons and elephants supplied vital medical ingredients and the caladrius bird could diagnose recovery or death. This is the weird, wonderful and occasionally beneficial world of medieval medicine. In her new book, popular historian Toni Mount guides the reader through this labyrinth of strange ideas and such unlikely remedies as leeches, meadowsweet, roasted cat and red bed curtains - some of which modern medicine is now coming to value - but without the nasty smells or any threat to personal wellbeing and safety. N.B. No animals, large, furry or mythological, were harmed during research for this book.

All the Above: My son's battle with brain cancer


Julia McDermott - 2015
    Sitting right behind his optic nerves, the tumor rapidly threatened to take his vision, and Jack was rushed into surgery. For the next six months, he fought the battle of his life. Told with honesty, tenderness, and compassion, All the Above chronicles his mom’s emotional struggle as she and her family did everything possible to help Jack survive brain cancer. This inspiring true story of courage, optimism, and hope will touch all those whose world has changed in a day, and who have faced grief and loss.

Intertwined


Jennifer Slattery - 2015
    Now she is fighting to keep her job and her sanity when one late night she encounters an old flame facing an unthinkable tragedy. Because they both find eternal purposes in every event and encounter, they soon discover their lives are intertwined but the ICU is no place for romance....or is it? This could this be where life begins again.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses: 101 Stories of Appreciation and Wisdom


Amy Newmark - 2015
    This collection of 101 heartwarming stories will encourage, inspire, and reassure you that your patients and their families appreciate your compassionate service.Every nurse can use a little pick-me-up these days, and this collection of personal stories will remind you why you became a nurse. All types of nurses share their experiences, their emotions, and even some great tips that will help you make a difference in the lives of patients and their families.

You Were Stabbed Where?: Real Stories from a Small-Town ER


Kerry Hamm - 2015
    Since the last two books were published, patients have taken crazy to a new level, including bringing weapons into the ER and making Facebook's 'Trending News' section. Written by a registration clerk, these are true stories from the first person to see the patients at this small-town hospital in Ohio.

Natural Treatments for Lyme Coinfections: Anaplasma, Babesia, and Ehrlichia


Stephen Harrod Buhner - 2015
    One of the largest factors in misdiagnosis of Lyme is the presence of other tick-borne infections, which mask or aggravate the symptoms of Lyme disease as well as complicate treatment. Three newly emergent Lyme coinfections are Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma. Tens of thousands of people are known to be asymptomatically infected and at least ten percent will become symptomatic this year--with symptoms ranging from chronic headache and arthritis to seizures. Distilling the latest scientific research on Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Lyme disease, Stephen Buhner examines the complex synergy between these infections and reveals how they can go undiagnosed or resurface after antibiotic treatment. He explains how these organisms create cytokine cascades in the body--essentially sending the immune system into an overblown, uncontrolled inflammatory response in much the same way rheumatoid arthritis or cancer can. Providing an in-depth guide for those suffering from Babesia, Ehrlichia, or Anaplasma infection as well as for clinicians who work with those infected by these organisms, Buhner details effective natural holistic methods centered on herbs and supplements, such as Ashwaganda and Chinese Skullcap, and reveals how to treat specific symptoms, interrupt the cytokine cascades, reduce inflammation, and bring the immune system back into balance. He explains how these natural methods not only complement conventional Lyme disease treatments involving antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals but also provide relief when other forms of treatment have failed.

A Country Doctor


John Tracy - 2015
    The patient case files range from funny stories to life and death dramas. Meanwhile, the doctor discovers the value of the old timey house call and how much is left to learn in treating even common illnesses. He discovers the pitfalls inherent in the business of medicine and the dangers hidden in the use of information technology. This is a valuable and enjoyable book for anyone who has ever experienced health care in the United States.

The Drake Series Complete Collection: Drake Restrained / Drake Unbound / Drake Unwound


S.E. Lund - 2015
    E. Lund: The Drake Series Complete Collection: Books 1 - 3 of the Drake Series Drake Morgan, MD, Neurosurgeon, bass player, philanthropist – Dominant. He doesn't do girlfriends, he doesn’t do sleepovers, and he certainly doesn't do breakfast in bed the morning after. He has his surgical slate at New York Presbyterian, he has a charitable foundation providing surgical tools to hospitals in Africa, he has his Brit Invasion cover band, Mersey, and he has his secret life as a Dominant in Manhattan's BDSM community. Into bondage, D/s and the occasional dungeon scene, Drake keeps every part of his life separate, the divisions between them neat and tidy. His weeks are filled with surgeries, music and D/s sex, and none of the well-planned and scheduled parts of his life intersect. That is until Kate McDermott crosses his path and screws everything up. Now, nothing is neat and tidy anymore, for Drake is smitten and things are going to get messy… ***Note*** The Drake Series is The Unrestrained Series told from Drake's point of view. It includes brand new material as well as scenes from The Agreement as seen through Drake's eyes. The series is intended for 18+ due to explicit content.

The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures


Lisa Dougherty - 2015
    Now in its 9th edition, this full-colour manual provides the underlying theory and evidence for procedures enabling nurses to gain the confidence they need to become fully informed, skilled practitioners.Written with the qualified nurse in mind, this manual provides up-to-date, detailed, evidence-based guidelines for over 200 procedures related to every aspect of a person′s care including key information on equipment, the procedure and post-procedure guidance, along with full colour illustrations and photos.Following extensive market research, this ninth edition: contains the procedures and changes in practice that reflect modern acute nursing care includes thoroughly reviewed and updated evidence underpinning all procedures is organised and structured to represent the needs of a patient along their care pathway integrates risk-management into relevant chapters to ensure it is central to care contains revised procedures following 'hands-on' testing by staff and students at Kingston University is also available as an online edition

1 Man, 3 Hearts, 9 Lives: A story of hope, resilience, and survival


Christophe Lafontant - 2015
    Although left completely perplexed as to the cause of this mysterious illness, doctors still did everything in their power to keep him alive. Christophe survived a pacemaker implantation, two heart transplants, diabetes, dialysis treatment, a kidney transplant, a tracheostomy, and other life altering procedures. Desperate to attain a life of "normalcy", Christophe spent his whole life trying to conceal his illness and true identity from those around him. Instead, he chose to live in a world of disillusioned perfection until one day uncovering a deep-seated family betrayal. It wasn't long, however, before those painfully dark emotions he tried so hard to bury would catch up with him, causing him to sink deeper into an already existing drug addiction. Although he consistently defied the odds medically, he was slowly dying emotionally. 1 Man, 3 Hearts, and still ALIVE.

The Mountains Trilogy


Phoebe Alexander - 2015
     The Mountains Trilogy is a steamy military romance series that pairs two unlikely lovers: a liberal, open-minded polyamorous college professor and a conservative, traditional, Catholic officer in the Army. Can Sarah and James climb the mountains that are keeping them apart? Book 1: Mountains Wanted Dr. Sarah Lynde is an open-minded sexual adventurer. A sociology professor and single mother of two, she thinks she knows exactly what she wants, and it's not a relationship.That is, until she meets Army First Sergeant James McAllister, a handsome and intelligent ROTC instructor. Despite being from very different worlds, their connection is unlike anything she has ever experienced. Sarah knows she and James don't want the same things, but he's still a mountain she can't resist climbing. Book 2: Mountains Climbed In this second book of the Mountains Trilogy, James is engaged and deployed. Sarah is trying to move on--made easier by a new man in her life, Garrett Stone. This fiery redhead with the voice of an angel provides a needed distraction, but when James returns home, he wants to see her. He wants to be friends, not that his fiancee is thrilled with the idea. Is there any way to work things out so all parties are happy? Or will someone's heart be trampled along the way? Book 3: Mountains Loved In this final book of the Mountains Trilogy, Dr. Sarah Lynde and Lt. James McAllister are together at last. But it seems their mountain climbing days have only just begun as new obstacles rise up along their path. Sarah's daughter Abigail has gone off to college and faces her own mountains: figuring out who she is, what kind of life she wants to live, and with whom she wants to spend it. Join Abigail, Sarah and James as they endure the valleys and climb to new heights on their quest for a happily ever after. **This book is intended for mature readers who are 18+*** The Mountains Trilogy is an erotic military romance series that pairs two unlikely lovers: a liberal, open-minded polyamorous college professor and a conservative, traditional, Catholic officer in the Army. Can Sarah and James climb the mountains that are keeping them apart? Book 1: Mountains Wanted Book 2: Mountains Climbed Book 3: Mountains Loved Other books in this series: Christmas in the Mountains (spin-off novella) The Navigator (Garrett Stone's story)

Death Becomes Us


Pamela Skjolsvik - 2015
    New cover

Jonas Salk: A Life


Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs - 2015
    Born in a New York tenement, humble in manner, Salk had all the makings of a twentieth-century icon--a knight in a white coat. In the wake ofhis achievement, he received a staggering number of awards and honors; for years his name ranked with Gandhi and Churchill on lists of the most revered people. And yet the one group whose adulation he craved--the scientific community--remained ominously silent. The worst tragedy that could havebefallen me was my success, Salk later said. I knew right away that I was through--cast out.In the first complete biography of Jonas Salk, Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs unravels Salk's story to reveal an unconventional scientist and a misunderstood and vulnerable man. Despite his incredible success in developing the polio vaccine, Salk was ostracized by his fellow scientists, who accused him offailing to give proper credit to other researchers and scorned his taste for media attention. Even before success catapulted him into the limelight, Salk was an inscrutable man disliked by many of his peers. Driven by an intense desire to aid mankind, he was initially oblivious and eventuallyresigned to the personal cost--as well as the costs suffered by his family and friends. And yet Salk remained, in the eyes of the public, an adored hero.Based on hundreds of personal interviews and unprecedented access to Salk's sealed archives, Jacobs' biography offers the most complete picture of this complicated figure. Salk's story has never been fully told; until now, his role in preventing polio has overshadowed his part in co-developing thefirst influenza vaccine, his effort to meld the sciences and humanities in the magnificent Salk Institute, and his pioneering work on AIDS. A vivid and intimate portrait, this will become the standard work on the remarkable life of Jonas Salk.

Paleo from A to Z: A reference guide to better health through nutrition and lifestyle. How to eat, live and thrive as nature intended!


Darryl Edwards - 2015
    A Paleo Lifestyle Encyclopaedia “If you are looking for a simple way to better understand Paleo concepts, Darryl's Paleo from A to Z guide is the go-to resource.”– Mark Sisson, best-selling author of The Primal BlueprintLooking for answers to your questions about Paleo living?

Look no further! This Paleo encyclopaedia makes it easy to learn how to achieve better health by reducing the impact of foods and practices that didn’t exist before the dawn of agriculture.

Written in jargon-free language, Paleo from A to Z lists over 500 alphabetised topics and incorporates a simple cross-referencing system that links related subjects together—so you can find the answers to your questions quickly and easily.

Not only does this handy guide provide you with the information you need to achieve better health through nutrition and lifestyle, it will also motivate you to stay on your journey to improved well-being with practical tips, tricks, and trivia.

Topics covered in Paleo from A to Z include:

 
 What foods to enjoy and avoid for a healthy Paleo diet 
 Toxic chemicals to dodge in your food, on your skin, and in your home 
 The role of inflammation in your body 
 Simple tips to improve sleep, reduce stress, and regain vitality 
 

Whether you’re new to Paleo living or you’re an experienced practitioner, this is your go-to guide for living the healthy lifestyle that nature intended.

Heal: The Vital Role of Dogs in the Search for Cancer Cures


Arlene Weintraub - 2015
    Learn how veterinarians and oncologists are working together to discover new treatments — cutting-edge therapies designed to help both dogs and people suffering from cancer. Heal introduces readers to the field of comparative oncology by describing several research projects aimed at finding new therapies for cancers that are similar in dogs and people, including lymphoma, osteosarcoma, breast cancer, melanoma, and gastric cancer. Weintraub, who lost her sister to gastric cancer, also writes about the emerging science behind the remarkable ability of dogs to sniff out early-stage cancer, and the efforts underway to translate that talent into diagnostic devices for early detection of the disease. In the course of bringing these dogs and their human companions to life, Weintraub takes her own personal journey from grief to healing, as she shows her readers how man’s best friend might be the key to unlocking the mysteries of cancer.

Dangerous Love


Kara Leigh Miller - 2015
    He believes himself incapable of ever loving again, but when a mysterious woman arrives in the Emergency Room, brutally beaten and left for dead, he starts to feel something he hasn’t felt in far too long:hope.Alessandra Matthews has no memory of the events that led to her being hospitalized. Worse, she has no idea who hurt her or why. Although she’s uncertain of who she is, she is fully aware of one thing -- she’s falling for her doctor.Sometimes, what you don’t know can kill you...As Josh and Alessa work to solve the mystery surrounding her past, she soon realizes just how much danger she’s really in, but Josh refuses to let her face the darkness of her memories alone. With each of them struggling to put their pasts behind them, theirs is a DANGEROUS LOVE.

The Long Road to Heaven


Kathryn Harris - 2015
    She left a lot of things unsaid back then. She never told her high school sweetheart about their baby. She never told anyone what her father did to drive her away. But keeping secrets is growing increasingly difficult. In the years since her departure, she's found unrivaled success in the music business, and her high-profile marriage to her band's drummer has made Heather the apple of the paparazzi's eye.When she stumbles in her father's footsteps and forsakes the love of her family and friends for the comfort in a bottle of whiskey Heather faces the possibility of losing her child for good.The choice is clear -- the booze or her baby, which is more important? The answer is obvious.But will confronting the demons of her past drive her back to the one place she swore she'd never see again?This is an alternate cover edition for ISBN-10: 0692456805ISBN-13: 978-0692456804

Born for Life: A Midwife's Story


Julie Watson - 2015
     Life could not have been happier until the tragic death of her own baby in the first hour of life, led to depression, loneliness and despair. This true story tells of Julie’s struggle to triumph over adversity and follows her journey to fulfill her dream and become the midwife she was born to be.

The Road to Terminus


Catherine Leggitt - 2015
    One is running away, one is racing the clock, and the child who binds them merely hopes to survive.Middle-aged widow Mabel Crowley hasn’t felt needed in years. But when a homeless child named Stryker shows up at church one Sunday, Mabel’s life takes a drastic turn. George Stanton is not who he seems. Running from the law in his brand new 1955 Lincoln Continental, he’s planning a mad dash to Mexico to leave his past behind. He can’t let an old woman and a sick kid get in his way.Eleven-year-old Stryker has never eaten with utensils and doesn’t know how to read, but she can identify the make, year, and model of every car on the road. She won’t reveal the identity of her mother or why she’s been told to never let her tattered stuffed monkey out of her sight.Mabel races against time to save Stryker’s life. George only wants to save his own skin. Soon their destinies become irrevocably entwined, and the road they choose could change their lives forever.

A Blast from the Past (A Second Chance Romance)


Sharon Cummin - 2015
    His name was Zander. We spent four amazing years together. Then he left me. It had been sixteen years since I'd heard his voice or seen his face. I'd spent the last two of those years helping his mom care for his sick father. Not for one second did I think he'd come back. I was wrong. When he walked back into my life as if nothing happened, I didn't know what to do. A few days. He was only going to be there a few days. What could it hurt? When secrets were revealed, I realized something. Maybe he hadn't left me. Maybe he was the there the whole time. I just had to figure out what that meant.

The Homestead Girls


Fiona McArthur - 2015
    So when an opportunity to pursue her childhood dream of joining the Flying Doctor Service comes along, she jumps at the chance. Flight nurse Daphne Prince – who is thrilled to have another woman join the otherwise male crew – and handsome new boss, Morgan Blake, instantly make her feel welcome.Just out of town, drought-stricken grazier Soretta Byrnes has been struggling to make ends meet and in desperation has opened her station house to boarders. Tempted by its faded splendour and beautiful outback setting, Billy, Mia and Daphne decide to move in and the four of them are soon joined by eccentric 80-year-old Lorna Lamerton.The unlikely housemates are cautious at first, but soon they are offering each other frank advice and staunch support as they tackle medical emergencies, romantic adventures and the challenges of growing up and getting older. But when one of their lives is threatened, the strong friendship they have forged will face the ultimate test . . .

Emergency Laughter: Stories of Humor Inside Ambulances and Operating Rooms


Mike Cyra - 2015
    Whether he's assisting trauma surgeons who are singing “Take me out to the ballgame” while removing a well-placed iconic symbol of America’s greatest past time, learning how fast he can run after being shot at by an angry couple who called for an ambulance, working with a prankster-loving urologist who demonstrates how bladder problems were diagnosed before modern urinalysis, or screaming like a little girl while doing night rounds with a dead flashlight on a psychiatric ward, Cyra’s comedic style of storytelling will make your cheeks sore. Emergency Laughter: Stories of Humor Inside Ambulances and Operating Rooms shows why most health care professionals have such a twisted sense of humor and how critical laughter is to the survival of both patient and care giver.

Skill: 40 Principles that Surgeons, Athletes, and Other Elite Performers Use to Achieve Mastery


Christopher S. Ahmad - 2015
    It feeds our success and fuels our failures (which is a good thing). However, too few of us embrace the notion that acquiring skill is a skill in itself.How we develop skill; the effort we put in; our attitudes even, as we work to improve, requires specific attributes of its own. In his book, SKILL, Christopher Ahmad, MD, provides 40 clear and compelling tips on how to achieve mastery — regardless of your pursuits.Dr. Ahmad is the Head Team Physician for the New York Yankees, a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, as well as an internationally recognized Orthopaedic Surgeon — he is also an aspiring competitive chess player, skier, chef, oenophile, soccer player, coach, friend, husband, son, brother and parent. To excel in each of these endeavors, he has dedicated his life to skill acquisition — from the hard skills required to save a multimillionaire athlete’s career to the soft skills of parenting. Dr. Ahmad consciously strives to be better at everything at all times. He will tell you he is not naturally gifted; that practice, patience and persistence have led him through this journey.Based on the life lessons he absorbed reading NY Times best-selling author Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code, Chris fashioned his own take on how to achieve excellence by focusing on the best ways to acquire and master skills as much as the skills themselves.

A Touch of Christmas Magic


Scarlet Wilson - 2015
    Bonnie's looking for a fresh start, but she didn't expect it to be with brooding--and totally gorgeous--Jacob...Family life has never been an option for Jacob--especially after his recent cancer diagnosis. Yet the Christmas magic Bonnie and Freya bring into his home makes Jacob feel more alive than ever! It's supposed to be temporary, but can Jacob really let Bonnie go?

Reflections of a Surgeon


V.N. Shrikhande - 2015
    He was an average student transformed to become an inspiring teacher and in spite of his speech defect, adored as a speaker. Part A. J. Cronin, part Gray’s Anatomy and, interestingly, part philosophy, part Indian value education and part spiritualism—It is a humble account of a life that was well lived and explains in simple language, the advantage of remaining focussed, despite the ‘noise’ that surrounds our lives today. This book is not meant to be a chronicle of Dr. Shrikhande’s professional success but is about the various many people he has interacted with, their stories and the impact they have left on him. The reader will surely gain many an insight into how life can be well lived and how true success should actually be measured. His Marathi book ‘…Aani Don Haath’ published by Popular Prakashan, was a best-seller for 12 weeks and an audio-book version of the same was broadcast on All India Radio to much acclaim. Many doctors and patients found in it inspiration to change their lifestyles. The book has received numerous literary awards including the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad’s Laxmibai Tilak Award, US based Maharashtra Foundation Award for Progressive Literature, Dhananjay Keer Smruti Puraskar for Autographical Literature by the Kokan Marathi Sahitya Parishad, Bhairuratan Damani Sahitya Puraskar, and M. B. Yande Award for Literature among others.

The New York Times Book of Science: The Best Science Writing From the Pages of The New York Times


The New York Times - 2015
    These 125 articles from its archives are the very best, covering more than a century of scientific breakthroughs, setbacks, and mysteries. The varied topics range from chemistry to the cosmos, biology to ecology, genetics to artificial intelligence, all curated by the former editor of Science Times, David Corcoran. Big, informative, and wide-ranging, this journey through the scientific stories of our times is a must-have for all science enthusiasts.

Searching for Sitala Mata: Eradicating Smallpox in India


Cornelia E. Davis - 2015
    This is an inspiring story of a pioneering African American woman doctor fresh out of residency training. In 1975 Cornelia Davis MD sought a way to give back for her life’s opportunities. Her bold choice would benefit millions of lives. The World Health Organization hired Davis to work in its landmark smallpox eradication program. Connie traveled to India, where she scoured the countryside for the last remnants of the brutal, deadly disease. Connie didn’t allow entrenched sexism, or caste taboos to deter her from her fascinating mission. She tracked smallpox through the Thar Desert on camelback and across volatile Indo-Bangladeshi borders. She negotiated with smugglers and fakirs. She met Mother Theresa. She climbed to the base camp of Mount Everest. Finally, her symbolic search for Sitala Mata, the Hindu smallpox goddess, came to a positive conclusion. An international certification team declared smallpox eradicated in India. To this day, smallpox is the only disease that’s been completely wiped out. Davis played a role in stopping a pestilence that’s dogged humanity for thousands of years. Searching for Sitala Mata is the story of how one brave woman’s simple desire to pay it forward had historic and positive ramifications worldwide.

Brain and Behavior: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective


David Eagleman - 2015
    It highlights the principles, discoveries, and remaining mysteries of modern cognitiveneuroscience.Brain and Behavior covers a wide swath of territory critical for understanding the brain, from the basics of the nervous system, to sensory and motor systems, sleep, language, memory, emotions and motivation, social cognition, and brain disorders. Throughout the narrative, the authors emphasize thedynamically changing nature of the brain, through the mechanisms of neuroplasticity. Wherever possible, they refer to elements of neuroscience that are encountered in everyday life. Key points and concepts are illustrated using case studies of rare but illuminating brain disorders. Brain andBehavior pulls together the best current knowledge about the brain while acknowledging current areas of ignorance and pointing students towards the most promising directions for future research.

French Fling to Forever


Karin Baine - 2015
    Although she certainly didn't expect her sexy French boss Dr. Henri Benoit to prove her greatest distraction…Henri ruled out forever a long time ago, but surely a six-week fling with pretty, pink-stethoscope-wielding Lola can't hurt? Yet as Lola begins to melt the barriers around his locked-away heart, Henri realizes he never wants to let her go!

One Night Before Christmas


Susan Carlisle - 2015
    Don't miss this exciting new Mills & Boon romance One Night Before Christmas by Susan Carlisle available on 06/11/2015 - pre-order your copy today!

Patient Zero: Three Years to Live


Margaret Kane - 2015
    She grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, where she lived with her two brothers and parents. Disenchanted with failed attempts to make a living, her father moved the family to the United States, with hopes of finding work. Financial ruin, alcoholism and lack of legal status force the family to go back to Great Britain. After selling everything they owned and purchasing plane tickets, Margaret becomes gravely ill, and the move is cancelled. A former gymnast, she quickly and suddenly loses the ability to speak, chew and swallow food, exercise, and ultimately, breathe. She suffers misdiagnoses, multiple hospitalizations, and unnecessary surgery, eventually landing in intensive care and on life support. She undergoes years of treatments, including total body irradiation therapy and chemotherapy. Countless medications fail to alleviate her symptoms, and cause life-threatening side effects. At the same time, she manages to complete high school and go to college. After graduating with a Master’s degree, Margaret was accepted in to a doctoral program, along with her father. Knowing that she was physically weakened and mentally destroyed, her father gives up his job, and joins the doctoral program to support her. While going to school, and still in her twenties, she receives a terminal diagnosis, and told that she has approximately three years to live. Promising never to tell a soul about her prognosis, Margaret continues onwards as best she can. Find out how a unique approach to treatment changed her life forever, as well as the lives of thousands of people living with Myasthenia Gravis. A truly remarkable and inspirational story of survival and resilience.

To Mend a Broken Heart


K.A. Hobbs - 2015
    When an accident takes away her world, she can’t understand how she is supposed to go on living. Consumed by grief, everything hurts and the easy things are now the most difficult. When she decides to volunteer at the local children’s hospital she meets Daniel a man trying to overcome his own sadness. Together they form a friendship that helps heal them both. But is it too soon? Can Katie leave the past behind and move forward? Or are some wounds just too deep to heal?

Badditives! : The 13 Most Harmful Food Additives in Your Diet?and How to Avoid Them


Linda Bonvie - 2015
    While they may look and taste the same and are often marketed under familiar brand names, our food has slowly but surely morphed into something entirely different—and a lot less benign.Ever wondered how bread manages to stay “fresh” on store shelves for so long? How do brightly colored cereals get those vibrant hues? Are artificial sweeteners really a healthy substitute for sugar? Whether you’re an experienced label reader or just starting to question what’s on your plate, Badditives! helps you cut through the fog of information overload. With current, updated research, Badditives! identifies thirteen of the most worrisome ingredients you might be eating and drinking every day. Learn about:• The commonly used flavor enhancers you should avoid at all costs• Two synthetic sweeteners that are wreaking havoc on the health of Americans in ways ordinary sugar does not• Artificial colors and preservatives in your child’s diet and how they have been linked directly to ADHD• The “hidden” ingredients in most processed foods that were declared safe to consume without ever really being researched• The hazardous industrial waste product that’s in your food and beverages• The toxic metal found in processed foods that has been linked to Alzheimer’s• The invisible meat and seafood ingredient that’s more dangerous than “Pink Slime”In a toxic world, educate yourself, change what you and your family eat, and avoid these poisons that are the known causes of our most prevalent health problems

Her Greek Doctor's Proposal


Robin Gianna - 2015
    Now, close to achieving her goals, she won't let anything distract her. Laurel has come to Delphi to dig up ancient treasures, but she finds a modern-day Greek god instead—local doctor Andros Drakoulias! A devoted single dad, Andros is determined to give his little girl stability. He knows his fling with Laurel can't last, so why is it so hard to imagine a future without her by his side?

Suffering the Silence: Chronic Lyme Disease in an Age of Denial


Allie Cashel - 2015
    In Suffering the Silence: Chronic Lyme Disease in an Age of Denial, Cashel paints a living portrait of what is often called post-treatment Lyme syndrome, featuring the stories of chronic Lyme patients from around the world and their struggle for recognition and treatment. In the United States alone, at least 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, and it is estimated that 20 percent of them go on to develop chronic symptoms of the disease, including (but not limited to) muscle and joint pain; digestive problems; extreme fatigue, confusion, and dizziness; sensations of burning and numbness; and immune-system dysfunction. Before reaching a final diagnosis, many of these patients are misdiagnosed with diseases and conditions like lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, anxiety, and even dementia. Despite these numbers and routine misdiagnoses, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) claim it is impossible for the Lyme bacteria to survive in the body after standard antibiotic therapy. For these chronic patients who have their suffering routinely dismissed by doctors—and even family and friends—the social effects of the illness can be as crippling as the disease itself. Suffering the Silence is a personal and provocative call to break the stigma and ignorance that currently surrounds chronic Lyme disease and other misunderstood chronic illnesses—but it is also a message of hope and comfort for Lyme sufferers, encouraging them to share their stories, seek out treatment, and remember that they are not alone.