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Doctors: The Biography of Medicine
F rom the author of How We Die , t he extraordinary story of the development of modern medicine, told through the lives of the physician-scientists who paved the way.
How does medical science advance? Popular historians would have us believe that a few heroic individuals, possessing superhuman talents, lead an unselfish quest to better the human condition. But as renowned Yale surgeon and medical historian Sherwin B. Nuland shows in this brilliant collection of linked life portraits, the theory bears little resemblance to the truth. Through the centuries, the men and women who have shaped the world of medicine have been not only very human, but also very much the products of their own times and places. Presenting compelling studies of great medical innovators and pioneers, Doctors gives us a fascinating history of modern medicine. Ranging from the legendary Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, to Andreas Vesalius, whose Renaissance masterwork on anatomy offered invaluable new insight into the human body, to Helen Taussig, founder of pediatric cardiology and co-inventor of the original "blue baby" operation, here is a volume filled with the spirit of ideas and the thrill of discovery.
How does medical science advance? Popular historians would have us believe that a few heroic individuals, possessing superhuman talents, lead an unselfish quest to better the human condition. But as renowned Yale surgeon and medical historian Sherwin B. Nuland shows in this brilliant collection of linked life portraits, the theory bears little resemblance to the truth. Through the centuries, the men and women who have shaped the world of medicine have been not only very human, but also very much the products of their own times and places. Presenting compelling studies of great medical innovators and pioneers, Doctors gives us a fascinating history of modern medicine. Ranging from the legendary Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, to Andreas Vesalius, whose Renaissance masterwork on anatomy offered invaluable new insight into the human body, to Helen Taussig, founder of pediatric cardiology and co-inventor of the original "blue baby" operation, here is a volume filled with the spirit of ideas and the thrill of discovery.
546 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
63 people are currently reading
1242 people want to read
About the author
Sherwin B. Nuland
51 books203 followersSherwin Nuland was an American surgeon and author who taught bioethics and medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine. He was the author of The New York Times bestseller and National Book Award winning How We Die, and has also written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New Republic, Time, and the New York Review of Books.
His NYTimes obit: http://nyti.ms/1kxNtQC
His NYTimes obit: http://nyti.ms/1kxNtQC
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 27, 2009
Whiggish history, at its worst. This book did contain a lot of information, I just wish Nuland had kept his opinions about how science and medicine "should be" out of it. Also, his writing had far too many poetical flourishes for my taste. It was really quite annoying to hear him go on page-long love notes to the scientific methods of certain surgeons and doctors. I was also annoyed by the focus on surgeons, the inherent Western bias, and the complete absence of any mention of the contributions of nurses to medicine. It should be titled Doctors (Well, Really, Surgeons): The Biography of a Very Small Portion of Western Medicine.
September 24, 2017
This course is one of the best courses !
The stories of names we read about in books become alive in this course...
The stories of names we read about in books become alive in this course...
November 28, 2012
"Doctors " is a passionate history of surgery. There is much more to medicine: drugs, vaccines, epidemics and many other side branches, only sketchily covered here, though they probably deserve their own histories and halls of fame. But the evolution of surgery is a fitting framework for tracing all medical history, and Dr. Nuland, a surgeon himself, knows enough stories to stitch together a fascinating narrative. It is a large book, heavy (4.2 lb), beautifully produced in China: savor it slowly, a chapter at a time.
Dr. Nuland is an experienced writer ("How we Die"), sensitive to nuances of personality ("Lost in America" is a touching account of his growing up) and a developed sense of history. The result is a highly personal account, not at all detached, illustrating his belief that medicine, though heavily relying on science and its methods, is primarily an art.
Today's educated citizen takes for granted our knowledge of the human body, and rarely appreciates how slow and hesitant was the acquisition of the even the most basic facts about it--e.g. the circulation of blood and the role of microbes in disease. Today's educated citizen might also be surprised at the number of medical problem still unsolved (how do we get headaches, arthritis, cancer? How does the brain work, and interpret what the eye sees?), without realizing that much of today's medicine only emerged in the 19th and 20th century. Nuland goes back to the foundations, to Hippocrates groping in ignorance, to Galen (1st century) who dissected animals (but never human bodies!) and who identified organs with no clear idea of what they did. Also to Vesalius, finally dissecting the dead human and, not having photography available, calling on some of the finest artists of the renaissance to produce careful drawings of what he saw. And to Ambroise Paré, the barber-surgeon who earned skill and knowledge by tending many of the wounded in the religious wars of the 16th century.
Even today, surgeons still know far too little of what makes the body tick. Imagine yourself in a similar position--given a working computer and asked to figure out its operation, at first without even opening its case. When you finally do open it, you face a bewildering array of wires and encased circuits, and opening these is still not enough: even to trace the circuitry inside "chips" requires a good microscope, and after that you still need to understand what they do. The task facing medical science is not much easier, and one ought to be amazed at the limited headway achieved.
Progress accelerated in the 1600s with understanding of blood circulation and of the heart, though it remained for some determined men and women in the 20th century to perform heart surgery and save lives of "blue babies." The story of Ignac Semmelweis illustrates the uncertainty of progress. Given an insight--through a fatal incident to a fellow surgeon--of the deadly infection which killed mothers after childbirth, he was prevented by his timid character and lack of writing skills from applying his finding on a wider scale and thus saving thousands of lives. You read of Joseph Lister, the gentle Quaker surgeon of Edinburgh, and of Robert Virchow, pursuing twin goals of improving surgery and bettering society. And about the contested origins of anesthesia, about the sprouting of the first modern American school of medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and about surgeries made possible only by heart-lung machines and anti-rejection drugs. This book was first published in 1988; had it been written more recently, it would at least cover laparoscopic surgery, remotely conducted through tiny incisions.
It is a story well told, because the author has an insider's insight and information, has traced history to its details (credit the Yale Historical Medicine Library!) and because his style is personal and engaging. If you have a favorite physician, this book may make an appropriate gift. But first, read it yourself!
Dr. Nuland is an experienced writer ("How we Die"), sensitive to nuances of personality ("Lost in America" is a touching account of his growing up) and a developed sense of history. The result is a highly personal account, not at all detached, illustrating his belief that medicine, though heavily relying on science and its methods, is primarily an art.
Today's educated citizen takes for granted our knowledge of the human body, and rarely appreciates how slow and hesitant was the acquisition of the even the most basic facts about it--e.g. the circulation of blood and the role of microbes in disease. Today's educated citizen might also be surprised at the number of medical problem still unsolved (how do we get headaches, arthritis, cancer? How does the brain work, and interpret what the eye sees?), without realizing that much of today's medicine only emerged in the 19th and 20th century. Nuland goes back to the foundations, to Hippocrates groping in ignorance, to Galen (1st century) who dissected animals (but never human bodies!) and who identified organs with no clear idea of what they did. Also to Vesalius, finally dissecting the dead human and, not having photography available, calling on some of the finest artists of the renaissance to produce careful drawings of what he saw. And to Ambroise Paré, the barber-surgeon who earned skill and knowledge by tending many of the wounded in the religious wars of the 16th century.
Even today, surgeons still know far too little of what makes the body tick. Imagine yourself in a similar position--given a working computer and asked to figure out its operation, at first without even opening its case. When you finally do open it, you face a bewildering array of wires and encased circuits, and opening these is still not enough: even to trace the circuitry inside "chips" requires a good microscope, and after that you still need to understand what they do. The task facing medical science is not much easier, and one ought to be amazed at the limited headway achieved.
Progress accelerated in the 1600s with understanding of blood circulation and of the heart, though it remained for some determined men and women in the 20th century to perform heart surgery and save lives of "blue babies." The story of Ignac Semmelweis illustrates the uncertainty of progress. Given an insight--through a fatal incident to a fellow surgeon--of the deadly infection which killed mothers after childbirth, he was prevented by his timid character and lack of writing skills from applying his finding on a wider scale and thus saving thousands of lives. You read of Joseph Lister, the gentle Quaker surgeon of Edinburgh, and of Robert Virchow, pursuing twin goals of improving surgery and bettering society. And about the contested origins of anesthesia, about the sprouting of the first modern American school of medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and about surgeries made possible only by heart-lung machines and anti-rejection drugs. This book was first published in 1988; had it been written more recently, it would at least cover laparoscopic surgery, remotely conducted through tiny incisions.
It is a story well told, because the author has an insider's insight and information, has traced history to its details (credit the Yale Historical Medicine Library!) and because his style is personal and engaging. If you have a favorite physician, this book may make an appropriate gift. But first, read it yourself!
January 15, 2013
This was a fantastic course presented by a surgeon. It would be very hard to choose 12 figures that represent the rise of scientific medicine and the presenter being a surgeon, there is a notable bias towards favouring the evolution of surgery rather than medicine. For example it omits vaccination, antibiotics, and talks about Holstead instead of Osler. Nevertheless this course has revived my interest in the history of medicine and I would strongly recommend it to all doctors.
January 20, 2018
Dr. Nuland's relatively lucid prose is instrumental in bringing to life the realities of the advancement of medical science and knowledge over time. The journey that he takes readers on is one full of maybe even more blood and guts than would be expected with a medical book, as well as far more heart and human interest than such a book could perhaps be expected to provide. To a certain extent, the profiles that Nuland offers here can be a bit repetitive until they reach the more modern examples, but even these older ones aren't without interest with regard to both the medicine being practiced and the lives of the practitioners. What I appreciated towards the end of the book was his introduction of the shift in the overall culture of medicine that has occurred in the last several decades, where the whole of society is implicated in decisions regarding medical treatments and experimentation. This, I think, is the core concern of the book even if it doesn't emerge until the end--how does society view human life and well-being, how does culture define life and its antecedents, and how do we as fellow men assist our brother in retaining his health? These are critical questions that Nuland deftly introduces, even if he doesn't provide detailed answers to any of them.
All around this book could easily be shorter, but I don't regret any of the time spent in its pages. The characters here are well-rounded and interesting, and perhaps their only flaw is that they are all almost too smart to be believed--but then what did I expect in starting a book about great doctors and great discoveries.
All around this book could easily be shorter, but I don't regret any of the time spent in its pages. The characters here are well-rounded and interesting, and perhaps their only flaw is that they are all almost too smart to be believed--but then what did I expect in starting a book about great doctors and great discoveries.
October 2, 2019
The title may suggest a definitive history of Medicine but the contents presented in the book are mostly based on the development and establishment of Surgical field throughout the history. The chapter outlines the prominent personalities that pioneered a concept, ideas and innovation to the modern practice of Surgery; though he included the history of discovery of bacteriology in one chapter; he failed to include important subjects in Medicine such as genetics, cancer, psychiatry and etc. That's why the title of the book is misleading.
Medicine is an extensive field and its history cannot be encapsulated in a concise 400+-page book. Despite of my 3-star rating I still learned a lot as a Doctor of the importance of historical basis of the current practice of Medicine from the biography.
Medical Literature gives us a lot of insights paramount in the training and development of Physicians. I think it is time for Medical Institutions to include Medical Literature as one of the subjects in Medical Education.
(When it comes to medical literature, I still liked the literary styles of Siddhartha Mukherjee and Oliver Sacks.):)
Medicine is an extensive field and its history cannot be encapsulated in a concise 400+-page book. Despite of my 3-star rating I still learned a lot as a Doctor of the importance of historical basis of the current practice of Medicine from the biography.
Medical Literature gives us a lot of insights paramount in the training and development of Physicians. I think it is time for Medical Institutions to include Medical Literature as one of the subjects in Medical Education.
(When it comes to medical literature, I still liked the literary styles of Siddhartha Mukherjee and Oliver Sacks.):)
May 23, 2007
Another great Dr. Nuland book - had to read it for his History of Scientific Medicine class - which is a fascinating topic. If you are interested in history, science, or medicine, you should definitely read this book. My only critique of this book (and I voiced this problem to Dr. Nuland) is that it glosses over the contributions made by Arab and Muslim doctors to the medical cannon. Maybe it is because of the nature of the book (which covers the biographies of great doctors/scientists), but I still found this problmatic.
October 17, 2024
Doctors
Più che una storia organica della medicina, una raccolta di biografie di medici illustri e meno illustri (da cui il titolo originale, appunto Doctors), scritta con una partecipazione evidente dell'autore - chirurgo - e con uno stile assai coinvolgente. Libro molto interessante, che mi rende lieto di essere nato in quest'epoca di medicina forse un po' spersonalizzata, ma sicuramente molto più sicura di quanto fosse anche solo cinquant'anni fa.
Più che una storia organica della medicina, una raccolta di biografie di medici illustri e meno illustri (da cui il titolo originale, appunto Doctors), scritta con una partecipazione evidente dell'autore - chirurgo - e con uno stile assai coinvolgente. Libro molto interessante, che mi rende lieto di essere nato in quest'epoca di medicina forse un po' spersonalizzata, ma sicuramente molto più sicura di quanto fosse anche solo cinquant'anni fa.
May 4, 2020
Excellent information on medical progress but too wordy
The book highlighted Doctors through history and their contributions to better medicine, but sometimes wandered off the story line into unnecessary side stories and worthiness. I learned a lot from the book, and would have given it 5 stars if it hadn't wandered off course so much.
The book highlighted Doctors through history and their contributions to better medicine, but sometimes wandered off the story line into unnecessary side stories and worthiness. I learned a lot from the book, and would have given it 5 stars if it hadn't wandered off course so much.
April 18, 2013
I didn't think I'd like this book (I'm more of a novel and memoir kind of reader), but I was on vacation in a foreign country and desperate for something to read. It was so good, I almost wanted to be a doctor upon completing the book!
February 11, 2008
Surprisingly well written and hardly boring, despite the dense material covered in this comprehensive history of doctors and medicine.
Read
February 22, 2014Couldn't finish this. Good stories buried in flowery, rambling writing with too much of the author's opinion on what-should-have-been.
September 21, 2018
Not bad as what it is, but not my thing. The style, which is supposed to be ingratiating, struck me as affected.
January 11, 2022
Biography of some of the most contributors of medicine actually
This book is interesting in the sense it is a good introduction to the life and accomplishments of some of the most significant doctors in the history of medicine. The "Biography of Medicine" is actually the biography of such doctors. However, the author is not that straightforward in the narrative. This makes the book lengthy, uneasy and tiring to read. Honestly, this is the first book of this kind I've ever read. Therefore, I have no idea how it compares to other books about the same subject. Anyway, if you are interested in the history of medicine, you may like this book.
This book is interesting in the sense it is a good introduction to the life and accomplishments of some of the most significant doctors in the history of medicine. The "Biography of Medicine" is actually the biography of such doctors. However, the author is not that straightforward in the narrative. This makes the book lengthy, uneasy and tiring to read. Honestly, this is the first book of this kind I've ever read. Therefore, I have no idea how it compares to other books about the same subject. Anyway, if you are interested in the history of medicine, you may like this book.
July 13, 2021
"Doctors," by the late Sherwin Nuland, himself a surgeon, is a selective collection of biographies of notable figures in the history of medicine. Originally published in 1988, it has lost little luster over the years. From Hippocrates to Galen to Vesalius and on to the story of transplantation in the 20th century, Dr. Nuland's elegant and entertaining accounts showcase the physicians (and in one case, a dentist) who made meaningful advances in the science of medicine.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in a broad perspective of the history of medicine.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in a broad perspective of the history of medicine.
December 24, 2025
I got to read this as part of a selective course led by Dr Gold and Dr Patton.
Course Title: How Medical History and Stories Can Change Doctors into Healers
It has again reminded me of the importance and value of learning the history. I hope to cultivate a mindset where I’d be able to listen well to these stories. Still - I have a tendency to fall asleep with certain historical writings especially when I do not do my due diligence of keeping up my health.
Course Title: How Medical History and Stories Can Change Doctors into Healers
It has again reminded me of the importance and value of learning the history. I hope to cultivate a mindset where I’d be able to listen well to these stories. Still - I have a tendency to fall asleep with certain historical writings especially when I do not do my due diligence of keeping up my health.
July 12, 2017
Very basic, and contains several rather silly mistakes. Yes, it makes perfect sense that the sports clothing company Nike was named after Aelius Nicon, the father of Galen and not Nike, the goddess of victory. Seriously.
Also, the narrator was so slow I had to listen this at 1,25 speed. And even that was kinda slow.
Also, the narrator was so slow I had to listen this at 1,25 speed. And even that was kinda slow.
September 6, 2018
I should clarify that my rating is for the Great Courses lectures from the Teaching Company. Apparently he also has a book on this topic and some of the reviews here seem to be regarding the book, not the lecture series.
November 14, 2018
Nuland was a wonderful writer. When reading Nuland one believes they are reading a high profile non-fiction author. His words flow easily and precisely. He was a wonderful storyteller. RIP Sherwin.
May 9, 2019
The chapter on transplantation felt a little out of place and wasn’t as interesting as the other chapters. Plenty has changed in medicine since the book was published, so some of Nuland’s observations have either proved to be excepted knowledge or outdated.
January 15, 2023
Less than a minute in and I can’t do it. The subtle racism is bullshit. I hear it and it’s trash. TCM and Ayurveda are older than vestur medicine. Fucking snob from high heaven.
Don’t waste your time!
Don’t waste your time!
March 8, 2024
Great 2000+ year review of how medicine evolved from the Greeks through the Dark Ages, Industrial Revolution and to modern times. Helped remind me of the origins of what being a doctor means and how the ancient practice is similar to what we do today.
June 22, 2018
Interesting, though not as detailed in some areas as I would like. Heavy on surgical history, as you would expect from a surgeon ; )
November 15, 2024
For my History of Disease and Medicine class. Honestly lots of drama in medical history lol
June 25, 2025
I love History of Medicine essays, but this is quite simply the most boring I have ever read. It took me 2 years (on and off), to finish it.
February 6, 2014
Although I am only halfway through, my renewed enthusiasm for Sherwin Nuland could no longer be contained. Every time I read a book by Dr. Nuland, I find myself again looking for someone to quote passages aloud to- luckily my husband complies, despite occasionally falling asleep. I cannot keep the perfection and sublime meaning of his stories to myself.
This is no exception. While ostensibly the story of medicine, of rather the great personalities who took the big steps to changes the way medicine was practiced, understood and taught,- this book is so much more. As Nuland himself points out in the dedication, (to paraphrase) the history of medicine is the history of humankind's search for meaning. It is the tale of us caring for each other.... A great book; alternately entertaining, tragic, uplifting, and enhancing understanding of our roots. Kinda like life. Thank you, Dr. Nuland.
This is no exception. While ostensibly the story of medicine, of rather the great personalities who took the big steps to changes the way medicine was practiced, understood and taught,- this book is so much more. As Nuland himself points out in the dedication, (to paraphrase) the history of medicine is the history of humankind's search for meaning. It is the tale of us caring for each other.... A great book; alternately entertaining, tragic, uplifting, and enhancing understanding of our roots. Kinda like life. Thank you, Dr. Nuland.
May 17, 2014
Dr Nuland presents a very good overview of the progress of medical science from the early Hippocratic views of natural medical practices that were based on observation (often getting things wrong) to Galen, (who brought both systematic examination and often dangerous dogma) and finally into the evolution of the scientific method in the field of medical sciences in the near-modern era. The lectures were pleasant and informative. Nuland provides a bit of a bias toward surgery, but it is no way distracting from the point of the lectures...which, in my opinion, deals with the scientific progress of medical profession exemplified by the innovative founding doctors and intellectuals.
Another good course and well worth the time. As always, recommended when on sale, with a coupon....
Another good course and well worth the time. As always, recommended when on sale, with a coupon....
October 30, 2013
This is a very mixed book. For the most part it's very readable and some of the stories in it are vibrant and/or fascinating. However, there's a strong jingoistic bias towards America, sometimes Nuland deviates on a waffling, hectoring stretch of opinion and some of his extended metaphors are ridiculous.
Sorry about some of the predictive text typos in comments as I went along. 'Milland' should have been Nuland and 'unlock able' should have been unlikable.
Some chapters are a lot stronger than others. In most cases this is lead by how interesting its central character is. Highlights for me were anaesthesia, Vesalius, Morgagni, Semmelweis, Lister and Taussig.
Sorry about some of the predictive text typos in comments as I went along. 'Milland' should have been Nuland and 'unlock able' should have been unlikable.
Some chapters are a lot stronger than others. In most cases this is lead by how interesting its central character is. Highlights for me were anaesthesia, Vesalius, Morgagni, Semmelweis, Lister and Taussig.
July 10, 2013
This was one of the first of The Great Courses that I listened to, and I absolutely loved it. Through a series of stories about prominent figures in medical history, you get a real sense of just how recently we relied on "science" that got it all wrong. By focusing on the people who drove the scientific thought of their day, you get a very human sense of why we believed what we did. This series makes you glad to be living in modern times, but also makes you wonder how much more we still are getting wrong.
I got this on audio CD directly from TheGreatCourses.com, and at just 12 lectures, I finished it in about a week's worth of commuting. I only wish it would have lasted longer.
I got this on audio CD directly from TheGreatCourses.com, and at just 12 lectures, I finished it in about a week's worth of commuting. I only wish it would have lasted longer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews