The Essence of Invention: Medicine and the Joy of Creativity

by Kieran P.J. Murphy

Meet the brilliant mavericks who invented the future of medicine and saved the lives of millions.

The Essence of Invention tells the story of medical invention, from the development of anesthesia and safe surgery, through to the advent of vaccines against smallpox, polio, and Covid-19, that have changed the very foundation of patient care. Dr. Kieran Murphy, a renowned neuroradiologist and inventor in his own right, captures the mind of the inventor — their turmoil, their persistence, their rejection by their peers — and how a small percentage are eventually recognized.

The same kind of energy that drove van Gogh or the Beatles can manifest in medicine as inventiveness and the creation of new medical devices. The field may be very different from what is traditionally considered a creative industry, but the fundamental energy, drive, motivation, dreaming, aspiration, belief, and resilience are the same.

In The Essence of Invention, Dr. Murphy celebrates the creative energy of courageous men and women who changed the world through medical science. He honours their unique gifts, and explains how a culture of creativity and collaboration can and must be established around them to allow their talents to take flight.

Genres: Nonfiction

341 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2024

Reviews

[Kathy]

I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started this non-fiction book on medical inventions but decided quickly that it wasn't for me. I imagine it would be a great tool for those interested in inventing or improving medical devices, etc, but as a casual reader decided that this one just isn't a good fit for me. I also think readers who are interested would probably prefer a physical copy as Murphy encourages using the book as a handbook where you can jot things down, make sketches, or take notes.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

This book took a little while to grow on me. At first, I felt like it was a bit dry and I would only read a couple of pages here and there, not really making any progress. Then I realized I just wasn’t really in the mood for nonfiction ebooks lately and stopped stressing about it. I picked it back up this weekend and read about 60% of it, I think, in 3 sessions. So I just had to wait to be in the right mood for it because suddenly I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“The mark of a civilization is the value of one human life.”

There was so much fascinating info in this book. I read medical memoirs here and there but not usually this type of book. I didn’t really know anything about medical inventions before but really enjoyed learning about all the people mentioned in this book. It was especially cool to read about the invention of a procedure that I myself had to get done not too long ago. It just made this book feel that little bit more personal.

But really though. Reading an inventor’s book about other inventors was really interesting. I can see why he thinks the components he mentions are important to improvements and new inventions and how this is backed by history over and over again. There were so many sad cases of people that could’ve been helped if the field had been more accepting of new procedures but also, tragically, those that couldn’t despite having these pioneers do their best.

The one thing that didn’t get touched on very much is the ethics of experimenting with new products and procedures. It’s something that I can’t talk about myself obviously, but I think it would’ve been an interesting addition since I feel that is at least partially a reason for the resistance in the field after reading this book. But then again, this is supposed to be a book about what kind of people and environments foster the drive and creativity to improve the field of medicine and this it did very well with many examples.

I really like that the list of books that have influenced his writing at the end of this one isn’t just a dry list of one book after another. He talks more about why he loves certain books and how they have influenced him. That makes this list so much more meaningful and I’m curious about several that I’m going to request at my library.

[Paul Sutter]

The world of medicine has always been most fascinating. When we read about medical inventions and advances, they show us how science and research has given medical professionals the upper hand in treating disease and illness that once was misunderstood. Historically, we read about earlier centuries where countless people died because the doctors of that era had inferior methods of diagnosis, which hindered their treatment.
In the book THE ESSENCE OF INVENTION, Dr. Kieran Murphy talks about the creation of many facets of medical treatments that have become commonplace today. I found it of particular interest, because many of them have been used for my various medical issues. Without such bold research and experimentation, I might not be here today writing this review.
Murphy also urges that we never hold back our desire to learn and to further medicine, creating new methods to help people live longer and also be healthier as well. He highlights the many medical professionals who often made themselves human guinea pigs in the advancement of medicine and procedures. One was Dr. Edgar Pask who was the first Professor of Anaesthesia at Newcastle University. During the Second World War he conducted research on improving the design of life jackets used by Spitfire pilots. He became the guinea pig, being anaesthetized, then placed unconscious in a swimming pool while on a ventilator. Simulating an unconscious airman, he was able to test a variety of designs, making sure the airmen would float face up rather than face down. He died in 1966 at age 53 of heart and lung disease, thought to have been a result of his self-experimentation, which caused lung damage.
There are so many other medical inventions that are discussed, how people’s visions led to creating a brave new world of medicine. Such areas as cataract surgery, cardiac catheterization, pacemakers, heart transplants, laparoscopic surgery, vaccines, and more have brought us to this state in medicine, where all things are possible when it comes to saving lives and assisting in the quality of life.
Dr. Murphy salutes them all, and advocates that we never hold back in the advancement of medicine and medical ideas.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a lot to love about this book. Aside from the fascinating discussions of inventions and how they happen, there was a brutal look at academia and how it works and a lot of fair criticism of the Canadian healthcare system. I also loved the detailed discussion of the role of interventional radiologists in healthcare. In showing the inputs into inventions, Dr. Murphy made use of brilliant genealogy charts. The book is well-paced and written with a conversational tone. It never gets bogged down in minutiae and all the science is very well explained. There was even some humour. This is one of the rare books where the author creates a relationship with the reader. Reading the book was like having a cup of coffee with the author. Thank you to Edelweiss and Dundurn Press for the digital review copy.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and insightful. It was easy to stay engaged and absorb the information despite having no background in the medical field.