That’s definitely the case for The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee, which provides a “biography” of cancer. When a book wins a Pulitzer Prize, you know it’s a good read. These books are guaranteed to help you understand the history of medicine better.and they might keep you up at night, too.īook #2: The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, PhD The Butchering Art is equal parts gruesome and fascinating, and we guarantee that you won’t be able to put it down.Īctually, if you can’t get enough of the morbid history of medicine after reading Lindsey Fitzharris’ book, don’t worry! We also recommend Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang-which explores the worst malpractices of medical history-and The Anatomy Murders by Lisa Rosner, which tells the story of medical body snatching and how it led to England’s first recorded serial killers. Fitzharris gives readers a glimpse into the bloody history of medicine in Victorian England and traces Lister’s journey to change the field of surgical medicine.

That all changed thanks to Joseph Lister, a British surgeon who pioneered the field of germ theory. Doctors didn’t wash their hands or their instruments, the surgical operating theatre was open to spectators, and post-operative infection was considered a good thing! Up until the mid-Victorian period, surgery was often tantamount to a death sentence. Wilson Prize for Literary Science Writing, Fitzharris’ book takes readers into the dark world of Victorian medical science. Not only will these books widen your perspective on the field of medicine, they’ll also help you become a better doctor.īook #1: The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris

We’ve also included works that introduce you to some of the social and ethical complexities of medicine, too. This list includes everything from MCAT prep books to grisly-but educational!-books about the darker side of medical history. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the seven books every pre-med student must read before they go to medical school. That’s true for becoming a doctor, too! As a pre-med student, books about medicine can help you prepare for medical school, but they can also introduce you to what it really means to care for your patients. One of the best ways to learn about your future career is to read about it.

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