Physician & Patient Books

How Doctors Think

Jerome Groopman

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Personal Health -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Personal Health -> General AAS
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 160 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Without risking failure there is zero chance of success 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

When Dr. Jerome Groopman began his medical internship at the Massachusetts General Hospital, he placed a high priority on facts. While in medical school he had tirelessly tried to "store an encyclopedia in [his] mind" as so that when faced with patients, he could "open the mental book and find the correct diagnosis and treatment." Thirty years later he saw students and residents relying on statistics, algorithms, "evidence-based" guidelines -- tools he feared would shackle their cognitive processes. How do doctors think, he wondered? How SHOULD they think?

This book is the product of his thoughtful consideration of those questions. He read the available research and spoke with many colleagues about their theory and experience, assembling cases to illustrate his findings. There are many ways a doctor can fall into errors of cognitive process. Representativeness error matches the patient against a prototype and fails to consider other possibilities: a fit, active man is probably not having a heart attack. Attribution error leads a doctor to categorize the patient negatively: the disheveled patient with edema and an enlarged liver is probably an alcoholic. Affective error prevents the doctor from looking beyond favorable indicators for a liked or admired patient. These and other errors are based in social assumptions and pattern recognition, and in the general rule that when you hear hoofbeats, you should think of horses, not zebras. In these days of managed medicine, there is bias toward a linear approach and "satisfaction of search" -- settling for the first answer that reasonably accommodates the available data.

The detailing of these and other cognitive errors and shortcuts actually forms a small part of How Doctors Think. Dr. Groopman goes on to discuss situations where errors of thinking are likely to occur: the reading of X-rays and CT scans, the impact of marketing on medical decision making, the roles of variability and uncertainty in treating babies with malformed hearts, the treatment of cancer. The patients and their stories are well integrated with Dr. Groopman's discussion of his subject: how to partner with the patient for the best possible outcome.

This is not a book of medical horror stories, nor of doctor-bashing; not even of managed care-bashing. It's a measured exploration of the doctor's role, with a final chapter offering advice to patients on questions they might ask their doctors. Required reading for all parties in the health care team. Yes, that means you!

Linda Bulger, 2008

Editorial Review:

How Doctors Think is a window into the mind of the physician and an insightful examination of the all-important relationship between doctors and their patients. In this myth-shattering work, Jerome Groopman explores the forces and thought processes behind the decisions doctors make. He pinpints why doctors succeed and why they err. Most important, Groopman shows when and how doctors can -- with our help -- avoid snap judgments, embrace uncertainty, communicate effectively, and deploy other skills that can profoundly impact our health.

Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, Sixth Edition

Dale Dubin

Amazon Price: $34.20 List Price: $38.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cover Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 56 new & used starting at $26.50

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Subjects -> Medicine -> Diseases -> Cardiovascular
Subjects -> Medicine -> Internal Medicine -> Cardiology
Subjects -> Medicine -> Physician & Patient -> Diagnosis

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 119 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A BIG HELP 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This interactive text was a big help to me. It breaks down the process of reading EKGs into simplified steps using graphics and easy to follow text. I would recommend this text to anyone just learning how to read EKGs or to anyone who finds it difficult.

Good, but could be much shorter 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Dubin's book is not bad. The main text is not terribly high yield for studying for an exam in med school. The format is a little infuriating--too many pages containing trivial information that you're forced to flip through and skim. The useful information in this book, however, is really useful which makes this book somewhat worth reading. The summary/pocket guide that is included in the back is extremely high yield and that alone can be used in conjunction with the course materials/syllabi to get a good picture of typical EKG patterns and their pathophysiology.

Editorial Review:

The reader's rapid assimilation of medical concepts is the key to the continuing success of this best-selling book. A caption explains the concept illustrated on each page, and a few simple sentences reinforce the concept with interactive (programmed) learning, which links to the following page. Dr. Dubin's light and entertaining style, known world-wide, makes learning enjoyable. Practice twelve-lead tracings at the end establish self-confidence, and summarised reference sheets with examples (designed to be copied) provide an excellent review. This work is most recently updated in February 2006.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Anne Fadiman

Amazon Price: $10.20 List Price: $15.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Amazon Marketplace: 358 new & used starting at $1.89

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Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> History & Criticism -> Asian -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> History & Criticism -> Asian -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 216 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for NonfictionWhen three-month-old Lia Lee Arrived at the county hospital emergency room in Merced, California, a chain of events was set in motion from which neither she nor her parents nor her doctors would ever recover. Lia's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, were part of a large Hmong community in Merced, refugees from the CIA-run "Quiet War" in Laos. The Hmong, traditionally a close-knit and fiercely people, have been less amenable to assimilation than most immigrants, adhering steadfastly to the rituals and beliefs of their ancestors. Lia's pediatricians, Neil Ernst and his wife, Peggy Philip, cleaved just as strongly to another tradition: that of Western medicine. When Lia Lee Entered the American medical system, diagnosed as an epileptic, her story became a tragic case history of cultural miscommunication.Parents and doctors both wanted the best for Lia, but their ideas about the causes of her illness and its treatment could hardly have been more different. The Hmong see illness aand healing as spiritual matters linked to virtually everything in the universe, while medical community marks a division between body and soul, and concerns itself almost exclusively with the former. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness, qaug dab peg--the spirit catches you and you fall down--and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices.

Izzy & Lenore: Two Dogs, an Unexpected Journey, and Me

Jon Katz

Amazon Price: $16.32 List Price: $24.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Villard Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $14.25

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Alternative Medicine -> General
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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Animal Care & Pets -> Dogs -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In his previous books, New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz introduced us to the delightful menagerie at Bedlam Farm, including Izzy, the unforgettable border collie rescue. Now, in Izzy & Lenore, Katz delves deeper into his connection with the beautiful, once-abandoned dog, learning yet again about the unexpected places animals can take us. Affectionate and intuitive, Izzy is unlike any dog Katz has encountered, and the two undertake a journey Katz could not have imagined without the arrival of a new companion: a spirited, bright-eyed black Labrador puppy named Lenore.

As trained hospice volunteers visiting homes and nursing facilities in upstate New York, Katz and Izzy bring comfort and canine companionship to people who most need it. An eighty-year-old Alzheimer’s patient smiles for the first time in months when she feels Izzy’s soft fur. A retired logger joyfully remembers his own beloved dog when he sees Izzy. As Izzy bonds with patients and Katz focuses on their families, the author begins to come to terms with his own life, discovering dark realities he has never confronted. Meanwhile, Lenore–quickly dubbed the Hound of Love–arrives at Bedlam. Her genial personality and boundless capacity for affection steer Katz out of the shadows, rekindle his love of working with dogs, and restore his connection to the farm and the animals and people around him.

Humorous and deeply moving, Izzy & Lenore is a story of a man confronting his past, embracing the blessings of his current life, and rediscovering the meaning of friendship, family, and faith. Katz shares an uplifting tale of love, compassion, and the rich and complex relationships between dogs and their humans.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Mary Roach

List Price: $29.95 By: Thorndike Press Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $6.28

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Subjects -> Medicine -> Physician & Patient -> Medical Ethics
Subjects -> Medicine -> Special Topics -> History
Subjects -> Medicine -> Specialties -> Pathology -> Forensic Medicine

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 358 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Interesting... but makes your stomach churn 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Lots of interesting facts and I was impressed at how the author managed to write about this subject. Seriously, if someone told me they were going to write a book about cadavers and it was going to be a best seller, I wouldn've thought they were crazy. That being said, Mary Roach did manage to write a best selling book on the subject, although some of the information and description of the facts made my stomach churn. Maybe I'm just squeamish, but her descriptions on the way the human cadaver were used throughout history made me a bit nauseous. Also, I don't know why people thought this book was hilarious. Interesting maybe, but hilarious? I don't see it. Some of the facts she uncovered were amusing (in an interesting way,) but I didn't fall down laughing. If you're interested in knowing what happens to human cadavers and has a strong stomach, then this book is pretty informative, but if you want a funny book, go somewhere else.

Editorial Review:

A New York Times Bestseller

For two thousand years, cadavers have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. Mary Roach's fascinating account visits their good deeds over the centuries, telling, in her droll voice, the story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.

Maxwell Quick Medical Reference

Robert W. Maxwell

List Price: $7.95 By: Maxwell Pub. Co. Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $4.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A must have 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This quick medical reference is a sure must have especially for medical interns like me. It is a necessity for all medical students likewise.

little helper 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

a tiny little aid during rounds and rotations. it is perfectly color coordinated by categories, really easy to read and follow with the basic info on many subjects. i found the part on writing everyday patient notes extremely helpful since i tend to forget a few things.
i decided to laminate the pages so that it can outlast stains and possible spills. wonderful purchase :)

maxwell's 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

this little book is awesome! it DEFINATELY helped me out & I highly recommend it!

Editorial Review:

The Maxwell Quick Medical Reference includes essential information used in everyday medical practice. Color-coded pages group information by topic and make it quickly accessible while heavy cardstock paper and plastic spiral binding make the book durable day-in and day-out. Pocket size allows it to go anywhere - the wards, E.R., O.R., or clinic. This inexpensive small text can save you time at work and make you look good in the process.

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss in Later Life, 4th Edition

Nancy L. Mace, Peter V. Rabins

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: The Johns Hopkins University Press Amazon Marketplace: 59 new & used starting at $9.48

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Disorders & Diseases -> Nervous System
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A must read 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent book. It is written in a warm and caring manner which is easy to understand. It is full of information not just for anyone dealing with a dementia patient, but for anybody who is caring for another person, (or who may think at some point they will). It covers subjects which apply to the caring of anyone who is ill and/or elderly, even if it is not dementia. I would recommend this book to anyone, before they are faced with the illness. I wish I'd read it sooner, but better late than never. Absolutely a great book, it should be in every library. I plan to buy 2 copies for my library, I will definitely NOT donate mine. I can't say enough good things about this book.

Editorial Review:

Revised in 2006 for its twenty-fifth anniversary, this best-selling book is the "bible" for families caring for people with Alzheimer disease, offering comfort and support to millions worldwide. In addition to the practical and compassionate guidance that have made The 36-Hour Day invaluable to caregivers, the fourth edition is the only edition currently available that includes new information on medical research and the delivery of care.

The new edition includes:

-new information on diagnostic evaluation-resources for families and adult children who care for people with dementia-updated legal and financial information-the latest information on nursing homes and other communal living arrangements-new information on research, medications, and the biological causes and effects of dementia

Also available in a large print edition

Praise for The 36-Hour Day:

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance

Atul Gawande

Amazon Price: $11.20 List Price: $14.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Picador Amazon Marketplace: 100 new & used starting at $4.40

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 82 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

National Bestseller

 

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

 

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

Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2009 (Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment)

Stephen J. McPhee, Maxine A. Papadakis

Amazon Price: $64.75 List Price: $71.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Professional Amazon Marketplace: 70 new & used starting at $45.45

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Subjects -> Medicine -> Internal Medicine -> General
Subjects -> Medicine -> Internal Medicine -> General AAS
Subjects -> Medicine -> Physician & Patient -> Diagnosis

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The #1 annually updated text in internal medicine -- trusted, authoritative, and essential to daily practice

CMDT delivers the most current insights into signs, symptoms, epidemiology, etiology, and treatment for over 1,000 diseases and disorders. Turn to any topic, and you'll find on-the-spot, evidence-based answers that reflect the most recent developments in diagnosis and treatment. This concise, authoritative reference gets you up to speed--fast--on the latest medical advances, prevention strategies, cost-effective treatments, and more.

Putting you and the experts on the same page:

• Comprehensive coverage of inpatient and outpatient care, focusing on the diagnostic tools relevant to your day-to-day practice
• Full review of all primary care topics, including gynecology, obstetrics, dermatology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, psychiatry, neurology, toxicology, and urology
• Only text with an annual review of advances in HIV treatment
• “Essentials of Diagnosis” for most diseases/disorders
• Hundreds of quick-access drug treatment tables, with indexed trade names and updated drug prices
• ICD codes featured on inside covers
• Diagnostic and treatment algorithms present important information in an at-a-glance style
• Up-to-date references provide peer-reviewed, evidence-based information

New to this edition:

• Color insert expanded to 16 pages
• Latest developments in HIV infection, including new drugs, recommended treatment regimens, and antiretroviral drug resistance
• All new chapter on hemostasis and antithrombotic therapy
• Completely revamped End of Life Chapter, now called Palliative Care & Pain Management to reflect its new emphasis
• Sections on asthma (includes 2007 NAEPP guidelines) and palpitations
• More algorithms throughout and increased coverage of Canadian and International Guidelines

Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying

Maggie Callanan, Patricia Kelley

Amazon Price: $11.56 List Price: $17.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Bantam Amazon Marketplace: 117 new & used starting at $3.98

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Death & Grief -> Grief & Bereavement
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Death & Grief -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Death & Grief -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 162 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

must overlook authors superstitions 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

contains valuable information on what to expect emotionally from and how to interact with a dying loved one. the author assumes life after life, which is unknown in reality. this affects her interpretations of the departings' experience. if you can overlook this, it's a good book.

Editorial Review:

Five years after its first publication, with more than 150,000 copies in print, Final Gifts has become a classic. In this moving and compassionate book, hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley share their intimate experiences with patients at the end of life, drawn from more than twenty years experience tending the terminally ill.

Through their stories we come to appreciate the near-miraculous ways in which the dying communicate their needs, reveal their feelings, and even choreograph their own final moments; we also discover the gifts—of wisdom, faith, and love—that the dying leave for the living to share.

Filled with practical advice on responding to the requests of the dying and helping them prepare emotionally and spiritually for death, Final Gifts shows how we can help the dying person live fully to the very end.