Is Life Too Long? Essays About Life, Death, and Other Trivial Matters

by Shahar Madjar

“Personal ... Captivating ... Thought-provoking ... Entertaining ... Delightful ... A must buy.” Is Life Too Long? Essays about Life, Death, and other Trivial Matters is a collection of 18 selected essays and medical tales that were first published in The Mining Journal and in The Mining Gazette—the two leading newspapers of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ABOUT THE Here are examples of the questions addressed in these Some doctors believe that life is too long. But is it really? What happens at the twilight zone, just before life ends? Could a long-gone Russian writer answer this question with more clarity than contemporary scientists? Can Dr. Tamara make the correct diagnosis by tasting her patient’s sweat? A Chinese doctor is growing an ear on a patient’s arm. Why, then, is doctor Madjar thinking about Picasso’s Dora Marr and Her Cat? The twins were attached to each other from the xyphoid bone to the pelvis. Doing nothing would most likely result in the death of both girls. Surgically separating the twins would most likely result in the death of one twin and the survival of the other. Would sacrificing one twin to save the other be justified? And in his essay “Vincent and I”, the author Could Van Gogh’s bursts of creativity and his madness be the result of only a few brain cells that have run amok? Dr. Shahar Madjar tells the stories of doctors and their patients with empathy, philosophical flavor, and humor. The book is the first in a three-part series, with the other two books, also collections of essays, soon to be one is about love, lust, and bananas; the other is about food—it will include essays about diet, health, and several recipes for an Israeli brunch extravaganza. ABOUT THE Shahar Madjar, MD, MBA, is an Israeli-born urologist practicing in the remote, cold Upper Peninsula of Michigan (population 300,000). His medical training took him to different parts of the Tel Aviv, Israel; London, England; Miami, Florida; Cleveland, Ohio; Jackson, Mississippi; and Stony Brook, New York. Dr. Madjar is a former fellow at the University of Miami, Clinical Associate at the Cleveland Clinic, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Urology at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. He has published more than 50 articles in the medical literature and has presented his research internationally. For the past several years, Dr. Madjar has been writing a popular medical column for The Mining Journal, and for The Mining Gazette, the two leading daily newspaper of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He lives with his wife and three sons in Marquette, Michigan.

114 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2018

Reviews

[Mr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant read filled with entertaining anecdotes about some of medicine's greatest accomplishments. I learned some interesting facts about many physicians and innovators. I have to admit that the title of the book threw me off when I bought it - I assumed the subject matter would be related exclusively to death and dying. I discovered the author is a columnist who is simply selecting what he believes to be his best writings and publishing them in separate volumes. Besides my misunderstanding, I enjoyed the book for what it was. Certain writings were lackluster compared to others but I think the book is worth reading in one sitting. For every banal passage, a clever or informational passage always follows. I believe the author presents some provocative ideas about ethics and the goals of medicine that anyone interested in philosophy, ethics, or health care would enjoy reflecting on.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is Life Too Long? Essays about Life, Death, and other Trivial Matters is a collection of 18 selected essays and medical tales that were first published in The Mining Journal and in The Mining Gazette—the two leading newspapers of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Dr. Shahar Madjar tells the stories of doctors and their patients with empathy, philosophical flavor, and humor. The book is the first in a three-part series, with the other two books, also collections of essays, soon to be published: one is about love, lust, and bananas; the other is about food—it will include essays about diet, health, and several recipes for an Israeli brunch extravaganza.

Shahar Madjar, MD, MBA, is an Israeli-born urologist practicing in the remote, cold Upper Peninsula of Michigan (population 300,000). His medical training took him to different parts of the world: Tel Aviv, Israel; London, England; Miami, Florida; Cleveland, Ohio; Jackson, Mississippi; and Stony Brook, New York. Dr. Madjar is a former fellow at the University of Miami, Clinical Associate at the Cleveland Clinic, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Urology at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. He has published more than 50 articles in the medical literature and has presented his research internationally. For the past several years, Dr. Madjar has been writing a popular medical column for The Mining Journal, and for The Mining Gazette, the two leading daily newspaper of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He lives with his wife and three sons in Marquette, Michigan.

[John J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe a 3.5.
Loved the idea, loved the format, loved the stories; but, was not a compelling analysis of life and death.
I didn’t underline or dog-ear for further reference.
It was a short journey - which was not too bad.

[Camila Gil · Rating 1 out of 5]

Muchos hechos pero pocas reflexiones o pensamientos.