The Invention of Surgery: A History of Modern Medicine: From the Renaissance to the Implant Revolution Hardcover – March 3, 2020

This is the best of many books that I have read about the history of medicine and its very rapid progress during the past 150 years. The author has vast knowledge and overview of his subject up to 2020 and brings it clearly to the reader. The book is very well-organized by the still-practicing (in Denver) orthopedic surgeon author as he details the dramatic changes where patient outcomes are so much improved by technology, anesthesia, antibiotics, science and better trained physicians. As example, he is able to clearly describe Tommy John elbow surgery for overworked pitchers in a few lively paragraphs which enables the reader to know Tommy John and his innovative surgeon. He notes that there are some 20 million implant surgeries a year in the United States (including some three million lens implants and over a million hip and knee implants) mainly paid by Medicare. He discusses the great cost of health care in this country and makes predictions for the future. The book is a must, educational, entertaining, and comfortable read for the general population and health care professionals.

I thought I was getting a book on the history of surgery- you know- pictures of old (and often cruel) instruments used over the years as well as the lost art of apothecary medicine (leaches, cocaine, etc). It is that but SO MUCH MORE!!!! The author takes us back through the history of MEDICINE....as well as the impact different religions have had (regarding the reverence of the body and views on dissection, the presence of "bad spirits", key beliefs etc. How he (the author) could be a practicing surgeon with ALL they need to know about MODERN medicine AND have/find/study such a MASS OF KNOWLEDGE about history is beyond me!!!!! It is not a quick/easy read. I find I have to concentrate to keep the time periods and players in perspective, but fascinating just the same. I have a medical background.....it is all I can do to stay current as it is. CONGRATULATIONS ON A MASTERPIECE!!!

The book arrived in perfect condition for being used! My MD best friend is going to love it (I did)!

Very good detail regarding development of medical/surgical care. It was weighted toward orthopedics -- not surprising given the specialty of the author.

A great read for medical history buffs. Not overloaded with trivia. A fact-filled read. Not one of those books you struggle to read. Lots of facts from Medieval Europe coupled with a veritable who's who in medicine and surgery.

This is a wonderfully written book and, against my expectations, very, very interesting. I would highly recommend it.

Clearly written, easy for a non-medical professional to grasp and follow. Vivid story-telling, with engrossing illustrations from past and present. Author has a superior grasp of the linkages of history, epistemology, and a range of interlinking disciplines beyond medicine and science that have brought us to where we are today. An important reminder of just how extraordinary are the times in which we live, and how far we have come especially in the last hundred years in advancing our understanding of and ability to heal the human body.

While a good guide to the millennia long history of surgery, many readers may find the parts of this book that deal with wider medical practice more interesting. Dr. Schneider discusses all the necessary antecedents of modern surgery from antiseptics to anesthesia to pharmaceuticals. He ably describes the long journey from when doctors were, unknowingly, more likely to do harm to the great relief of pain and lengthening of life seen today. Well written, readers with a lack of grounding in medical history will find these parts fascinating.The latter chapters, which describe modern surgery, tended to be a little too detailed for my taste. Similarly, while compelling, the dramas from Dr. Schneider’s own medical experience which begin each chapter are only tangentially related to the rest of the narrative. Taken together, one feels that Dr. Schneider is a great surgeon but only a competent writer. As a result, the book is a little disorganized, a little haphazard in its choice of material, a little repetitive of other authors about the future of medicine, etc., etc.Recommended to those readers who want a thorough grounding in everything that makes modern surgery possible. While he may not be an experienced author, Dr. Schneider tells the story well. Those, like me, who are professionally involved in health care but know little of its history will understand their profession in a significantly deeper manner.

Impossible to read with a font size on the order of 8 point. Why publish a book like this? Disappointed with the printer not the author.

amazing book but hard to read as the print is so small

It was a sample copy from dr.reddy pharmaceuticals india. And its even typed not for resale. Print was good. But they have dr reddy ads inside the book.

Very excited to buy this book - but the font size is TINY, you'd need a magnifying glass! Why would printers do this? It's pointless. Very disappointed, can I return it? Tommy