What do you think?
Rate this book
Good Blood: A Doctor, a Donor, and the Incredible Breakthrough that Saved Millions of Babies
A remarkable, uplifting story about one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century
In 1951 in Sydney, Australia, a fourteen-year-old boy named James Harrison was near death when he received a transfusion of blood that saved his life. A few years later, and half a world away, a shy young doctor at Columbia University realized he was more comfortable in the lab than in the examination room. Neither could have imagined how their paths would cross, or how they would change the world.
In Good Blood, bestselling writer Julian Guthrie tells the gripping tale of the race to cure a horrible blood disease known as Rh disease that stalked families and caused a mother’s immune system to attack her own unborn child. The story is anchored by two very different men on two continents: Dr. John Gorman in New York, who would land on a brilliant yet contrarian idea, and an unassuming Australian whose almost magical blood—and his unyielding devotion to donating it—would save millions of lives.
Good Blood takes us from Australia to America, from research laboratories to hospitals, and even into Sing Sing prison, where experimental blood trials were held. It is a tale of discovery and invention, the progress and pitfalls of medicine, and the everyday heroics that fundamentally changed the health of women and babies.
In 1951 in Sydney, Australia, a fourteen-year-old boy named James Harrison was near death when he received a transfusion of blood that saved his life. A few years later, and half a world away, a shy young doctor at Columbia University realized he was more comfortable in the lab than in the examination room. Neither could have imagined how their paths would cross, or how they would change the world.
In Good Blood, bestselling writer Julian Guthrie tells the gripping tale of the race to cure a horrible blood disease known as Rh disease that stalked families and caused a mother’s immune system to attack her own unborn child. The story is anchored by two very different men on two continents: Dr. John Gorman in New York, who would land on a brilliant yet contrarian idea, and an unassuming Australian whose almost magical blood—and his unyielding devotion to donating it—would save millions of lives.
Good Blood takes us from Australia to America, from research laboratories to hospitals, and even into Sing Sing prison, where experimental blood trials were held. It is a tale of discovery and invention, the progress and pitfalls of medicine, and the everyday heroics that fundamentally changed the health of women and babies.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 8, 2020
23 people are currently reading
1038 people want to read
About the author
Julian Guthrie
14 books91 followersJulian Guthrie is a NYT best-selling author who spent 20 years as a journalist with the San Francisco Chronicle. She is drawn to improbable underdog stories that combine great human drama with game-changing innovations. Her feature writing and enterprise reporting have been nominated multiple times for the Pulitzer Prize.
Ms. Guthrie's new book, Alpha Girls: The Women Upstarts Who Took on Silicon Valley's Male Culture and Made the Deals of a Lifetime, was published by Currency in April 2019.
This is her fourth nonfiction book. Alpha Girls shines a light on trailblazing women who were written out of history - until now. Alpha Girls is being adapted for television by Academy Award-winning producer Cathy Schulman.
Ms. Guthrie's new book, Alpha Girls: The Women Upstarts Who Took on Silicon Valley's Male Culture and Made the Deals of a Lifetime, was published by Currency in April 2019.
This is her fourth nonfiction book. Alpha Girls shines a light on trailblazing women who were written out of history - until now. Alpha Girls is being adapted for television by Academy Award-winning producer Cathy Schulman.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 27, 2020
News is usually bad news, and nonfiction is often more of the same.
Good Blood is different: Good Blood is good news. Good Blood is the story of a doctor who came up with a solution to a terrible health issue, and the blood donor who donated the blood to solve the health issue. Together, the doctor and the donor saved millions of babies' lives. Dr. John Gorman had seen the damage and loss of life that the Rh factor in blood caused in some babies, and he had an idea for a solution to the problem. Though he was scorned in the medical profession, he found backers and was able to finally test the possible solution. On the other side of the world, James Harrison, as a boy, almost died until a blood transfusion saved his life. He became a faithful blood donor for his entire life, giving every two weeks without fail from the time he was first eligible to give at age eighteen. With the help of the doctor and the donor, millions of babies' lives were saved.
What an uplifting story! Two ordinary men who act in extraordinary ways. Fabulous read.
#2020ReadNonFic
Good Blood is different: Good Blood is good news. Good Blood is the story of a doctor who came up with a solution to a terrible health issue, and the blood donor who donated the blood to solve the health issue. Together, the doctor and the donor saved millions of babies' lives. Dr. John Gorman had seen the damage and loss of life that the Rh factor in blood caused in some babies, and he had an idea for a solution to the problem. Though he was scorned in the medical profession, he found backers and was able to finally test the possible solution. On the other side of the world, James Harrison, as a boy, almost died until a blood transfusion saved his life. He became a faithful blood donor for his entire life, giving every two weeks without fail from the time he was first eligible to give at age eighteen. With the help of the doctor and the donor, millions of babies' lives were saved.
What an uplifting story! Two ordinary men who act in extraordinary ways. Fabulous read.
#2020ReadNonFic
October 11, 2020
Ако ви попитат за заболяване, от което умират много деца, едва ли ще се сетите за хемолитична болест на новороденото. Но само преди около 60 години тя е била водеща причина за смърт. Докато откритието на лекаря Джон Горман не променя живота на милиони майки и деца годишно.
Около 85% от хората са резус фактор (Rh+) положителни, а останалите 15% - отрицателни (Rh-). Когато бременна жена е Rh-, a детето е Rh+ (от Rh+ баща) се стига до формиране на антитела в кръвта на майката срещу Rh+ на детето. Обикновено първото дете е здраво, но всяко следващо е изложено на все по-голям риск заради нарастващата концентрация (титър) на образуваните антитела. Бебетата са буквално атакувани от антитела на майката, която ги разпознава като чужди. Децата стават жълти, оточни и нерядко умират.
Днес ни е трудно да си представим какъв бич е била хемолитичната болест на новороденото. Обяснението е просто - има евтино и лесно достъпно лечение, което е почти 100% ефективно, ако се даде навреме. Основен принос има д-р Джон Горман, който предлага тогава еретично звучащата идея майките да получат инжекция с вече образувани антитела (пасивен имунитет). Това подтиска образуването на собствени антитела и защитава децата. Проведените впоследствие клинични проучвания доказват ефективността на интервенцията и спасяват милиони детски животи.
Книгата "Добра кръв" ни напомня колко лесно е да приемаме за даденост неща, които само преди няколко поколения са отнемали животи без възможност за спасение.
Около 85% от хората са резус фактор (Rh+) положителни, а останалите 15% - отрицателни (Rh-). Когато бременна жена е Rh-, a детето е Rh+ (от Rh+ баща) се стига до формиране на антитела в кръвта на майката срещу Rh+ на детето. Обикновено първото дете е здраво, но всяко следващо е изложено на все по-голям риск заради нарастващата концентрация (титър) на образуваните антитела. Бебетата са буквално атакувани от антитела на майката, която ги разпознава като чужди. Децата стават жълти, оточни и нерядко умират.
Днес ни е трудно да си представим какъв бич е била хемолитичната болест на новороденото. Обяснението е просто - има евтино и лесно достъпно лечение, което е почти 100% ефективно, ако се даде навреме. Основен принос има д-р Джон Горман, който предлага тогава еретично звучащата идея майките да получат инжекция с вече образувани антитела (пасивен имунитет). Това подтиска образуването на собствени антитела и защитава децата. Проведените впоследствие клинични проучвания доказват ефективността на интервенцията и спасяват милиони детски животи.
Книгата "Добра кръв" ни напомня колко лесно е да приемаме за даденост неща, които само преди няколко поколения са отнемали животи без възможност за спасение.
August 30, 2020
When I married in the early 1970s I remember my fiance and I needed blood tests to check if we were Rh compatible. I knew it affected our ability to have children.
That is about all I knew about Rh disease. Until reading Good Blood, I have no idea how many people were affected by the disease, how many babies were lost, the depth of grief and despair suffered.
Or of the obsessed doctors who sought a cure over many years, or the 'man with the golden arm" who donated blood 1,173 times, saving 2.4 million babies.
Guthrie's moving history is filled with memorable and remarkable people.
I received an ebook from Publisher's Weekly.
That is about all I knew about Rh disease. Until reading Good Blood, I have no idea how many people were affected by the disease, how many babies were lost, the depth of grief and despair suffered.
Or of the obsessed doctors who sought a cure over many years, or the 'man with the golden arm" who donated blood 1,173 times, saving 2.4 million babies.
Guthrie's moving history is filled with memorable and remarkable people.
I received an ebook from Publisher's Weekly.
October 23, 2020
An excellent telling of the story of the development of the treatment for Rh disease. Whoever you are, where ever you live, you know someone, probably several someone's who are alive today because their mothers received treatment for this syndrome, and their immune systems did not attack and kill their unborn or newborn babies.
This book doesn't just tell about the science and lab work. You get to know about the lives and motivation of the men and women in the frontline of the development of the treatment.
Best of all, you get to meet the remarkable James Harrison, The Man With the Golden Arm an Australian whose unique blood allowed him to donate blood to save over 2,000,000 babies! There are people all over Australia with a little bit of James Harrison in him.
This book caught my eye because my mother carried another rare antibody factor, received in a blood transfusion after my birth which threatened the life of each of my younger siblings. My youngest sister, born in 1963 received several complete blood transfusions within her first month of life.
This book doesn't just tell about the science and lab work. You get to know about the lives and motivation of the men and women in the frontline of the development of the treatment.
Best of all, you get to meet the remarkable James Harrison, The Man With the Golden Arm an Australian whose unique blood allowed him to donate blood to save over 2,000,000 babies! There are people all over Australia with a little bit of James Harrison in him.
This book caught my eye because my mother carried another rare antibody factor, received in a blood transfusion after my birth which threatened the life of each of my younger siblings. My youngest sister, born in 1963 received several complete blood transfusions within her first month of life.
September 21, 2020
What an interesting medical mystery. I had never heard about Rh disease, mainly because I don’t have children and it is handled pretty well in the United States now. But it was fascinating and terrifying to learn about, and what is even more tragic is how prevalent it still is in other countries, when something so simple and not dangerous can prevent it.
About two-thirds of the book focused more on the science and doctors who were trying to find a cure. It was so well written that even a layperson could understand the more scientific aspects of the journey, which I greatly appreciated. You could feel the doctors’ frustration when fellow doctors wouldn’t take their ideas seriously or they could not find funding for their cause. I felt vindicated when Dr. Gorman had his breakthrough and I can only imagine how wonderful he felt.
Throughout the book we get peeks into James Harrison’s life and his amazing feat of some many blood donations, at one point being put in the Guinness Book of World Records. This added another layer to the story, showing more of the emotional or human side, and was a great way to encourage readers to donate blood.
If you enjoyed The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or like medical mysteries and advancements, you will definitely want to read Good Blood by Julian Guthrie.
About two-thirds of the book focused more on the science and doctors who were trying to find a cure. It was so well written that even a layperson could understand the more scientific aspects of the journey, which I greatly appreciated. You could feel the doctors’ frustration when fellow doctors wouldn’t take their ideas seriously or they could not find funding for their cause. I felt vindicated when Dr. Gorman had his breakthrough and I can only imagine how wonderful he felt.
Throughout the book we get peeks into James Harrison’s life and his amazing feat of some many blood donations, at one point being put in the Guinness Book of World Records. This added another layer to the story, showing more of the emotional or human side, and was a great way to encourage readers to donate blood.
If you enjoyed The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or like medical mysteries and advancements, you will definitely want to read Good Blood by Julian Guthrie.
August 22, 2025
Excellent and in-depth review of RH factor and the devastating effects it used to have on pregnancies before the RhoGam vaccination was created. If you ever wanted to understand why an rh neg mom carrying an rh pos baby needs a rhoGam shot this is the book for you. The author weaves in the discovery of the vaccination with James Harrison’s story, an Australian who donated blood over 1,000 times in his lifetime. His blood had a higher number of rh positive antibodies than usual and was used to make thousands of rhoGam vaccinations saving thousands of babies.
I teared up multiple times listening to this book. It does get technical in many places, but as a NICU RN I enjoyed it. This book is a great reminder in how far we’ve come in some areas of medicine.
I teared up multiple times listening to this book. It does get technical in many places, but as a NICU RN I enjoyed it. This book is a great reminder in how far we’ve come in some areas of medicine.
September 8, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A great biography about one of the breakthrough medical discoveries of the 20 century. The RH disease was wreaking havoc on families, killing children in the womb. A pair of doctors try to find a cure, and a prodigious blood donor provides the clue.
All of those involved in this breakthrough should be much better known.
A great biography about one of the breakthrough medical discoveries of the 20 century. The RH disease was wreaking havoc on families, killing children in the womb. A pair of doctors try to find a cure, and a prodigious blood donor provides the clue.
All of those involved in this breakthrough should be much better known.
June 8, 2020
James Christopher Harrison, an effervescent Aussie lad was all of fourteen years old, when a seemingly innocuous bug that caught him turned into a bad case of triple pneumonia. With the antibiotics failing to do their job, young Harrison’s condition worsened before it was decided that a pediatric pulmonary lobectomy, a complicated surgical procedure to excise the diseased portion of the lungs, had to be performed upon him. Three necrotic lung lobes, thirteen units of blood, and eleven hours of surgery later, young Harrison is finally wheeled out of the Operating Theatre. Surgeon Harry Windsor had miraculously brought Harrison back from the very brink. As the boy is recovering his devout father reminds him that the latter was saved by the “blood of strangers.” James Harrison promises his father, a donor himself, and his family that he would “return the favour.”
Dr. John G.Gorman booked himself a berth on the Queen Mary seeking to carve out a name for himself by sailing to the United States of America from his motherland, Australia. Armed with an insatiable curiosity and the book “Ideas Have Consequences” gifted by his father, Gorman was willing to risk it all in the search of achievement and professional success.
Julian Guthrie’s latest book, “Good Blood”, brings together the promise of James Harrison and the pedigree of Dr. John Gorman in a manner that will leave the reader poleaxed. An American journalist, and an acclaimed author, Ms. Guthrie has been nominated for the Pulitzer multiple number of times, and it is not at all hard to fathom why. In “Good Blood” which may be her best work yet, Ms. Guthrie’s writing is invested with passion and informed by a purpose. The unlikely, yet stupendous inter-linkage between the selfless contribution of a donor and the indefatigable pursuit of a doctor in combating the ravages of a peculiar disease targeting babies, puts even the raciest edge of the seat fiction thriller to utter disdain.
Dr. John Gorman after bagging himself a position at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospitalin Manhattan becomes obsessed with the workings of the insidious Rh Disease. In this disease, a baby inheriting Rh positive blood from the father, with the mother’s blood being Rh negative, gets its red cells destroyed by the mother’s own antibodies, made by the immune system to fight things it didn’t want in the body. This ultimately results in the baby developing anemia, and the mother having a miscarriage. Dr. Gorman finds an able perpetrator-in-crime in trying to decipher the intricacies of Rh disease in the form of Dr. Vince Freda. This eager beaver of a man and a former air force surgeon had the privilege of having studied for a year under Alexander Wiener, who in turn was a protégé of Karl Landsteiner, popularly known as “the Father of Blood Science.”
As doctors Gorman and Freda spend their every waking hour mulling about the Rh disease, unbeknownst to them, a continent away, James Harrison gets busy honouring the promise given by him to his father. Beginning to donate blood from the legally eligible age of eighteen, he goes about this task with a dedication bordering on the maniacal. As Ms. Guthrie informs her readers, “he went to donor mobiles – large converted school buses first called into use in Australia in 1942 – whenever they rolled into town, meeting different nurses and doctors with each visit. But when he got a promotion working in the accounting and clerical department at the railway and was relocated to Sydney, he found a home of sorts in the Red Cross blood bank at 1 York Street.” But James was met with a unique conundrum. His blood could be used only for research and not for transfusion. This was because of the presence of unusually high level of antibodies in his blood that when, transfused might create complications for the donee.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gorman gets his moment of epiphany courtesy a textbook given as a complementary copy by a traveling salesman from W.B. Saunders Company. Titled “General Pathology” and penned by Australian Nobel laureate Sir Howard Florey, the book is based on a series of lectures delivered in the school of pathology at Oxford. As Ms. Guthrie, writing in an effortlessly jaw dropping fashion informs her readers, “he {Gorman] flipped back to the table of contents and then forward to Chapter 34, page 697. The Chapter was titled, “Biological Factors in the Production of Antibodies.”……He continued reading until one sentence gave him pause: the presence of circulating antibody, whether produced actively or received passively, depresses and may completely inhibit the human response to the relevant antigen, although not to other antigens.” An excited Gorman tears off in search of Freda. The cure for Rh disease might be on the horizon!
Gorman and Freda embark on a fascinating trial recruiting convicts at the notorious Sing Sing prison facility. Their whole trial is based on the logic that when a mother is given passive antibodies thereby inhibiting her from producing her own antibodies, her immune system gets fooled into thinking that it has already responded to the Rh antigen. After a laborious wait and a daring, albeit potentially dangerous exercise of using Gorman’ sister-in-law Kath as an experimental candidate to test the passive antibodies with, Gorman and Freda’s efforts finally bear fruit and the United States Government officially grants approval to the RhoGAM shot. RhoGAM is an injection made up of antibodies called immunoglobulin that help protect a fetus from its mother’s antibodies.
This is where the book becomes most interesting and puts an end to the possibility of finishing it with a pair of dry eyes. Women who have already lost their babies to the dreaded Rh disease and people such as Harrison, whose plasma composition is unique thereby making it an ideal form of donation, are identified as potential donors of blood. The blood thus donated by these individuals, can then be used to save babies of mothers who are Rh negative. As Ms. Guthrie illustrates, oblivious to their own and irreparable loss, women flock in drones to blood collection centres to donate their blood so that mothers-to-be are spared a similar fate. In contrast to blood, blood plasma, can be donated as often as once every two weeks. Ms. Olive Semmler, who had one live child out of eight pregnancies, donated blood a stupendous five hundred odd times. “One woman who became a donor had lost ten babies to Rh disease. To get to the Sydney blood bank, she started her day by rowing up a river, walking a mile to the bus, then taking a train to the central station.”
But the most ebullient of all donors was James Harrison. Now that his blood could be used not just for research but also for actual transfusions, he made a staggering 1,173 donations throughout his lifetime. His last donation was when he was eighty-one years of age and eighty-one was the cut off age for donating blood in Australia. Harrison’s donations are estimated to have saved over 2.4 million unborn babies from Rh disease. Affectionately known throughout Australia as the “Man With The Golden Arm”, a perfect moniker for a cricket obsessed nation, Harrison was awarded the Medal of the Order Of Australia on the 7th of June 1999.
Gorman and Freda, went on to win the prestigious Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award in 1980 along with Cyril A. Clarke, Ronald Finn, and William Pollack for “pioneering work on the rhesus blood group system, the role of rhesus D antibodies in the causation of Rh disease and the prevention of Rh disease.”
The most poignant moment in the book, predictably, is reserved for the last blood donation of James Harrison. Surrounded by a bank of television cameras and grateful mothers with babies whom James had helped save with his donations, Harrison donates his blood under the watchful and benevolent supervision of nurses Lizzie Thynne and Robyn Barlow. ‘James thinks his donations are the same as anybody else,’ a director of the blood center said, standing next to James. “But he’s a national hero.” James demurred, saying, ‘no, no, no. it’s just something I can do. Its one of my talents. Probably my only talent.”
At the time of this writing facing unprecedented times. The wrath of a pandemic called COVID-19 has engulfed us in its wake and set us back not just economically, but more dangerously, morally as well. We seem to be helpless in not just countering the rapid spread of this disease but are also rendered incapable of nurturing a universal bonding in this period of crisis. Riven by racial tension and divided by a chasm of hatred, mankind seems to be at a crossroad. There is a deepening erosion of faith and a severe loss of hope. The crying need of the hour is for an epiphanic John Gorman to take the SARS-COVID 2 virus head on and an effervescent James Harrison to restore the faith in humanity. Hope we manage to get them booth sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile we can all once again be immensely grateful to Ms. Julian Guthrie for her marvelous efforts in bringing to worldwide notice, one of Earth’s greatest collective altruistic endeavour.
(Good Blood: A Doctor, donor and the incredible breakthrough that saved millions of babies by Julian Guthrie is published by Abrams Press and will be released on the 8th of September 2020.)
Dr. John G.Gorman booked himself a berth on the Queen Mary seeking to carve out a name for himself by sailing to the United States of America from his motherland, Australia. Armed with an insatiable curiosity and the book “Ideas Have Consequences” gifted by his father, Gorman was willing to risk it all in the search of achievement and professional success.
Julian Guthrie’s latest book, “Good Blood”, brings together the promise of James Harrison and the pedigree of Dr. John Gorman in a manner that will leave the reader poleaxed. An American journalist, and an acclaimed author, Ms. Guthrie has been nominated for the Pulitzer multiple number of times, and it is not at all hard to fathom why. In “Good Blood” which may be her best work yet, Ms. Guthrie’s writing is invested with passion and informed by a purpose. The unlikely, yet stupendous inter-linkage between the selfless contribution of a donor and the indefatigable pursuit of a doctor in combating the ravages of a peculiar disease targeting babies, puts even the raciest edge of the seat fiction thriller to utter disdain.
Dr. John Gorman after bagging himself a position at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospitalin Manhattan becomes obsessed with the workings of the insidious Rh Disease. In this disease, a baby inheriting Rh positive blood from the father, with the mother’s blood being Rh negative, gets its red cells destroyed by the mother’s own antibodies, made by the immune system to fight things it didn’t want in the body. This ultimately results in the baby developing anemia, and the mother having a miscarriage. Dr. Gorman finds an able perpetrator-in-crime in trying to decipher the intricacies of Rh disease in the form of Dr. Vince Freda. This eager beaver of a man and a former air force surgeon had the privilege of having studied for a year under Alexander Wiener, who in turn was a protégé of Karl Landsteiner, popularly known as “the Father of Blood Science.”
As doctors Gorman and Freda spend their every waking hour mulling about the Rh disease, unbeknownst to them, a continent away, James Harrison gets busy honouring the promise given by him to his father. Beginning to donate blood from the legally eligible age of eighteen, he goes about this task with a dedication bordering on the maniacal. As Ms. Guthrie informs her readers, “he went to donor mobiles – large converted school buses first called into use in Australia in 1942 – whenever they rolled into town, meeting different nurses and doctors with each visit. But when he got a promotion working in the accounting and clerical department at the railway and was relocated to Sydney, he found a home of sorts in the Red Cross blood bank at 1 York Street.” But James was met with a unique conundrum. His blood could be used only for research and not for transfusion. This was because of the presence of unusually high level of antibodies in his blood that when, transfused might create complications for the donee.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gorman gets his moment of epiphany courtesy a textbook given as a complementary copy by a traveling salesman from W.B. Saunders Company. Titled “General Pathology” and penned by Australian Nobel laureate Sir Howard Florey, the book is based on a series of lectures delivered in the school of pathology at Oxford. As Ms. Guthrie, writing in an effortlessly jaw dropping fashion informs her readers, “he {Gorman] flipped back to the table of contents and then forward to Chapter 34, page 697. The Chapter was titled, “Biological Factors in the Production of Antibodies.”……He continued reading until one sentence gave him pause: the presence of circulating antibody, whether produced actively or received passively, depresses and may completely inhibit the human response to the relevant antigen, although not to other antigens.” An excited Gorman tears off in search of Freda. The cure for Rh disease might be on the horizon!
Gorman and Freda embark on a fascinating trial recruiting convicts at the notorious Sing Sing prison facility. Their whole trial is based on the logic that when a mother is given passive antibodies thereby inhibiting her from producing her own antibodies, her immune system gets fooled into thinking that it has already responded to the Rh antigen. After a laborious wait and a daring, albeit potentially dangerous exercise of using Gorman’ sister-in-law Kath as an experimental candidate to test the passive antibodies with, Gorman and Freda’s efforts finally bear fruit and the United States Government officially grants approval to the RhoGAM shot. RhoGAM is an injection made up of antibodies called immunoglobulin that help protect a fetus from its mother’s antibodies.
This is where the book becomes most interesting and puts an end to the possibility of finishing it with a pair of dry eyes. Women who have already lost their babies to the dreaded Rh disease and people such as Harrison, whose plasma composition is unique thereby making it an ideal form of donation, are identified as potential donors of blood. The blood thus donated by these individuals, can then be used to save babies of mothers who are Rh negative. As Ms. Guthrie illustrates, oblivious to their own and irreparable loss, women flock in drones to blood collection centres to donate their blood so that mothers-to-be are spared a similar fate. In contrast to blood, blood plasma, can be donated as often as once every two weeks. Ms. Olive Semmler, who had one live child out of eight pregnancies, donated blood a stupendous five hundred odd times. “One woman who became a donor had lost ten babies to Rh disease. To get to the Sydney blood bank, she started her day by rowing up a river, walking a mile to the bus, then taking a train to the central station.”
But the most ebullient of all donors was James Harrison. Now that his blood could be used not just for research but also for actual transfusions, he made a staggering 1,173 donations throughout his lifetime. His last donation was when he was eighty-one years of age and eighty-one was the cut off age for donating blood in Australia. Harrison’s donations are estimated to have saved over 2.4 million unborn babies from Rh disease. Affectionately known throughout Australia as the “Man With The Golden Arm”, a perfect moniker for a cricket obsessed nation, Harrison was awarded the Medal of the Order Of Australia on the 7th of June 1999.
Gorman and Freda, went on to win the prestigious Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award in 1980 along with Cyril A. Clarke, Ronald Finn, and William Pollack for “pioneering work on the rhesus blood group system, the role of rhesus D antibodies in the causation of Rh disease and the prevention of Rh disease.”
The most poignant moment in the book, predictably, is reserved for the last blood donation of James Harrison. Surrounded by a bank of television cameras and grateful mothers with babies whom James had helped save with his donations, Harrison donates his blood under the watchful and benevolent supervision of nurses Lizzie Thynne and Robyn Barlow. ‘James thinks his donations are the same as anybody else,’ a director of the blood center said, standing next to James. “But he’s a national hero.” James demurred, saying, ‘no, no, no. it’s just something I can do. Its one of my talents. Probably my only talent.”
At the time of this writing facing unprecedented times. The wrath of a pandemic called COVID-19 has engulfed us in its wake and set us back not just economically, but more dangerously, morally as well. We seem to be helpless in not just countering the rapid spread of this disease but are also rendered incapable of nurturing a universal bonding in this period of crisis. Riven by racial tension and divided by a chasm of hatred, mankind seems to be at a crossroad. There is a deepening erosion of faith and a severe loss of hope. The crying need of the hour is for an epiphanic John Gorman to take the SARS-COVID 2 virus head on and an effervescent James Harrison to restore the faith in humanity. Hope we manage to get them booth sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile we can all once again be immensely grateful to Ms. Julian Guthrie for her marvelous efforts in bringing to worldwide notice, one of Earth’s greatest collective altruistic endeavour.
(Good Blood: A Doctor, donor and the incredible breakthrough that saved millions of babies by Julian Guthrie is published by Abrams Press and will be released on the 8th of September 2020.)
May 11, 2021
I enjoy learning the backstory behind discoveries that we now take for granted. This book tells the story of how the treatment for Rh Disease was discovered and developed over many years, with many different people involved. My mother's blood type was Rh Negative, and I was her first Rh Positive baby, meaning that the next Rh positive baby, my younger sister, would likely have died. "In the United States, RhoGAM (Rh treatment)...has a track record of being one of the most effective and safest products in the history of medicine." This treatment has saved MILLIONS of babies, and the book is worth reading.
December 21, 2020
John Gorman's dogged perseverance to find a cure to Rh disease led to serious breakthroughs in the field. James Harrison's childhood operation to remove part of his lung left him with special blood—blood that he would donate over 1,000 times to help millions of Rh-negative mothers. Although living on opposite sides of the planet, both James and John helped to end the needless death of millions of babies due to Rh incompatibility.
What I Loved About This Book:
Don't know what Rh disease is? No problem. While this book is a fascinating look into how Gorman and other brilliant scientists of his time came to better understand Rh disease, it is by no means a medical manual. Julian Guthrie's clear writing style makes the medical jargon understandable and the breakthroughs cheer worthy.
And while I did learn a great deal about the disease thanks to Julian Guthrie's clear writing style, what I really appreciated about the book was its emphasis on the extraordinary contributions of ordinary people. James was "just" a railway worker who decided to give blood, a decision which has affected countless lives. More than 100 prisoners on Sing Sing volunteered to be test subjects in Gorman's study; there was no guarantee that any of them would come out of the tests unscathed, but they volunteered because they wanted to help save babies. Doris Gorman worked as a phone operator to get through medical school, then practiced medicine while raising four children. John Gorman, a leading scientist in the Rh breakthrough, would be one of her sons. Full of so many other loving and compassionate people, this book made me feel hope for humanity.
What I Didn't Love:
The end of the book seemed to lose some of its steam. The last four chapters could have easily been condensed into two for a less repetitive story. Sadly, I found myself much less captivated by this section than I had in previous parts of the story. Still, the book ended on a high note. It was wonderful to know how both John and James are doing today and the epilogue was an important call to action.
All in all, this book was informational, inspirational reading. Highly recommended!
Thanks to both NetGalley and PW BookExpo for the e-reader copy of Good Blood.
What I Loved About This Book:
Don't know what Rh disease is? No problem. While this book is a fascinating look into how Gorman and other brilliant scientists of his time came to better understand Rh disease, it is by no means a medical manual. Julian Guthrie's clear writing style makes the medical jargon understandable and the breakthroughs cheer worthy.
And while I did learn a great deal about the disease thanks to Julian Guthrie's clear writing style, what I really appreciated about the book was its emphasis on the extraordinary contributions of ordinary people. James was "just" a railway worker who decided to give blood, a decision which has affected countless lives. More than 100 prisoners on Sing Sing volunteered to be test subjects in Gorman's study; there was no guarantee that any of them would come out of the tests unscathed, but they volunteered because they wanted to help save babies. Doris Gorman worked as a phone operator to get through medical school, then practiced medicine while raising four children. John Gorman, a leading scientist in the Rh breakthrough, would be one of her sons. Full of so many other loving and compassionate people, this book made me feel hope for humanity.
What I Didn't Love:
The end of the book seemed to lose some of its steam. The last four chapters could have easily been condensed into two for a less repetitive story. Sadly, I found myself much less captivated by this section than I had in previous parts of the story. Still, the book ended on a high note. It was wonderful to know how both John and James are doing today and the epilogue was an important call to action.
All in all, this book was informational, inspirational reading. Highly recommended!
Thanks to both NetGalley and PW BookExpo for the e-reader copy of Good Blood.
October 7, 2020
We received a free copy of this book from the publisher to review. The rating and review are my husband’s thoughts.
Good Blood documents the race to cure Rh disease (where the antibodies in a pregnant woman’s blood destroy her own baby’s blood cells) as it follows a doctor in New York and a humble Australian man whose blood and his devotion to donating it has saved millions of lives.
It was very interesting to learn the history of something that was so commonly taught in med school. A background in science may help for understanding some of the concepts, but the author explained everything for a general audience pretty well.
The book has been compared to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and it is similar in the sense that you learn about the actual people behind medical discoveries, but it isn’t rife with ethical dilemmas like Henrietta.
Good Blood documents the race to cure Rh disease (where the antibodies in a pregnant woman’s blood destroy her own baby’s blood cells) as it follows a doctor in New York and a humble Australian man whose blood and his devotion to donating it has saved millions of lives.
It was very interesting to learn the history of something that was so commonly taught in med school. A background in science may help for understanding some of the concepts, but the author explained everything for a general audience pretty well.
The book has been compared to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and it is similar in the sense that you learn about the actual people behind medical discoveries, but it isn’t rife with ethical dilemmas like Henrietta.
September 8, 2020
Primarily this book is about the race to find a treatment for Rh disease. Rh disease causes a mother's immune system to attack it's unborn child. Untold number of children died ( stillborn or right after birth). John Gorman along with another gentleman come across an idea to help treat this disease. Trials began and they came up with what is known as the RhoGam shot. It is given to women who are Rh negative. Meanwhile in Australia a young man, James Harrison, is given a life saving blood transfusion that turns his blood into special blood. Once he received that transfusion he promised himself that he would donate blood for as long as he could. And he did. His blood was able to help with treating Rh disease.Millions of babies were saved because of these two men! The author told this story in a way that made it a page turner! Such an amazing book! ⭐
⭐
My sister is Rh negative. And with each of her pregnancies she had to have the RhoGam shot in order to have her babies. Because of these men, I have 2 nephews and a niece, Matthew, Andrew and Morgan!! Thank you to John Gorman and James Harrison and thank you to Julian Guthrie for telling this story!! 📕
📚
Thank you Netgalley, Abrams Press and Julian Guthrie for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
⭐
My sister is Rh negative. And with each of her pregnancies she had to have the RhoGam shot in order to have her babies. Because of these men, I have 2 nephews and a niece, Matthew, Andrew and Morgan!! Thank you to John Gorman and James Harrison and thank you to Julian Guthrie for telling this story!! 📕
📚
Thank you Netgalley, Abrams Press and Julian Guthrie for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 15, 2021
As a nurse reading this book, it really opened my eyes and warmed my heart for this amazing medical breakthrough story of the 20th century!
Julia Guthrie tells the story about Rh disease, a blood disorder causing a mother to attack her own unborn child. The discovery from an idea to inception which would eventually save millions of lives is told so well in this book.
This was truly remarkable science and the research that went into writing this book was simply phenomenal.
Julia Guthrie tells the story about Rh disease, a blood disorder causing a mother to attack her own unborn child. The discovery from an idea to inception which would eventually save millions of lives is told so well in this book.
This was truly remarkable science and the research that went into writing this book was simply phenomenal.
June 8, 2020
Emotive story combined with good science writing
I enjoyed this book. Although ostensibly a book about medicine, it is really more the story of two men, each working in their own way to solve the Rh dilemma. But happily, the book doesn't minimize the role of all the other people involved. The book is powerfully emotional, not a cold recitation of facts and is written more like fiction than nonfiction. When the book does discuss the intricacies of the Rh dilemma, all explanations are very clearly laid out. The book takes detours along the way, but there is always a relevant payoff. Overall this is a great book and well worth reading.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book visa Netgalley for review purposes.
I enjoyed this book. Although ostensibly a book about medicine, it is really more the story of two men, each working in their own way to solve the Rh dilemma. But happily, the book doesn't minimize the role of all the other people involved. The book is powerfully emotional, not a cold recitation of facts and is written more like fiction than nonfiction. When the book does discuss the intricacies of the Rh dilemma, all explanations are very clearly laid out. The book takes detours along the way, but there is always a relevant payoff. Overall this is a great book and well worth reading.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book visa Netgalley for review purposes.
August 25, 2020
An inspirational and captivating story of love, connection, courage and determination to do good in this world. The story follows two different men from differing continents, Dr. John Gorman and a regular donor James Harrison with a common goal in an attempt to save babies lives in the fight against a terrible blood disease called Rh disease. The story takes place across Australia to America. From research laboratories, hospital, blood banks and experimental trials in prison, the brilliant writer Julian Guthrie takes us in an in-depth journey through the path taken in their search for the cure.
I was surprised to have not known much about Rh disease and therefore, was glad to have picked this book up. This was very informative and meticulously researched. Julian Guthrie's writing perfectly balanced the academic and the personal insight into their lives. Science and medical subject matter is never an easy feat in delivering the knowledge to a diverse audience. This was what Julian Guthrie made it possible. Through her diligence in her planning and effort, her writing made it accessible to readers such as myself who aren't too knowledgeable in science and medical subject matter. Most importantly, the author points out how all walks of life are connected and has the ability to make such a great impact in this world. By providing acknowledgement to the medical teams, donors and families, Julian Guthrie highlights the everyday heroism that is necessary in making progress and positive changes and impacts. I enjoyed following the journey of the great Dr. Gorman in his drive, passion and the courage in making medical mistakes, learning from its mistakes and consistently moving forward. The history, characteristics and its intelligent design of the blood was truly fascinating. James Harrison's story absolutely moved me and there were teary moments. I always knew the importance in donating blood but reading about James Harrison's dedication in donating blood was truly eye-opening and brought awareness to the impact a donor can make in another person and families' lives. In conclusion, I believe Julian Guthrie sums it up well why this book is a necessary and meaningful read: Whether it is Gorman's brilliant mind or Harrison's big heart, Good Blood is about the desire to do something good and lasting in the world. This in itself should speak volume in the reason for picking up this beautiful book.
Thank you to Net Galley and Abrams Press for providing this amazing ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was surprised to have not known much about Rh disease and therefore, was glad to have picked this book up. This was very informative and meticulously researched. Julian Guthrie's writing perfectly balanced the academic and the personal insight into their lives. Science and medical subject matter is never an easy feat in delivering the knowledge to a diverse audience. This was what Julian Guthrie made it possible. Through her diligence in her planning and effort, her writing made it accessible to readers such as myself who aren't too knowledgeable in science and medical subject matter. Most importantly, the author points out how all walks of life are connected and has the ability to make such a great impact in this world. By providing acknowledgement to the medical teams, donors and families, Julian Guthrie highlights the everyday heroism that is necessary in making progress and positive changes and impacts. I enjoyed following the journey of the great Dr. Gorman in his drive, passion and the courage in making medical mistakes, learning from its mistakes and consistently moving forward. The history, characteristics and its intelligent design of the blood was truly fascinating. James Harrison's story absolutely moved me and there were teary moments. I always knew the importance in donating blood but reading about James Harrison's dedication in donating blood was truly eye-opening and brought awareness to the impact a donor can make in another person and families' lives. In conclusion, I believe Julian Guthrie sums it up well why this book is a necessary and meaningful read: Whether it is Gorman's brilliant mind or Harrison's big heart, Good Blood is about the desire to do something good and lasting in the world. This in itself should speak volume in the reason for picking up this beautiful book.
Thank you to Net Galley and Abrams Press for providing this amazing ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2020
I received an electronic advance copy of Good Blood: A Doctor, a Donor, and the Incredible Breakthrough that Saved Millions of Babies by Julian Guthrie from the publisher (Abrams Press). Good Blood is scheduled for release on September 8, 2020.
This nonfiction book focuses on two of the men who were key to developing a successful treatment for Rh disease. Rh disease affects the babies of women who are Rh negative. Babies who are also Rh negative are fine, as are the first Rh positive babies born to an Rh negative mother. The trouble comes with later Rh positive babies. Antibodies from the mother will attack the red blood cells of the babies, causing anemia and a variety of other symptoms, even possibly death.
One of the two men Guthrie focuses on is Dr. John Gorman, working in New York, who has the idea of treating fire with fire. He faces an uphill battle in convincing the medical community to try his unconventional idea- giving mothers a dose of Rh antibodies to prevent their own immune systems from producing them. The second man is James Harrison, an Australian man who donates blood every fortnite. For him, this is partly just civic duty, but also payback for the massive transfusions that saved his life as a teenager.
We also meet some of the women and other men involved in the discovery and development of the Rh vaccine, including nurses, phlebotomists, other researchers, and future spouses.
The story of the development of this vaccine was inherently intriguing for me, as I am part of the 15% of the world’s population who is Rh negative. I received this vaccine while pregnant with my own children, but never knew the story behind its development. This book is a true history- weaving together the discoveries with the stories that surrounded them. For me, the balance of science and story was a little bit skewed (particularly in later parts of the book). I wanted a little bit more explanation of the science parts (FYI, I am a scientist, so other readers may find the balance perfect!).
Overall, Good Blood was a very pleasant read about a not well known scientific discovery that has saved more than 2 million lives so far. An added bonus of the book was the subtle encouragement for readers who are able to donate blood.
This nonfiction book focuses on two of the men who were key to developing a successful treatment for Rh disease. Rh disease affects the babies of women who are Rh negative. Babies who are also Rh negative are fine, as are the first Rh positive babies born to an Rh negative mother. The trouble comes with later Rh positive babies. Antibodies from the mother will attack the red blood cells of the babies, causing anemia and a variety of other symptoms, even possibly death.
One of the two men Guthrie focuses on is Dr. John Gorman, working in New York, who has the idea of treating fire with fire. He faces an uphill battle in convincing the medical community to try his unconventional idea- giving mothers a dose of Rh antibodies to prevent their own immune systems from producing them. The second man is James Harrison, an Australian man who donates blood every fortnite. For him, this is partly just civic duty, but also payback for the massive transfusions that saved his life as a teenager.
We also meet some of the women and other men involved in the discovery and development of the Rh vaccine, including nurses, phlebotomists, other researchers, and future spouses.
The story of the development of this vaccine was inherently intriguing for me, as I am part of the 15% of the world’s population who is Rh negative. I received this vaccine while pregnant with my own children, but never knew the story behind its development. This book is a true history- weaving together the discoveries with the stories that surrounded them. For me, the balance of science and story was a little bit skewed (particularly in later parts of the book). I wanted a little bit more explanation of the science parts (FYI, I am a scientist, so other readers may find the balance perfect!).
Overall, Good Blood was a very pleasant read about a not well known scientific discovery that has saved more than 2 million lives so far. An added bonus of the book was the subtle encouragement for readers who are able to donate blood.
September 13, 2020
Julian Guthrie's "Good Blood" is an intriguing medical mystery and touching human interest story. If a pregnant woman has RH negative blood and her fetus is RH positive, usually the first pregnancy proceeds normally. However, subsequent pregnancies are risky, since the mother's body has produced antibodies that will harm future babies whose blood contains the RH protein. Even if the baby survives, he or she is in danger of sustaining brain damage, severe jaundice, or other serious complications.
An Australian, James Harrison, was a sickly youngster who, at the age of fourteen, contracted bronchitis that led to a bout of triple pneumonia. In 1951, he nearly died during a pediatric pulmonary lobectomy; a surgeon removed a portion of the boy's infected lung. James pulled through after receiving massive blood transfusions, and to express his gratitude, he became a regular blood donor. Another Aussie, John Gorman was a physician who moved to New York and, along with other pioneers, came up with a protocol that could greatly lower the incidence of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn..
Guthrie explores the groundbreaking efforts of visionaries who persevered, even when their peers dismissed their ideas as unsound. It is fascinating to observe brilliant and creative scientists analyzing complex ideas concerning blood compatibility. The author's humorous and poignant anecdotes shed light on the personalities, challenges, and accomplishments of his large cast of characters. The writing is inspiring and entertaining, although the book could have been smoother and more fast-paced had Guthrie omitted some redundant and superfluous material. Still, "Good Blood" is worth reading for its depiction of remarkable men and women, including James Harrison, John Gorman, Vince Freda (John's friend and fellow researcher), and two dynamos who were crucial to the success of the RH initiative, Nurse Lizzie Thynne and Robyn Barrow. These individuals and others like them deserve tremendous credit for their altruism, commitment, and determination to save innocent lives and prevent needless suffering.
An Australian, James Harrison, was a sickly youngster who, at the age of fourteen, contracted bronchitis that led to a bout of triple pneumonia. In 1951, he nearly died during a pediatric pulmonary lobectomy; a surgeon removed a portion of the boy's infected lung. James pulled through after receiving massive blood transfusions, and to express his gratitude, he became a regular blood donor. Another Aussie, John Gorman was a physician who moved to New York and, along with other pioneers, came up with a protocol that could greatly lower the incidence of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn..
Guthrie explores the groundbreaking efforts of visionaries who persevered, even when their peers dismissed their ideas as unsound. It is fascinating to observe brilliant and creative scientists analyzing complex ideas concerning blood compatibility. The author's humorous and poignant anecdotes shed light on the personalities, challenges, and accomplishments of his large cast of characters. The writing is inspiring and entertaining, although the book could have been smoother and more fast-paced had Guthrie omitted some redundant and superfluous material. Still, "Good Blood" is worth reading for its depiction of remarkable men and women, including James Harrison, John Gorman, Vince Freda (John's friend and fellow researcher), and two dynamos who were crucial to the success of the RH initiative, Nurse Lizzie Thynne and Robyn Barrow. These individuals and others like them deserve tremendous credit for their altruism, commitment, and determination to save innocent lives and prevent needless suffering.
July 31, 2020
I had never heard of Rh disease, despite my interest in all things medical and biological. When I came across this book, I thought it sounded fascinating. It was.
This book tells the story (so far) of Rh disease - a devastating illness where a mother’s body attacks her baby, due to a blood type incompatibility, leading to miscarriages, babies dying, and children born with brain damage. It shows how an effective treatment was found, and how we still don’t understand how it really works.
I found most of this book really interesting, but there were a few chapters that I found really tedious - mostly extraneous (to me) bits of James’s life. However, there weren’t many.
It was so fascinating to read about the initial idea, the frustrations of trying to get funding, the medical trials, the not so legal first use, and the eventual approval by the government of the vaccine. It was also interesting to follow the tale of James’s life, of how he came to have blood that was able to produce so many antibodies for the vaccine. The epilogue was important, there is still much work to be done, and it’s amazing to know that we still don’t understand how the vaccine works, or why James’s blood works how it does, nor have we managed to synthesise the antibodies. There is still so much work to be done on a disease that most of us in the wealthier parts of the world have never even heard of.
I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.
This book tells the story (so far) of Rh disease - a devastating illness where a mother’s body attacks her baby, due to a blood type incompatibility, leading to miscarriages, babies dying, and children born with brain damage. It shows how an effective treatment was found, and how we still don’t understand how it really works.
I found most of this book really interesting, but there were a few chapters that I found really tedious - mostly extraneous (to me) bits of James’s life. However, there weren’t many.
It was so fascinating to read about the initial idea, the frustrations of trying to get funding, the medical trials, the not so legal first use, and the eventual approval by the government of the vaccine. It was also interesting to follow the tale of James’s life, of how he came to have blood that was able to produce so many antibodies for the vaccine. The epilogue was important, there is still much work to be done, and it’s amazing to know that we still don’t understand how the vaccine works, or why James’s blood works how it does, nor have we managed to synthesise the antibodies. There is still so much work to be done on a disease that most of us in the wealthier parts of the world have never even heard of.
I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.
July 14, 2020
From NetGalley: "In 1951 in Sydney, Australia, a fourteen-year-old boy named James Harrison was near death when he received a transfusion of blood that saved his life. A few years later, and half a world away, a shy young doctor at Columbia University realized he was more comfortable in the lab than in the examination room. Neither could have imagined how their paths would cross, or how they would change the world."
Dr. John Gorman was desperate to find out why countless babies were dying in the womb--as mothers' immune systems attacked their own unborn children. Rh disease was devastating families all over the globe. His work would be instrumental in finding the cure. And then there is James Harrison, a childhood survivor himself, who in gratitude selflessly donated his "miracle blood."
This was a wonderful book. I don't tend to read a lot of medical nonfiction, but Julian Guthrie's writing captivates. The narrative flows nicely and is really accessible for those (like me!) who aren't very science-minded. I'd recommend this engaging read to those interested in medical history (Rh disease in particular) or people looking for a human interest story of the best in humanity overcoming one of the worst of its obstacles.
Thank you to Abrams Press for providing this digital copy for review.
Dr. John Gorman was desperate to find out why countless babies were dying in the womb--as mothers' immune systems attacked their own unborn children. Rh disease was devastating families all over the globe. His work would be instrumental in finding the cure. And then there is James Harrison, a childhood survivor himself, who in gratitude selflessly donated his "miracle blood."
This was a wonderful book. I don't tend to read a lot of medical nonfiction, but Julian Guthrie's writing captivates. The narrative flows nicely and is really accessible for those (like me!) who aren't very science-minded. I'd recommend this engaging read to those interested in medical history (Rh disease in particular) or people looking for a human interest story of the best in humanity overcoming one of the worst of its obstacles.
Thank you to Abrams Press for providing this digital copy for review.
August 28, 2020
Subtitle: A doctor, a donor, and the incredible breakthrough that saved millions of babies
I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Until the late 1960s, one of the major causes of infant mortality worldwide resulted from parents having mis-matched Rh factors, especially babies conceived by Rh-negative mothers and Rh-positive fathers. This book is the story of how a dedicated group of researchers developed a vaccine to combat this problem and how the blood-banking community built a roster of donors with specialized blood characteristics to provide enough blood for use in making that vaccine.
Good Blood focuses on two Australians, James Harrison and John Gorman. Thanks to major surgery during his teens that required enough transfusions to replace his entire blood supply several times, Harrison blood developed some unique characteristics that rendered it unusable for blood transfusions. Gorman was an Australian doctor who relocated to New York City and team with a group of like-minded doctors in an effort to save at-risk babies around the world.
I gave Good Blood four stars on Goodreads. It was an uplifting and inspiring read about the importance of not giving up, but the last few chapters seemed overly padded.
I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Until the late 1960s, one of the major causes of infant mortality worldwide resulted from parents having mis-matched Rh factors, especially babies conceived by Rh-negative mothers and Rh-positive fathers. This book is the story of how a dedicated group of researchers developed a vaccine to combat this problem and how the blood-banking community built a roster of donors with specialized blood characteristics to provide enough blood for use in making that vaccine.
Good Blood focuses on two Australians, James Harrison and John Gorman. Thanks to major surgery during his teens that required enough transfusions to replace his entire blood supply several times, Harrison blood developed some unique characteristics that rendered it unusable for blood transfusions. Gorman was an Australian doctor who relocated to New York City and team with a group of like-minded doctors in an effort to save at-risk babies around the world.
I gave Good Blood four stars on Goodreads. It was an uplifting and inspiring read about the importance of not giving up, but the last few chapters seemed overly padded.
July 15, 2020
Good Blood is the story of two men who were involved in different ways in the search to prevent the deaths of Rh positive babies to mothers with Rh negative blood. Author Julian Guthrie draws us into the lives of the various individuals and definitely appeals to emotions. So compelling is the journey of Drs. Gorman and Freda that I could not stop reading till I finished the book. A few of the scientific explanations were difficult for me to comprehend, but most of it was not. The process to reach a workable solution was long and difficult. I had not realized that the treatment to save these babies wasn't available until 1968--just 11 years before it would have affected me personally, as I am Rh negative. The book is easy to get into because it reads like a novel and provides plenty of suspense. The separate stories of the two men, James Harrison and John Gorman, are alternately woven until their connection is ultimately revealed. I loved this book, and I am grateful to have had this chance to read the e-galley from BookExpo PW Galley Grab and NetGalley.
September 13, 2020
I received an advanced copy of this book from Abrams and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book tells about two men who helped develop RhoGam which is given to women who are Rh negative when they are pregnant. This disease can cause a woman’s immune system to attack the woman’s unborn baby. Before this treatment many children died either at birth or soon after. John Gorman was one of the men who came up with this treatment.
In Australia, James Harrison was given a blood transfusion that saved his life. He then determined he would give blood for as long as he could. It was through his blood that the treatment was able to be tested.
Even though this could have been a dry, clinical book, it was not. The author had a way of relating the topic so I wanted to continue through the end.
I am Rh negative so I received RhoGam for each of my pregnancies and I was very glad I did. I did not know the story behind it until now. Needless to say I am very grateful to these, and others that worked on the treatment for this disease.
This book tells about two men who helped develop RhoGam which is given to women who are Rh negative when they are pregnant. This disease can cause a woman’s immune system to attack the woman’s unborn baby. Before this treatment many children died either at birth or soon after. John Gorman was one of the men who came up with this treatment.
In Australia, James Harrison was given a blood transfusion that saved his life. He then determined he would give blood for as long as he could. It was through his blood that the treatment was able to be tested.
Even though this could have been a dry, clinical book, it was not. The author had a way of relating the topic so I wanted to continue through the end.
I am Rh negative so I received RhoGam for each of my pregnancies and I was very glad I did. I did not know the story behind it until now. Needless to say I am very grateful to these, and others that worked on the treatment for this disease.
September 17, 2020
If you typically choose novels over non-fiction, give this engaging narrative a spin. This book about the search for a cure for Rh disease takes you around the world, following the life stories of a blood donor and a researcher. Julian Guthrie takes a sprawling story with many parts and brings into focus the defining moments and arduous path of a detailed research journey. This is an important book for so many readers to understand the value of individual contribution as well as dedication in the world of health research. In terms of the history of women's health, this book is an invaluable text on understanding how medical priorities are set and compete with so many pressures for attention. This is a book I would recommend for readers who want to learn something while enjoying a satisfying reading experience. Guthrie is to be commended for making a complex story about high level medical research into a very clear, attention holding book.
August 12, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-reader copy of Good Blood from PW BookExpo.
I do prefer to read non-fiction. This book is prime example of why. On a personal note, members of my extended family had to deal with the Rh factor. Thank goodness for the development of the shot.
The book was so thorough, well-planned, and precise. Guthrie had meticulously researched the topic and her writing showed such a personal relationship with the persons involved. It is almost as if she knew them. I am amazed at her ability to show the human side as well as the scientific side of this discovery. Kudos to her.
The book covered not only the scientists, but also all the support staff required to make this discovery known - in the United States and Australia and other countries as well. Heartwarming to say the least.
A great read!
I do prefer to read non-fiction. This book is prime example of why. On a personal note, members of my extended family had to deal with the Rh factor. Thank goodness for the development of the shot.
The book was so thorough, well-planned, and precise. Guthrie had meticulously researched the topic and her writing showed such a personal relationship with the persons involved. It is almost as if she knew them. I am amazed at her ability to show the human side as well as the scientific side of this discovery. Kudos to her.
The book covered not only the scientists, but also all the support staff required to make this discovery known - in the United States and Australia and other countries as well. Heartwarming to say the least.
A great read!
January 20, 2024
I have finally gotten to this book that for some reason I kept putting off. This is an account of the scientists who searched for and discovered the reason behind Rh incompatibility between a fetus and mother. This was such a devastating problem to women and their infants years ago. My own family saw infant deaths/prematurity due to Rh incompatibility and even my own father nearly didn’t make it due to being the last in a line of infants that were incompatible with my Rh negative grandmother. I’m truly fascinated by immune-mediated diseases and the treatments that have been developed to combat them. This book was an interesting look at a real problem that is now so easily treated. Thank you the opportunity to read this.
#GoodBlood #NetGalley #ABRAMS
#GoodBlood #NetGalley #ABRAMS
November 10, 2020
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. It was the nonfiction account of the realization about the Rh factor in pregnancy; if a mom has negative blood and a dad has positive blood, it can cause death, stillborn infants, malformations, etc.
The book was also about going after your dreams and finding your superpower. It is about the desire to do something good and lasting in the world. While the book talked about the scientific aspects of discovering how to address the Rh factor, it was also about James who donated blood over 1100 times in his life because he had the specific antibodies that helped in the Rh dilemma.
The book was also about going after your dreams and finding your superpower. It is about the desire to do something good and lasting in the world. While the book talked about the scientific aspects of discovering how to address the Rh factor, it was also about James who donated blood over 1100 times in his life because he had the specific antibodies that helped in the Rh dilemma.
December 28, 2020
Nonfiction story about two men on different sides of the world, who together saved the lived of millions of babies. John Gorman, born in Australia, working in New York. James Harrison living in Australia. John Gorman implemented using an injection in Rh negative mothers after giving birth to Rh positive babies to keep the mothers from developing antibodies to the babies' blood. James Harrison gave blood every two weeks from the age of 18 to the age of 80. With James's devotion to donating blood, they were able to make the injection available to mothers that allowed the mothers to give birth to 2.4 million healthy babies!
May 6, 2022
A phenomenal telling of a remarkable story about two men who were instrumental to the development and production of one of the most impactful medical discoveries of the 20th century. More than just these two men, though, Guthrie depicts the dogged determination of Dr. Freda, the unlikely support of Bill Pollack, the tenderheartedness of the Sing Sing prison volunteers, the candid eloquence of Kath Gorman, the effusive warmth of Nurse Lizzie, and the altruistic donation of women like Olive Semmler. Dr. Gorman may have proposed the novel use of immunoglobulins to prevent maternal sensitization, but the widespread use of treatment we know now as RhoGAM would not have been possible without these other players.
As a medical student myself, I can’t wait to impress colleagues with my knowledge of the VERY SCIENTIFIC reason as to why RhoGAM is given up to 72 hours after delivery — because we can’t have Sing Sing prisoners knowing when to expect the researchers and staging a coup!
As a medical student myself, I can’t wait to impress colleagues with my knowledge of the VERY SCIENTIFIC reason as to why RhoGAM is given up to 72 hours after delivery — because we can’t have Sing Sing prisoners knowing when to expect the researchers and staging a coup!
November 12, 2020
This was a GoodReads giveaway win of a Kindle ebook.
Awe inspiring.
I have been a long time blood donor myself, but I have no hope of catching up with "the man with the golden arm", but I will keep trying. This just reminds me to get my butt back my blood bank.
I knew of the Rh factor, but did not really pay attention to the details. This tale is a great telling of why your blood donation is so very important to human kind as a whole.
Donate Blood Today! And while you are sitting there, have a GoodReads.
Awe inspiring.
I have been a long time blood donor myself, but I have no hope of catching up with "the man with the golden arm", but I will keep trying. This just reminds me to get my butt back my blood bank.
I knew of the Rh factor, but did not really pay attention to the details. This tale is a great telling of why your blood donation is so very important to human kind as a whole.
Donate Blood Today! And while you are sitting there, have a GoodReads.
January 4, 2021
I found this book at my local library and it seemed like an intriguing subject matter. I think the heros in this book are amazing— the book itself however was a bit too technical for me. I’m someone without any medical or science background. I had trouble following the story half the time with perspectives and characters jumping around and lots of extraneous details. Some chapters I devoured but other chapters I couldn’t follow at all. I had never even heard of Rh Disease and the history of this story is very interesting. This book might be better for someone with a medical background.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews