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Breathing for Two
Ever wonder exactly why anesthesiologists describe their job as hours of boredom,moments of panic? With gentle precision, anesthesiologist Wolf Pascoe teases apart an overlooked world and unveils the eggshell dance that takes place at the head of an operating table. A personal odyssey that goes deep into the heart of anesthesia’s scariest mystery–breathing–this short book will change the way you think about life, and breath.
102 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
About the author
Wolf Pascoe
2 books8 followersPhysician, playwright, and poet. Currently blogging about mindful fatherhood at Just Add Father
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 3, 2013
I never before wondered about what the anesthesiologist was doing while I was undergoing surgery. Now I know. He’s wondering about me, how I’m breathing, am I breathing, how I’m reacting, If I am safe traveling with him as he pilots his boat across dark water and then returns. In addition to being an anesthesiologist, Pasco is a poet and it shows in his beautiful writing. This is a fascinating, gulp it down in one read and then read it again little book.
July 30, 2013
Received via goodreads giveaways:
Never has taking a breath been so poetically visualized.
This is an absolutely beautifully written book. When I entered for this book in the goodreads giveaways, I was drawn to the title and the author’s background. I thought I would be receiving a first hand, methodical, if not clinical account of undergoing anesthesia. What I got was far more in depth and poetic. I love the history of Ondine the best. The author tells the story of Ondine’s Curse which means during sleep the body forgets to breathe. Opening the book with this story really set a wonderfully, gentle but excited tone. This book gives you a brief but incredibly satisfying overlook of everything from the gas used to put us under, to the procedures used past and present. Pascoe retelling of his early mishaps and scares are incredibly engaging. The historical accounts and medical information is easily absorbed and understood with the way Pascoe chooses to phrase and relate his thoughts. I have always admired Anesthesiologists for their ability to have a conscious understanding of the human body. There is no job I could think of where you are responsible for “reducing a living soul into tissue”, monitor this new condition the body is under, and then with the knowledge and skills painstakingly acquired, bring them literally back to life. That is incredible to me. Pascoe has to have the compassion, desire, and drive to do what he does and be able to write about it so eloquently. His ability to show humility while growing and learning from it is incredibly inspiring. In my opinion Mr. Pascoe, “Rose” is correct. You are wonderful.
Favorite Quotes:
"You are more than your Conscious Will"
"People Breathe Because they do" (to put it simply)
Never has taking a breath been so poetically visualized.
This is an absolutely beautifully written book. When I entered for this book in the goodreads giveaways, I was drawn to the title and the author’s background. I thought I would be receiving a first hand, methodical, if not clinical account of undergoing anesthesia. What I got was far more in depth and poetic. I love the history of Ondine the best. The author tells the story of Ondine’s Curse which means during sleep the body forgets to breathe. Opening the book with this story really set a wonderfully, gentle but excited tone. This book gives you a brief but incredibly satisfying overlook of everything from the gas used to put us under, to the procedures used past and present. Pascoe retelling of his early mishaps and scares are incredibly engaging. The historical accounts and medical information is easily absorbed and understood with the way Pascoe chooses to phrase and relate his thoughts. I have always admired Anesthesiologists for their ability to have a conscious understanding of the human body. There is no job I could think of where you are responsible for “reducing a living soul into tissue”, monitor this new condition the body is under, and then with the knowledge and skills painstakingly acquired, bring them literally back to life. That is incredible to me. Pascoe has to have the compassion, desire, and drive to do what he does and be able to write about it so eloquently. His ability to show humility while growing and learning from it is incredibly inspiring. In my opinion Mr. Pascoe, “Rose” is correct. You are wonderful.
Favorite Quotes:
"You are more than your Conscious Will"
"People Breathe Because they do" (to put it simply)
September 11, 2013
I really liked this little book. Wolf Pascoe, a poet, playwright and physician, examines the strange business that makes modern surgery possible - anaesthesia. I had never thought to wonder about it until I saw the blurb of this book - and then I had to find out. It is a curious responsiblity to drug a person to immobility and unconsciousness. Then you must keep them in that precarious state until the surgeon has done his work. And while those moments or hours may be blank for the patient, they're sometimes way more of a struggle than the sleeper would ever suspect. The science element is easy and palatable; just enough for you to understand the dilemmas step by step, but of course never patronising. The style is poetic through its simplicity, sensitivity and insight. Let Pascoe take you on an unforgettable journey between night and day.
September 21, 2013
White Water Rafting the Styx
It would be hard to exaggerate the compelling page turning summons of this short book. Perhaps some facts will part convey it. I downloaded it at nine thirty, and it is now twelve thirty and I have not paused for breath although the whole book is about nothing else. For three hours I have been enthralled by the details of a man’s intimate relationship with himself, his patients, his career and maturation, as well as his gratitude to be the beneficiary of a few individuals’ step by step improvisation through the challenge of surgical demands upon the fellow near the head of the temporally insensible…the anaesthetist.
It does go someway to drawing a little of the limelight from the plumber and electrician beavering away on the body structure, down there near the legs or torso. The silent and stiller man is the real hero.
No doubt we have all recoiled from film renditions of battlefield surgery and amputations in the Crimea and even the trenches of France in WW1 with wood clamped in the jaws of agony, but unless we are theatre nurses, we are probably simply grateful that anaesthetics obliterate surgical agony, and think little more about it. What this book does is convey the white water rafting ride of being the man in control of death, and therefore life.
Wolf Pascoe’s confessional analysis of his career learning-curve as Charon , the boatman ferrying the insensible patient across the Styx to death or a new life with restored health is a cliff hanging journey of how the human body’s wisdom ( and idiosyncrasies) governs the possible. As he points out, the anaesthetist is the only general practitioner now left to the field of medicine, and the only one whose job is to take a living body to the brink of extinction, but not beyond. And he has four minutes in which to make the right call if anything has been misjudged.
One comes away from reading this with an awe that anybody can do this day in and day out, and do it without anybody else to call upon ( except in emergency and not always then). He stands like God at the gossamer interface of breath and has to negotiate with the brain’s control centres, and navigate through their programme of authority. The ticking pacemaker in the Medulla which speaks to the bloodstream, about the chemical concentrations in the cells has long been the Captain of the diaphragm and lungs, and is ultimately the Navigator. The anaesthetist is afforded his permitted interruption for very short and confined stratagems. To the portrait of the hazardous emotional demands of this dialogue must be added the clarity in which both the anatomical difficulties are explained about vocal chords, oesophageal and tracheal proximity, and the judgement calls on relaxant drugs and dosages and time.
To convey so much information through the lens of the deeply personal is what makes this book so special.
This book is a gift in other ways. It offers such insight into what we take so easily for granted, surgical procedure, but more deeply it restores our gratitude for the bequests of the historical figures, like Morton that discovered ether, others that juggled with chloroform, and those like Archie Brain that dissected cadavers to design the laryngeal mask, which obviated obstruction by the tongue. One spends the book as an invited and present witness to the intricacy of balanced judgement and responsibility. One comes away with a renewed respect for the human body’s wisdom and intricacy, and an equal respect for anyone brave enough to challenge it.
Only reading of the cases that illuminate this incremental journey can convey the depth of this personal tribute to the profession of which the author is a modest thoughtful, and penetrating thinker whose origins go back to Hippocrates, Diogenes and Aristotle. . It seems that the Hippocratic Oath is still somehow alive and manifest.
For this reader that turned the fascinating into the magical
It would be hard to exaggerate the compelling page turning summons of this short book. Perhaps some facts will part convey it. I downloaded it at nine thirty, and it is now twelve thirty and I have not paused for breath although the whole book is about nothing else. For three hours I have been enthralled by the details of a man’s intimate relationship with himself, his patients, his career and maturation, as well as his gratitude to be the beneficiary of a few individuals’ step by step improvisation through the challenge of surgical demands upon the fellow near the head of the temporally insensible…the anaesthetist.
It does go someway to drawing a little of the limelight from the plumber and electrician beavering away on the body structure, down there near the legs or torso. The silent and stiller man is the real hero.
No doubt we have all recoiled from film renditions of battlefield surgery and amputations in the Crimea and even the trenches of France in WW1 with wood clamped in the jaws of agony, but unless we are theatre nurses, we are probably simply grateful that anaesthetics obliterate surgical agony, and think little more about it. What this book does is convey the white water rafting ride of being the man in control of death, and therefore life.
Wolf Pascoe’s confessional analysis of his career learning-curve as Charon , the boatman ferrying the insensible patient across the Styx to death or a new life with restored health is a cliff hanging journey of how the human body’s wisdom ( and idiosyncrasies) governs the possible. As he points out, the anaesthetist is the only general practitioner now left to the field of medicine, and the only one whose job is to take a living body to the brink of extinction, but not beyond. And he has four minutes in which to make the right call if anything has been misjudged.
One comes away from reading this with an awe that anybody can do this day in and day out, and do it without anybody else to call upon ( except in emergency and not always then). He stands like God at the gossamer interface of breath and has to negotiate with the brain’s control centres, and navigate through their programme of authority. The ticking pacemaker in the Medulla which speaks to the bloodstream, about the chemical concentrations in the cells has long been the Captain of the diaphragm and lungs, and is ultimately the Navigator. The anaesthetist is afforded his permitted interruption for very short and confined stratagems. To the portrait of the hazardous emotional demands of this dialogue must be added the clarity in which both the anatomical difficulties are explained about vocal chords, oesophageal and tracheal proximity, and the judgement calls on relaxant drugs and dosages and time.
To convey so much information through the lens of the deeply personal is what makes this book so special.
This book is a gift in other ways. It offers such insight into what we take so easily for granted, surgical procedure, but more deeply it restores our gratitude for the bequests of the historical figures, like Morton that discovered ether, others that juggled with chloroform, and those like Archie Brain that dissected cadavers to design the laryngeal mask, which obviated obstruction by the tongue. One spends the book as an invited and present witness to the intricacy of balanced judgement and responsibility. One comes away with a renewed respect for the human body’s wisdom and intricacy, and an equal respect for anyone brave enough to challenge it.
Only reading of the cases that illuminate this incremental journey can convey the depth of this personal tribute to the profession of which the author is a modest thoughtful, and penetrating thinker whose origins go back to Hippocrates, Diogenes and Aristotle. . It seems that the Hippocratic Oath is still somehow alive and manifest.
For this reader that turned the fascinating into the magical
August 20, 2021
Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include BREATHING FOR TWO by WOLF PASCOE in the library of Awesome Indies'
Seal of Excellence
recipients.
Original Awesome Indies' Assessment (5 stars):
This is a personal memoir by an anaesthetist about what his job entails, set against the context of the history of anaesthesia, from Greek mythology through to when it started to become more routine in the 19th century.
While the narrative is authoritative, humane and dignified, the author is frank about past failures and difficulties, and less forthcoming about his successes. It soon becomes clear that any operation can bring risk, with potential challenges that might strike at any time to endanger the patient and alarm the anaesthetist. The author often compares his tasks to being an airline pilot - a pilot who sometimes has to fly and land in fog.
The author’s carefully onsidered and controlled prose is highly expressive, sometimes verging on the poetic, using analogies and similes to help the reader understand just what it’s like to be in his role in the operating theatre - a role that is often underrated because it is a relatively silent one, and low profile. In medical dramas, the camera will focus on the surgeon, not the anaesthetist, who is generally treated as an also-ran, although without him the operation could not take place.
This book therefore does a good PR job for anaesthetists everywhere by raising the profile of the importance and challenge of the job they do. The reader is likely to end the book thankful for the anaesthetist’s expertise, as much as for the surgeon’s, and grateful to live in the age of modern medicine.
This is a short book, and I could happily have kept reading for another 100 pages or more. In fact, I felt a little disappointed that the author had not written more, as he must have plenty more anecdotes to share. But it wasn’t just the subject matter, but the high quality of the prose and enjoyment in the author’s company that left me craving more.
The book was well presented and well formatted, and the simple, understated but smart and eyecatching cover fits it well.
“Breathing for Two” would be enjoyed by anyone interested in medical and surgical matters, both present and historic, whether or not they have had or are expecting to have surgery. A word of caution though: anyone about to undergo surgery should avoid this book until after they’ve come round from their anaesthetic!
I received this book free of charge from the author in return for an honest review.
Original Awesome Indies' Assessment (5 stars):
This is a personal memoir by an anaesthetist about what his job entails, set against the context of the history of anaesthesia, from Greek mythology through to when it started to become more routine in the 19th century.
While the narrative is authoritative, humane and dignified, the author is frank about past failures and difficulties, and less forthcoming about his successes. It soon becomes clear that any operation can bring risk, with potential challenges that might strike at any time to endanger the patient and alarm the anaesthetist. The author often compares his tasks to being an airline pilot - a pilot who sometimes has to fly and land in fog.
The author’s carefully onsidered and controlled prose is highly expressive, sometimes verging on the poetic, using analogies and similes to help the reader understand just what it’s like to be in his role in the operating theatre - a role that is often underrated because it is a relatively silent one, and low profile. In medical dramas, the camera will focus on the surgeon, not the anaesthetist, who is generally treated as an also-ran, although without him the operation could not take place.
This book therefore does a good PR job for anaesthetists everywhere by raising the profile of the importance and challenge of the job they do. The reader is likely to end the book thankful for the anaesthetist’s expertise, as much as for the surgeon’s, and grateful to live in the age of modern medicine.
This is a short book, and I could happily have kept reading for another 100 pages or more. In fact, I felt a little disappointed that the author had not written more, as he must have plenty more anecdotes to share. But it wasn’t just the subject matter, but the high quality of the prose and enjoyment in the author’s company that left me craving more.
The book was well presented and well formatted, and the simple, understated but smart and eyecatching cover fits it well.
“Breathing for Two” would be enjoyed by anyone interested in medical and surgical matters, both present and historic, whether or not they have had or are expecting to have surgery. A word of caution though: anyone about to undergo surgery should avoid this book until after they’ve come round from their anaesthetic!
I received this book free of charge from the author in return for an honest review.
May 21, 2013
"Ever wonder exactly why anaesthesiologists describe their job as hours of boredom, moments of panic?"
This description attracted me to enter the goodreads giveaway, thinking i would receive a personal memoir of the life of an anaesthesiologist, the book however, exceeded this expectation. The book describes the history of anaesthesia, the tools and their development through time and is perfect for a person with little or no medical background (like me) with little jargon and all procedures and technical terms explained simply. Having read a number of memoirs I was impressed by the writers gentle and poetic writing style, weaving history, medical information and personal experience to create a wonderfully written book. Pascoe does this with his eloquent and thought provoking turns of phrase- "his peculiar occupation is to turn a living soul to tissue." I would highly recommend this book, both for the insight into a fascinating occupation but more so, for Pascoe's beautiful, engaging writing.
Favorite Quotes:
"You are more than your Conscious Will"
"People Breathe Because they do (to put it simply)"
This description attracted me to enter the goodreads giveaway, thinking i would receive a personal memoir of the life of an anaesthesiologist, the book however, exceeded this expectation. The book describes the history of anaesthesia, the tools and their development through time and is perfect for a person with little or no medical background (like me) with little jargon and all procedures and technical terms explained simply. Having read a number of memoirs I was impressed by the writers gentle and poetic writing style, weaving history, medical information and personal experience to create a wonderfully written book. Pascoe does this with his eloquent and thought provoking turns of phrase- "his peculiar occupation is to turn a living soul to tissue." I would highly recommend this book, both for the insight into a fascinating occupation but more so, for Pascoe's beautiful, engaging writing.
Favorite Quotes:
"You are more than your Conscious Will"
"People Breathe Because they do (to put it simply)"
November 2, 2013
Anesthesiology is fascinating, who knew? Pascoe interweaves stories of his experiences as an anesthesiologist with the history of anesthesiology to makes an interesting read. His writing style is engaging and easy to understand. Even though I knew nothing about anesthesiology going into this I never found myself feeling lost or confused while reading it. He is able to explain what goes on in the operating room without ever talking down to his audience.
I'm glad I didn't read this book before getting surgery. Then I'd be terrified. So many things can go wrong. I've always known that, but it's best not to think about it. Anyway, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others.
I'm glad I didn't read this book before getting surgery. Then I'd be terrified. So many things can go wrong. I've always known that, but it's best not to think about it. Anyway, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others.
April 22, 2013
Almost all of us at some time put our lives into the hands of anesthesiologists, but we know so little about what is happening while they bring us close to death. In "Breathing for Two" Wolf Pascoe gives an intimate look at what happens while you are out. We get history, science and human drama, all written in a wonderfully conversational style. It's the kind of book that makes you deeply interested in things you never though about before. I highly recommend it.
July 14, 2015
An amazing book-essay that dives into much deeper issues than what an anesthesiologist does. It draws you in and doesn't let you go. But that's Wolf Pascoe, for you. He's an amazing writer. I can't wait for his next book, because I know, no matter what the subject is, he will make it interesting and relevant to my life.
January 21, 2024
أحببت الكتاب، يتحدث كاتبه وهو طبيب تخدير عن مواقف حصلت له خلال تخدير مرضاه كانوا فيها بين الموت والحياة وما أحس فيه خلالها. يستطيع القارئ أن يحس بصدق الكاتب ونبل مشاعره خلال أحداث قصصه المروية بالكتاب
September 17, 2018
Good read
Preparing to start nurse anesthesia school. Good read. The part about Sam was emotional. This book put the profession into perspective for those who are interested.
Preparing to start nurse anesthesia school. Good read. The part about Sam was emotional. This book put the profession into perspective for those who are interested.
August 17, 2013
I have to admit that before reading Breathing for Two, my interest in the field of anesthesiology could best be categorized as “nearly nonexistent”. Sure, I’ve been knocked out for a medical procedure or two, but beyond a strong preference for waking up at the end, I never really gave much thought to the process behind my induced sleep – or the person in charge of keeping me safe throughout the journey of unconsciousness.
Breathing for Two is one of those welcome surprises that manages to make something you haven’t given much thought to immeasurably interesting. Author Wolf Pascoe details his experience as an anesthesiologist and explores the many dangers lurking throughout the journey of unconsciousness.
Without quite knowing how, I found myself sucked in by Pascoe’s first-person narrative as he provided a brief and interesting history of anesthesia, explained his own education and how the field has changed over the last decades. Most fascinating of all, however, was Pascoe’s honest and gripping accounts of several of his most challenging cases.
Pascoe’s narrative voice is warm, caring and extremely readable, even for someone like me who does not have a medical background. I appreciated how much he cared for his patients and how much of his own internal doubts he was willing to share with readers. Far from making me doubt his skill, I felt very connected with Pascoe and grateful that he was so committed to learning from each of his experiences.
Breathing for Two is a short and sweet gem. I worry that some readers will glance at it, think—What do I care about anesthesiology? – and pass on it. You will care about anesthesiology when you read this book, I promise. More importantly, Pascoe writes so well that you will get the opportunity to step in his shoes and see the world a little differently. What more can you ask for in a book?
(This book was provided to Compulsion Reads by the author for review.)
Breathing for Two is one of those welcome surprises that manages to make something you haven’t given much thought to immeasurably interesting. Author Wolf Pascoe details his experience as an anesthesiologist and explores the many dangers lurking throughout the journey of unconsciousness.
Without quite knowing how, I found myself sucked in by Pascoe’s first-person narrative as he provided a brief and interesting history of anesthesia, explained his own education and how the field has changed over the last decades. Most fascinating of all, however, was Pascoe’s honest and gripping accounts of several of his most challenging cases.
Pascoe’s narrative voice is warm, caring and extremely readable, even for someone like me who does not have a medical background. I appreciated how much he cared for his patients and how much of his own internal doubts he was willing to share with readers. Far from making me doubt his skill, I felt very connected with Pascoe and grateful that he was so committed to learning from each of his experiences.
Breathing for Two is a short and sweet gem. I worry that some readers will glance at it, think—What do I care about anesthesiology? – and pass on it. You will care about anesthesiology when you read this book, I promise. More importantly, Pascoe writes so well that you will get the opportunity to step in his shoes and see the world a little differently. What more can you ask for in a book?
(This book was provided to Compulsion Reads by the author for review.)
January 20, 2014
Before reading Wolf Pascoe’s Breathing for Two, I thought being “put under” for surgery entailed inhaling something akin to nitrous oxide for the duration of the procedure. I had no idea of the myriad procedures, risks, and judgment calls that go into anesthetizing a surgical patient, including temporarily shutting down the respiratory center, inducing muscle paralysis, and battling with vocal cords to insert a breathing tube down the trachea. Now that I know all this, I’m not sure I will ever submit to a surgery again!
That said, Pascoe gives an uncommon glimpse into the shadowy world inhabited by anesthesiologists, surgeons, and nurses in the O-R, where innocent people place their lives and fates in their hands. He shares the particulars of his labors with a rare humility, including the chances he took (or didn’t take) with a few “close calls” and near misses. While in lesser hands this narration could easily turn dreary, the author delivers his tale with a lyrical, almost ethereal style that imbues this short work with a near-sacred quality. And, health care debates aside, isn’t that what medicine and its practitioners are supposed to provide in the end—a blessed (we hope) gamble on improved health and healing?
Breathing for Two is a brave, honest, and important work of nonfiction, with the added bonus of being artfully done.
That said, Pascoe gives an uncommon glimpse into the shadowy world inhabited by anesthesiologists, surgeons, and nurses in the O-R, where innocent people place their lives and fates in their hands. He shares the particulars of his labors with a rare humility, including the chances he took (or didn’t take) with a few “close calls” and near misses. While in lesser hands this narration could easily turn dreary, the author delivers his tale with a lyrical, almost ethereal style that imbues this short work with a near-sacred quality. And, health care debates aside, isn’t that what medicine and its practitioners are supposed to provide in the end—a blessed (we hope) gamble on improved health and healing?
Breathing for Two is a brave, honest, and important work of nonfiction, with the added bonus of being artfully done.
September 4, 2016
For sure I'm going to pay a LOT more attention to the anesthesiologist next time I'm in the hospital. Maybe even ask to see pictures of his kids. Bring a gift.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. For goodness sake, don't read it just before you go in for surgery. Read it after you come out. If you come out (HA HA, just joking).
His description of an emergency tracheotomy makes it very clear why anesthesiologists prefer to do a tracheotomy before the main surgery instead of waiting for a crisis. Of course the patient is unconscious either way -- but averting a crisis makes it more likely that the patient will live to wake up.
The book really could have been longer because the author had a lot of interesting stuff to say and he could have gone into more detail without any chance of becoming boring or jeopardizing the confidentiality of his patients. A minor disappointment for me was when the author says that he is going to explain how anesthesia is different for oral, throat, and lung surgery. Since I'm always asleep, I was prepared for a major reveal but Dr. Pascoe only gives a specific example for lung surgery. He did, however, give me some very disturbing idea of the significance of my anesthesiologist coming to the recovery room and apologizing to me after having a problem intubating me.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. For goodness sake, don't read it just before you go in for surgery. Read it after you come out. If you come out (HA HA, just joking).
His description of an emergency tracheotomy makes it very clear why anesthesiologists prefer to do a tracheotomy before the main surgery instead of waiting for a crisis. Of course the patient is unconscious either way -- but averting a crisis makes it more likely that the patient will live to wake up.
The book really could have been longer because the author had a lot of interesting stuff to say and he could have gone into more detail without any chance of becoming boring or jeopardizing the confidentiality of his patients. A minor disappointment for me was when the author says that he is going to explain how anesthesia is different for oral, throat, and lung surgery. Since I'm always asleep, I was prepared for a major reveal but Dr. Pascoe only gives a specific example for lung surgery. He did, however, give me some very disturbing idea of the significance of my anesthesiologist coming to the recovery room and apologizing to me after having a problem intubating me.
October 14, 2015
Audibook
Narration - Wolf Pascoe - Wolf is the author/narrator of this true life narrative of his own experiences as an anesthesiologist. His narration is terrific!
The story is terrific. Wolf describes the act of breathing and anesthesiology in such a poetic way. It was just mesmerizing, as is his voice. This is the story of some of his more difficult cases of anesthetizing patients with difficult airways and anatomy woven with some of the history of anesthesiology. It is not a dry clinical story, it's very engaging and you feel more like you are at a cocktail party having a conversation with him, hearing his real life stories of successfully overcoming some pretty terrifying obstacles.
Never again will I say to the doctor (after he suggests just giving me a local) "oh no! I wanna be put out!" I now understand that it's not a simple process of just "putting you out and you wake up and it's over." There are real risks and they shouldn't be taken lightly. But I also now see that hopefully when I am put out, there is someone who cares about his patients and what he's doing and has planned for every eventuality.
Loved this. Highly recommend to anyone, really. I think you'll enjoy it.
I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review
Narration - Wolf Pascoe - Wolf is the author/narrator of this true life narrative of his own experiences as an anesthesiologist. His narration is terrific!
The story is terrific. Wolf describes the act of breathing and anesthesiology in such a poetic way. It was just mesmerizing, as is his voice. This is the story of some of his more difficult cases of anesthetizing patients with difficult airways and anatomy woven with some of the history of anesthesiology. It is not a dry clinical story, it's very engaging and you feel more like you are at a cocktail party having a conversation with him, hearing his real life stories of successfully overcoming some pretty terrifying obstacles.
Never again will I say to the doctor (after he suggests just giving me a local) "oh no! I wanna be put out!" I now understand that it's not a simple process of just "putting you out and you wake up and it's over." There are real risks and they shouldn't be taken lightly. But I also now see that hopefully when I am put out, there is someone who cares about his patients and what he's doing and has planned for every eventuality.
Loved this. Highly recommend to anyone, really. I think you'll enjoy it.
I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review
May 16, 2013
Wolf Pascoe, in Breathing for Two, kept me on high alert as I followed him, an anesthesiologist, through the challenges of keeping his patients alive and breathing while he prepared them for surgery and then during the surgery. Dr. Pascoe tells us about Ondine's Curse: during sleep the body forgets to breathe. This is the challenge the anesthesiologist faces with surgical patients who have unusual tracheal anatomy. He must keep them breathing so the primary surgery can be accomplished.
Readers worry right along with Dr. Pascoe as patients Otto, Sam, Rose, and Charlie each come close to death in the anesthesiology process, and then survive, thanks to a combination of Dr. Pascoe's skill, teamwork with colleagues, progress in technology, and luck.
We learn about the state of fey, a condition that overcomes the doctor when the challenges seem insurmountable, yet he recovers and pulls his patients back to life.
Readers accustomed to novels and short stories will find themselves intrigued by these tales from the operating room. Readers familiar with medical literature will appreciate a very human, humble, and caring voice in these stories.
Readers worry right along with Dr. Pascoe as patients Otto, Sam, Rose, and Charlie each come close to death in the anesthesiology process, and then survive, thanks to a combination of Dr. Pascoe's skill, teamwork with colleagues, progress in technology, and luck.
We learn about the state of fey, a condition that overcomes the doctor when the challenges seem insurmountable, yet he recovers and pulls his patients back to life.
Readers accustomed to novels and short stories will find themselves intrigued by these tales from the operating room. Readers familiar with medical literature will appreciate a very human, humble, and caring voice in these stories.
May 17, 2013
Ever wonder exactly why anesthesiologists describe their job as hours of boredom, moments of panic? With gentle precision, anesthesiologist Wolf Pascoe teases apart an overlooked world and unveils the eggshell dance that takes place at the head of an operating table. A personal odyssey that goes deep into the heart of anesthesia’s scariest mystery–breathing–this short book will change the way you think about life, and breath.
What a wonderful breath of fresh air "Breathing for Two" is. A book that I as a Respiratory Therapist could relate too, but not so technical a book that the average person could not read and enjoy as well. The book chronicles the ups and downs, of life in the operating room, as told by Dr. Wolf Pascoe, anesthesiologist. "Breathing for Two" is a short quick page turner. I suggest you pick it up and give it a read. You won't be sorry!
What a wonderful breath of fresh air "Breathing for Two" is. A book that I as a Respiratory Therapist could relate too, but not so technical a book that the average person could not read and enjoy as well. The book chronicles the ups and downs, of life in the operating room, as told by Dr. Wolf Pascoe, anesthesiologist. "Breathing for Two" is a short quick page turner. I suggest you pick it up and give it a read. You won't be sorry!
April 2, 2015
An endearing and fascinating little book, sharing a glimpse of life as an anaesthetist, a quiet and underrated presence on the hospital theatre stage, including interesting overview of the history of anaesthesia that makes me very glad that I was born in the 20th century! I'd have liked this book to be longer and, as someone who has caused problems to anaesthetists in the past with my awkwardly shaped throat (which no-one knew about till they tried to start me breathing again - yikes!) to include more success stories! Probably best not to read if you're about to go into surgery, but very worthwhile (and fast) to read.
January 30, 2014
I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.
I couldn't wait to read this book, I am a nurse and love read books by other medical professionals (doctors, paramedics etc) and this book did not disappoint!
This is a fascinating insight into the world of an anesthesiologist detailing in an insightful and truthful way what goes on at their end of the table, a real page turner which I could not put down. I feel I've learnt a lot from this book and highly recommend it to anyone wanted to find out what it's like to have the responsibility of breathing for two!
I couldn't wait to read this book, I am a nurse and love read books by other medical professionals (doctors, paramedics etc) and this book did not disappoint!
This is a fascinating insight into the world of an anesthesiologist detailing in an insightful and truthful way what goes on at their end of the table, a real page turner which I could not put down. I feel I've learnt a lot from this book and highly recommend it to anyone wanted to find out what it's like to have the responsibility of breathing for two!
December 19, 2014
I very much enjoyed this short book. It's a wonderful, interesting insight into the world of anaesthesiology that had me considering the field in a way I never had before. After reading Breathing for Two my perspective on anaesthesiologists has changed and I've developed a profound respect I didn't have before, simply due to ignorance of the true nature of their work.
I felt the language used and explanations given were both in depth and basic enough for all readers of all levels of medical knowledge to understand and to enjoy.
I felt the language used and explanations given were both in depth and basic enough for all readers of all levels of medical knowledge to understand and to enjoy.
September 24, 2015
I found this to be really interesting. It's a great blend between memoir, facts and history. The author did an excellent job narrating his story. Fascinating for anyone- you don't need a medical degree to understand it. His personal experiences and outlook on his profession has me thinking about anesthesiologists in an entirely different way.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2013
As a CRNA I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I found it quite relatable and Pasco did a great job adding wit and humor into this serious topic. I do wish I would have discovered this book and read it in my training, I think I would have not only been entertained by it, but also it would have reinforced some of the educational and historical aspects of anesthesia taught in didactical training.
April 17, 2013
I have loved Wolf Pascoe ever since I discovered his blog, justaddfather.com. So I was delighted when his recent book, Breathing for Two, was published. I bought it and devoured it. I could hardly put it down. This is a fascinating and moving book, told with beautiful prose and deep insight.
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January 30, 2014Good short medical read
very informative short book about the many challenges of intubating
patients for surgery. Very good writing and as an RN, I loved this book.
very informative short book about the many challenges of intubating
patients for surgery. Very good writing and as an RN, I loved this book.
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