Better: A Surgeon'S Notes On Performance

Dr. Gawande has redefined the meaning of the word better in this book and I thank him for that. The books tells me that being better is not just about the widely accepted notion of practicing more or doing a task repeatedly toll you achieve mastery in it. Instead it tells me that being better is a constant endeavor. It explains this wonderfully through his medicine tales of fight against polio, cystic fibrosis, war etc.

My love for fictional medical dramas and series made me choose this book. I began reading with a hope to understand the lives of doctors better and I wasn't disappointed. I opted for a paperback version. Paper quality and print is good. This is an inspirational book to not just doctors but all professionals alike. As the name suggests, the theme of the book revolves around doctors striving to be better at what they do - saving lives. The book is divided into 3 parts, diligence, doing right and ingenuity which the author says are 3 core requirements for success in medicine. Each of these parts are further divided into sections which offer a peek into the lives of medical practitioners. Over the course of this book, you find yourself traveling to a village in India, you witness war scene in Iraq, you become a spectator to courtroom proceedings in Cambridge apart from visits to various hospitals. Such is the versatility of the topics covered.

I have read Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. This is my second book by this author. The book reads well, and has some nuggets of knowledge. I thought "Being Mortal" book had greater impact.

I start this review by acknowledging the fact that I am still a surgery resident. A lot of what Dr Gawande writes, I'm yet to experience, some of it I already have. Most books about surgeons and doctors in general do one of two things. They either beat up the profession, for all its shortcomings or they make doctors seem like gods. This book does both. Once I was done reading I felt at peace, knowing that I was not the only one who had doubts about how medical science should be approached. We live in an era of evidence based medicine, yet for some reason choose to look away at our own shortcomings. A clearer, more transparent and less blame worthy system will have to be worked out eventually. Till then, this book gives one hope that people like Dr Gawande are already working on it.

Well written and replete with interesting anecdotes, this book examines what it means to improve in medicine among other fundamental questions relevant to the profession.

A very well written and researched book. It is a good read not just for the medical fraternity but for everyone interested in getting something better...

One of the best author. He writes in amazingly simple language.

I am a last year medical student and was always eager to know what dilemmas are in front of a practicing doctor. The write with a tone of friendly conversation described and answered all these questions. This book was certainly a good investment for my awareness in my own field

El libro es lo máximo

One of my favorite books on medical topics. Atul Guwande is a fantastic writer, knowledgeable, empathetic, just an all-around good read. The initial chapter on hospital-borne infections, hand washing, and the reference to the work on positive deviance and childhood malnutrition in Vietnam is eye opening. I've given away several copies.

Interesting read for anyone who's spent any amount of time in a hospital. gives a different outlook into health care.

good

What does the term 'better' mean to a surgeon? Atul gives his interpretation in a clear and easy to follow way. I have found that is was easily applicable to the aviation field (which is more relevant to me) and gave an interesting starting point for us to define our own 'better. I am a fan of his work anyway so was confident I would enjoy this book. As I work with people who have English as a second language there are often concerns about misunderstandings, I find that I am attracted to books that define terms that we all thought we knew already. They give an insight into the complexity of a topic and remind me that even between native speakers we can interpret what something means differently. A great read for people wanting to discuss what better means for their work.