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Trauma Room Two
In every hospital emergency department there is a room reserved for trauma. It is a place where life and death are separated by the thinnest of margins. A place where some families celebrate the most improbable of victories while others face the most devastating of losses. A place where what matters the most in this life is revealed. Trauma Room Two is just such a place. In this collection of short stories, Dr. Green takes the reader inside the hidden emotional landscape of emergency medicine. Based on fifteen years of experience as an ER physician, he reveals the profound moments that often occur in emergency rooms for patients, their families, and the staff that work there.
162 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 379 reviews
March 6, 2018
This book has nothing to do with the practice of medicine but is almost an extended meditation on the trauma doctor's mindset. The style of writing is very variable, and can seem over alliterative, repetitive and incorporating too many tricks taught in creative writing classes. But then it becomes apparent that each style suits each story.
I do not believe the stories are fiction, but that fiction is the literary device by which the author shows us how he dealt mentally and emotionally with that situation. The last story, that of an old woman dying of an abdominal aneurysm is stream-of-consciousness and if the first story was making me think 'dnf', the last one was 10 star brilliant.
The first story was everything we all pick up in one second of seeing someone. Whether it is their expression, how they wear their watch, the relative value of their jewellery, whether their clothes are clean and pressed, and of course their face. It is at this point we all make judgements. And at the end of the story, we see that our judgements can be wrong.
I lived with Caboclo Indians in the Amazon for a while. They lived in floating houses and had school for their kids for only two years, medicine was dispensed by the same person who sold the only consumer goods - alcohol, cheese and crackers. Then there was the medicine man. Life was catching fish every two days and storing them alive in a water-filled pirogue into which inevitably pirana would jump and eat them (you would see fat piranas but nothing to eat). It was picking peppers and cucumbers from little gardens in repurposed leaky canoes. Recreation was crocodile-catching with bare hands (yes I can do it), zagaia fishing with spears (no, I can't) and sailing around the lake, a two hour trip, listening to music from as early as the 60s on an old record player on a Saturday night.
As in the first story in the book, these people seemed completely and utterly different from me. But they weren't. In the book, the doctor shows that it doesn't matter who you are or what your station in life is, at the end patients and family in a trauma room are all exactly the same and the same as the doctor too. In a trauma room, everything is reduced to the basics of life and death.
And in the Amazon, what did these Indians want? The didn't want cars as there are no roads, but wanted outboard engines for their canoes, they wanted better education for their children, they wanted clothes they could choose and not just what the man who made twice-monthly trips in his boat to Manaus brought back, they wanted the opportunity to go to the city and see another life, another culture for themselves, they wanted better health care, and on Saturday night the kids wanted to dance and find someone to fall in love with! How different from us? Not at all.
So a 'dnf' story became a profound introduction to a book that ended with all the thoughts that might go through an old woman's head who is dying and is remembering all her life and who she loved and she wants to be part of that again and leave her inadequate shell of a body behind.
From dnf to 10 star. From what I thought of as dreadful, repetitive writing to an appreciate of the genius of the author to match the style to the subject. But without doubt, it isn't the easiest book to read, it requires real concentration from the reader. But it's definitely worth it.
I do not believe the stories are fiction, but that fiction is the literary device by which the author shows us how he dealt mentally and emotionally with that situation. The last story, that of an old woman dying of an abdominal aneurysm is stream-of-consciousness and if the first story was making me think 'dnf', the last one was 10 star brilliant.
The first story was everything we all pick up in one second of seeing someone. Whether it is their expression, how they wear their watch, the relative value of their jewellery, whether their clothes are clean and pressed, and of course their face. It is at this point we all make judgements. And at the end of the story, we see that our judgements can be wrong.
I lived with Caboclo Indians in the Amazon for a while. They lived in floating houses and had school for their kids for only two years, medicine was dispensed by the same person who sold the only consumer goods - alcohol, cheese and crackers. Then there was the medicine man. Life was catching fish every two days and storing them alive in a water-filled pirogue into which inevitably pirana would jump and eat them (you would see fat piranas but nothing to eat). It was picking peppers and cucumbers from little gardens in repurposed leaky canoes. Recreation was crocodile-catching with bare hands (yes I can do it), zagaia fishing with spears (no, I can't) and sailing around the lake, a two hour trip, listening to music from as early as the 60s on an old record player on a Saturday night.
As in the first story in the book, these people seemed completely and utterly different from me. But they weren't. In the book, the doctor shows that it doesn't matter who you are or what your station in life is, at the end patients and family in a trauma room are all exactly the same and the same as the doctor too. In a trauma room, everything is reduced to the basics of life and death.
And in the Amazon, what did these Indians want? The didn't want cars as there are no roads, but wanted outboard engines for their canoes, they wanted better education for their children, they wanted clothes they could choose and not just what the man who made twice-monthly trips in his boat to Manaus brought back, they wanted the opportunity to go to the city and see another life, another culture for themselves, they wanted better health care, and on Saturday night the kids wanted to dance and find someone to fall in love with! How different from us? Not at all.
So a 'dnf' story became a profound introduction to a book that ended with all the thoughts that might go through an old woman's head who is dying and is remembering all her life and who she loved and she wants to be part of that again and leave her inadequate shell of a body behind.
From dnf to 10 star. From what I thought of as dreadful, repetitive writing to an appreciate of the genius of the author to match the style to the subject. But without doubt, it isn't the easiest book to read, it requires real concentration from the reader. But it's definitely worth it.
June 23, 2019
Written by an emergency physician, this book features short stories narrated by the doctor based on his experience working in a small town hospital ER. I found the writing to be frequently overdramatic, which was completely unnecessary because the patients that he encountered and their various medical and related social issues would have provided enough drama and heart without resorting to theatrical story-telling. I particularly disliked when he got carried away with elaborate accounts of the (unconscious) patients' dreams/thoughts/psyches. How did he get access to these as a first person narrator? He often went on describing excruciating details of their appearances and that of their relatives attending. They're bleeding out on him while he ponders the value of their jewellery, whether the hair colour is fake or what they had for breakfast. Not realistic when his head should be taking in the relevant objective physical signs and leave the fanciful postulations till much later. Also why have two stories featuring the same diagnosis - ruptured aortic aneurysm? And why would they be doing a full, painfully prolonged resus and surgery prep on a 93 year old arriving with ruptured aneurysm, which would carry a horribly poor prognosis even for a much younger patient? There was also too much allusion to his self-sacrifice and the occasional self-glorification which he could have left out. Let someone else point out that his is a noble profession. The best and most moving stories were pared down more just dealing with him and his fears and frustrations as an ER doctor, such the prom night fatal car accident where the entire trauma team of their hospital await in fear that it might involve one of their own children. These stories were really what I was expecting and wanting from this book - displaying the human side of what it means to be a doctor.
The narration was okay, again a bit theatrical in the reading but that could just be due to the writing.
The narration was okay, again a bit theatrical in the reading but that could just be due to the writing.
August 29, 2016
Extremely well written. Almost poetic. Exactly what I DON'T look for in a book like this.
I have to think this was ghost written and the ghost writer got carried away. WAAAY too much setting details, not nearly enough medical details.
Honestly, I couldn't finish this because it was more about what the physician imagined about the lives of the people in his trauma room than anything concrete about the demands of a hospital trauma room.
I have to think this was ghost written and the ghost writer got carried away. WAAAY too much setting details, not nearly enough medical details.
Honestly, I couldn't finish this because it was more about what the physician imagined about the lives of the people in his trauma room than anything concrete about the demands of a hospital trauma room.
February 29, 2020
This book has been shelved as nonfiction, but some of this felt very fictionalized. Don't get me wrong, it worked...it definitely worked, but that last story especially....no way was that nonfiction. The author is a doctor who works in the ER and handles the severe trauma cases and these essays/shortstories are about the work that goes on there. For the most part this felt very well written. I loved loved his use of words in the descriptive strokes.
Overall I liked this. It felt honest, and I know I shouldn't say this because some of this was so tragic, but some of this was kind of funny. I loved his take on these experiences. And I will add a plug for the audio version. The author didn't do his own narration. The guy who was the narrator did a phenomenal job. He was perfect for the part, so I highly, highly recommend you splurge and go for the audio. It may have been a little overly dramatic, but it WORKED!!! So 4 stars.
Overall I liked this. It felt honest, and I know I shouldn't say this because some of this was so tragic, but some of this was kind of funny. I loved his take on these experiences. And I will add a plug for the audio version. The author didn't do his own narration. The guy who was the narrator did a phenomenal job. He was perfect for the part, so I highly, highly recommend you splurge and go for the audio. It may have been a little overly dramatic, but it WORKED!!! So 4 stars.
January 11, 2021
In 2020, for the first time in my career as a nurse (almost 7 years), I questioned if I had made the right decision choosing this profession. The stress and heartbreak I experienced while watching the impact of covid-19 left me feeling alone and confused. A job that used to bring me joy was now doing the exact opposite. As time goes on however, pieces of me are reminded why I genuinely enjoy working in healthcare. And despite the pandemic not being over, this beautiful book helped me fall in love with emergency nursing again.
I’m not sure if all non medical people will feel the same way as I do about Trauma Room Two, but I highly recommend this book. It shares so many gripping stories about life and death. I laughed and I cried. So well done.
I am doing a challenge with my book club this year and this book has been on my TBR the longest (Jan 13 2020) so it fits prompt 13.) Bottom of your to-read list
I’m not sure if all non medical people will feel the same way as I do about Trauma Room Two, but I highly recommend this book. It shares so many gripping stories about life and death. I laughed and I cried. So well done.
I am doing a challenge with my book club this year and this book has been on my TBR the longest (Jan 13 2020) so it fits prompt 13.) Bottom of your to-read list
January 2, 2018
Excellent in so many ways! I can't adequately describe it. As an ER nurse, this resonated so intimately. If you're looking for medical technicality, move on. However, if you want a look into the hearts and minds of the healthcare workers around you, this is perfect. You can tell that Dr. Green actually works in his profession, not by the grand dramatic moments, but by the small mundane details he includes that are in every part of my regular shifts. He paints the pictures of the experiences you so badly want to share with family and friends when they ask how your day was but can't relive it again or find the words. This is the kind of book that speaks the truths that help us as people and a community love each other better.
March 25, 2016
4.5
stumbled upon this book on amazon. some great stories and great writing. especially the one about the varsity soccer girl and the homeless war vet. what i didn't like was that at times it was long-winded and cheesy mostly when going out of first person and going into the patient's eyes. but i imagine most readers wouldn't mind that as much as me.
stumbled upon this book on amazon. some great stories and great writing. especially the one about the varsity soccer girl and the homeless war vet. what i didn't like was that at times it was long-winded and cheesy mostly when going out of first person and going into the patient's eyes. but i imagine most readers wouldn't mind that as much as me.
November 15, 2017
I stumbled upon Trauma Room Two in Prime Reading, borrowed it, and found that it was so good I couldn't tear myself away. It's a collection of short stories written by an emergency room physician. Unlike other medical fiction I've read before, these stories are written with enough medical detail to ring true, and enough honesty and emotion to be profound and poignant. "The Crew", a story about the dread that every member of the trauma crew feels while they wait for an ambulance to arrive, fearful that it might involve one of their own sons or daughters, is one of the most compelling and honest stories I've read. Dr. Green is exhausted and possibly burned out, but he writes sensitively about the tragedies he sees on a daily basis, and the last story is a beautifully fitting ending. I simply could not stop thinking about the hospital staff's and patients' stories told in this book.
July 11, 2023
Human experiences may appear to be specific, but no, we are common at some points. Sometimes, we have the same feelings, pain, and words to say. So, I can understand every expression written in this book and keep it clear in my mind and inside my heart.
When a story ends with human smiles, I feel colorful butterflies around my head, and my heart plays a very loud, happy song. I say yes, yes. For that, we practice this hard and painful job.
On the other side, death makes me a little child, a child who turned around and didn't find his parents. What should I do? My butterflies appear exhausted, and at this point, my heart cries as my eyes do.
The ER, this place has a wall of inability, a wall of despair, a wall of life, and another one for hope. Its roof is made of pure happiness, and its floor is made of death. This place!
-
Trauma Room Two: This is the story of our medical practice.
When a story ends with human smiles, I feel colorful butterflies around my head, and my heart plays a very loud, happy song. I say yes, yes. For that, we practice this hard and painful job.
On the other side, death makes me a little child, a child who turned around and didn't find his parents. What should I do? My butterflies appear exhausted, and at this point, my heart cries as my eyes do.
The ER, this place has a wall of inability, a wall of despair, a wall of life, and another one for hope. Its roof is made of pure happiness, and its floor is made of death. This place!
-
Trauma Room Two: This is the story of our medical practice.
March 4, 2019
It felt melodramatic and ridiculous at points, hard to overlook the medical and technical errors of the writing. It’s a weirdly fictionalized version of the Doctor memoir genre I enjoy sometimes. Short and easy I suppose but it felt hollow to me. I’ve worked as a nurse in ER and trauma ICU settings so its flaws stood out to me. I was very confused about whether the author is a doctor or not and was convinced this was all made up based on research, but then saw his website says he is board-certified physician. Then why is this fiction? The clearly fictionalized aspects of it feel like the worst parts, heavyhanded and cartoonish.
My biggest problem with this is that anyone who spent fifteen years in emergency medicine should have way better stories than this oversentimental stuff. This seems more like an attempt to get into the Oprah Book Club than anything.
My biggest problem with this is that anyone who spent fifteen years in emergency medicine should have way better stories than this oversentimental stuff. This seems more like an attempt to get into the Oprah Book Club than anything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2020
The story-telling style is a bit dramatic, as if he wanted to be poetic and serious. Most of the time it's unclear who the main character is, everything is using pronouns instead of names, and stories are doled out like pieces of puzzles and readers are to assemble them themselves, but I adapted to it starting chapter 2 after almost abandoning it then I started to take a liking to the stories. Most of them are touching and heart-breaking in some parts.
March 12, 2023
i thought about reading this at a cafe but i’m so glad i didn’t because i cried during almost every chapter. fuck this book!
July 27, 2018
This book of short stories provides an insight into the hearts and minds of the heroes of the emergency room from the point of view of one doctor in rural America.
A weaker story to begin with, soon succeeded by many raw, brutal and precious moments, blending fact with fiction along the way.
Life is brutal,
Life is fragile,
And emergency medicine practitioners know these things better than most.
A weaker story to begin with, soon succeeded by many raw, brutal and precious moments, blending fact with fiction along the way.
Life is brutal,
Life is fragile,
And emergency medicine practitioners know these things better than most.
December 23, 2025
#50 done!!!! what a sad but enlightening book
November 25, 2021
Absolutely loved this! It’s a collection of short stories told by an ER physician that are poetic, hilarious, uplifting, and vividly poignant. Many of the stories are amusingly relatable for anyone who has worked in the ER setting. And that last story, Remember This, is one of the most gut-wrenching and beautifully told stories I have read in a very long time. Highly recommend!
And while he does offer breakdowns of medical jargon and tries to present the stories in a way that’s enjoyable for all, regardless of profession, I still think it’s predominantly written for those in the industry who can empathize with the daily struggles attached to that ER life.
And while he does offer breakdowns of medical jargon and tries to present the stories in a way that’s enjoyable for all, regardless of profession, I still think it’s predominantly written for those in the industry who can empathize with the daily struggles attached to that ER life.
July 21, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book. There are a number of "tales" from Green's ER (Trauma Room Two of the title) taken from his experiences as a ER doctor. They vary from "siren, blood and guts" to far more thoughtful stories. He does write remarkably well to me - his stories often have a poetic or even mystical quality to them. My only reservation about this book is that I feel these stories are more created than the ones in his other book. He also wrote "People of the ER" which for me was more powerful and harder hitting. However this one does make for a very good read if it's a subject matter that appeals to you. "Distractions" is very good and I did love "Please choose one".
October 24, 2015
What a fantastic book. Dr Green gives the reader a compassionate look at life as an ER doctor. He tells us stories about patients but what affected me the most were what his stories told about him - the way death affected him, the tiredness, the stress. I laughed at some of the stories but cried during many more of them. The book was a serious look at life while dealing with trauma patients. Fantastic!
August 29, 2021
I read this some time ago but had forgotten.I skimmed it again. It’s fiction so I didn’t enjoy it as I would have had it been non fiction.
November 11, 2025
English first, Dutch next!
Trauma Room Two’ offers a raw and compelling glimpse behind the doors of an American emergency room. Philip Allen Green shows not only the chaos of the job, but also the vulnerability of the doctor himself. The moral choices, the constant tension, and the emotional weight he carries are described with an almost poetic touch.
His writing is filled with vivid imagery, giving the stories a special depth, though at times it feels a bit too carefully crafted. The short stories move between touching and heartbreaking moments, between a smile and a lump in your throat. A book that makes you reflect on life, death, and everything in between.
*Dutch*
‘Trauma Room Two’ biedt een rauw en indringend kijkje achter de deuren van een Amerikaanse spoedeisende hulp. Philip Allen Green laat niet alleen de hectiek van het werk zien, maar ook de kwetsbaarheid van de arts zelf. De morele keuzes, de continue spanning en de emotionele last die op zijn schouders rusten, worden met een bijna poëtische pen beschreven.
Zijn taalgebruik is doordrenkt van beeldspraak, wat de verhalen een bijzondere gelaagdheid geeft, al voelt dat soms iets te zorgvuldig geconstrueerd. De korte verhalen schommelen tussen ontroerend en hartverscheurend, tussen een glimlach en een brok in de keel. Een boek dat je laat nadenken over leven, dood en alles daartussenin.
Trauma Room Two’ offers a raw and compelling glimpse behind the doors of an American emergency room. Philip Allen Green shows not only the chaos of the job, but also the vulnerability of the doctor himself. The moral choices, the constant tension, and the emotional weight he carries are described with an almost poetic touch.
His writing is filled with vivid imagery, giving the stories a special depth, though at times it feels a bit too carefully crafted. The short stories move between touching and heartbreaking moments, between a smile and a lump in your throat. A book that makes you reflect on life, death, and everything in between.
*Dutch*
‘Trauma Room Two’ biedt een rauw en indringend kijkje achter de deuren van een Amerikaanse spoedeisende hulp. Philip Allen Green laat niet alleen de hectiek van het werk zien, maar ook de kwetsbaarheid van de arts zelf. De morele keuzes, de continue spanning en de emotionele last die op zijn schouders rusten, worden met een bijna poëtische pen beschreven.
Zijn taalgebruik is doordrenkt van beeldspraak, wat de verhalen een bijzondere gelaagdheid geeft, al voelt dat soms iets te zorgvuldig geconstrueerd. De korte verhalen schommelen tussen ontroerend en hartverscheurend, tussen een glimlach en een brok in de keel. Een boek dat je laat nadenken over leven, dood en alles daartussenin.
April 26, 2025
I read this super fast. I really enjoyed the different perspective of this book. It’s more from the medical professional/physician mindset/emotions rather than detailed descriptions of the cases he saw. Being in medicine I thought this was a really unique way to portray things we see every day, without being overly specific. I really enjoyed this book!
May 2, 2019
This book wasn't quite what I expected it to be but it was very good. The author focuses more on the emotional aspects of being an ER doctor rather than just describing each patient in terms of their presenting complaint.
September 30, 2015
An honest and moving look at the life of an ER physician
Wow!! What a heart rending and heartwarming biography.
Dr Phillip Green writes about his experiences as an ER physician and the ups and downs of that one room that is set aside for the most critically injured or ill: the trauma room.
Through his stories in each chapter, the reader gets a very real sense of what goes through the minds and what is out into action for the cases he describes. He describes not just medical side but also the emotional and mental side as they wait for the patient to arrive to working on the patient to interaction with the patients family. "It is a place where life and death are separated by the thinnest margins...A place where what matters most in this life is revealed" (book description).
Such am honest and well written look at the days, weeks and years of one ER doc/trauma doc and the real life toll it takes on him and those around him.
An amazing book that is simply written yet immediately engaging and gripping. Highly recommended.
Wow!! What a heart rending and heartwarming biography.
Dr Phillip Green writes about his experiences as an ER physician and the ups and downs of that one room that is set aside for the most critically injured or ill: the trauma room.
Through his stories in each chapter, the reader gets a very real sense of what goes through the minds and what is out into action for the cases he describes. He describes not just medical side but also the emotional and mental side as they wait for the patient to arrive to working on the patient to interaction with the patients family. "It is a place where life and death are separated by the thinnest margins...A place where what matters most in this life is revealed" (book description).
Such am honest and well written look at the days, weeks and years of one ER doc/trauma doc and the real life toll it takes on him and those around him.
An amazing book that is simply written yet immediately engaging and gripping. Highly recommended.
March 28, 2018
Trauma Room Two is a collection of short stories written by a 15 year veteran of emergency medicine. Doctor Green is an amazing doctor and writer. The realities of working in emergency medicine are both beautiful and harsh, often at the same time. Each patient is introduced as the doctor is walking through the door...he is assessing and processing continuously and you meet the patient and family through what he is seeing, hearing and touching. The hyperfocus gradually widens as the action begins and each story unfolds.
Dr. Green is very generous in sharing himself in this book. I thank him for that. It is a good thing to be reminded what empathy looks and feels like. The burnout and disconnect are there as well and without self-pity, he shares the physical and emotional toll on his life as well.
I recommend this book to anyone who has worked or cares about someone who works in the medical field. The writing is superb and the loneliness of this kind of work is exposed.
Dr. Green is very generous in sharing himself in this book. I thank him for that. It is a good thing to be reminded what empathy looks and feels like. The burnout and disconnect are there as well and without self-pity, he shares the physical and emotional toll on his life as well.
I recommend this book to anyone who has worked or cares about someone who works in the medical field. The writing is superb and the loneliness of this kind of work is exposed.
September 28, 2015
I often wondered what goes on in the mind of physicians in the hospital setting. Here's is raw look into the mind of Dr. Green. It takes a very special person to do what most physicians do every day. If you've ever spent any time in the ER, you just might appreciate what they go through. This book certainly opened my eyes. I now have a better understanding and a broader appreciation for what these doctors and hospital personnel do. They sacrifice so much. I especially liked the last chapter! Thank you Dr. Green for sharing your stories, your feelings, and giving us insight into what goes on behind the curtain. God bless you!
October 2, 2015
I found these stories revealing and compelling. Written by an emergency room doctor, each story elicits such revelation and awareness and emotion that I could only read one a night. I had never thought of the personal toll emergency room care takes on the doctors and nurses and staff providing it. I have only appreciated them being there when people need them. I highly recommend this book. Some of the stories are good companion pieces for Being Mortal by ATul Gawande. It think it would be good for book clubs.
November 10, 2022
11/10/22 - reread
This is one of my favorite medical story type of books. I appreciate that the author kept the majority of the book ABOUT the medical stories, and didn't include a lot of personal information.
The book is well-written. The stories were interesting. The author did a great job telling each story so we could feel the actual effect it had on him.
This is one of my favorite medical story type of books. I appreciate that the author kept the majority of the book ABOUT the medical stories, and didn't include a lot of personal information.
The book is well-written. The stories were interesting. The author did a great job telling each story so we could feel the actual effect it had on him.
January 17, 2019
This book made me cry in public - that says a lot. These short stories are beautifully written with a poetic and honest voice. The author encourages readers to contemplate mortality, humanity, and the emotional weight of reality when life hangs in the balance. I will be sitting with this one for a while.
June 4, 2019
Love the ending
I am a registered nurse and have had similar experiences in my career. Although I'm retired now, the adrenaline still kicks in with each story. It's in my blood, I miss it every day and will continue to do so until my last breath. Well written book that accurately depicts the compassion, skills, and heartbreak every healthcare professional experiences.
I am a registered nurse and have had similar experiences in my career. Although I'm retired now, the adrenaline still kicks in with each story. It's in my blood, I miss it every day and will continue to do so until my last breath. Well written book that accurately depicts the compassion, skills, and heartbreak every healthcare professional experiences.
July 25, 2017
This doctor wrestles with his own demons.
Life in ER is hard on the doctor and his team. I scanned through many pages of unnecessary details that added nothing to the story.
Life in ER is hard on the doctor and his team. I scanned through many pages of unnecessary details that added nothing to the story.
April 15, 2018
(Before I give my words on the writing content, I have to make a brief note on the narrator for the audiobook. I have heard his voice before in other audiobooks, and took comfort in knowing I was in good hands. As the book went on, and I became to realize that a good portion of it was raw pathos and very very deep emotional venting/exposure, I became amazed at the talents of the voice performer. My hat is off to you sir, that could not have been easy)
This book is not what you would expect, were you to think it the standard, gripping narration of experience and tense moments of life and death in an ED. I went in like that, but was turned pretty briskly in the direction of the inner anguish and deep reflection that a job like this brings an intelligent person to contemplate. There are plenty of good moments like the standard medical biography, but they are islands in a deep lecture on the preciousness of life and how our society deals with it. and how that often is pushed onto ED doctors.
I will leave with one more note. The last short story is, in no softened terms, brutal in the rawness of the dying process it presents. The picture of a person late in life, wanting to escape life and wanting to die to get away from pain in opposition to the doctors trying to say them is honest, but for a person with even a small modicum of a struggle with depression, I will warn you if you lose the context it can become a story of how great death can be. Persons with not the best mood stability may struggle with it and I wouldn't blame you to cut short. I skipped through some parts, and don't feel the ending was some great payoff to suffer for if you are not reacting well. It is this story that mostly seems like the culmination of where the previous stories take the author. The learned lesson if you will, and I trust that he has reached the correct view.
The rawness of this last story seems to be the crescendo that the other stories work towards. The entire work is well done, and well written and I give high marks for that. Even being a type of wolf in standard-ED-doc-story sheep clothing, I'm not mad; and I think it is important that side be heard. I think a good summary could be: a good book for doctor therapy book club, and one also that others interested in the mindset of practictioners (it me) would enjoy.
This book is not what you would expect, were you to think it the standard, gripping narration of experience and tense moments of life and death in an ED. I went in like that, but was turned pretty briskly in the direction of the inner anguish and deep reflection that a job like this brings an intelligent person to contemplate. There are plenty of good moments like the standard medical biography, but they are islands in a deep lecture on the preciousness of life and how our society deals with it. and how that often is pushed onto ED doctors.
I will leave with one more note. The last short story is, in no softened terms, brutal in the rawness of the dying process it presents. The picture of a person late in life, wanting to escape life and wanting to die to get away from pain in opposition to the doctors trying to say them is honest, but for a person with even a small modicum of a struggle with depression, I will warn you if you lose the context it can become a story of how great death can be. Persons with not the best mood stability may struggle with it and I wouldn't blame you to cut short. I skipped through some parts, and don't feel the ending was some great payoff to suffer for if you are not reacting well. It is this story that mostly seems like the culmination of where the previous stories take the author. The learned lesson if you will, and I trust that he has reached the correct view.
The rawness of this last story seems to be the crescendo that the other stories work towards. The entire work is well done, and well written and I give high marks for that. Even being a type of wolf in standard-ED-doc-story sheep clothing, I'm not mad; and I think it is important that side be heard. I think a good summary could be: a good book for doctor therapy book club, and one also that others interested in the mindset of practictioners (it me) would enjoy.
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