A fascinating tour of a mystifying, unnerving, yet precious medical necessity.
A veteran anesthesiologist probes the origins and mysteries of medically induced unconsciousness.
Przybylo (Anesthesiology/Northwestern Univ. School of Medicine) shares anecdotes and personal impressions of his career, during which he has “administered anesthesia more than thirty thousand times.” Specializing in the pediatric arena of his field, the author cares for more than 1,000 children in an average year, and he offers profiles of many of them in this vividly written, candid exploration. In many ways, Przybylo considers himself a faith healer since so many patients and their families put their trust in his expertise with the drugs he administers. He retraces the curious history of how painless surgeries were eventually achieved in the 1800s through the meticulously measured inhalation of ether, though the process itself was considered sacrilegious at the time. A compassionate, patient caregiver, the author describes how he empathizes with (and medically alleviates) his young patients’ anxiety, fear, and confusion. The author discusses his lengthy tenure in medicine, which molded him into a highly controlled professional “always searching for ways to improve my care.” Przybylo is also honest enough to include the medical blunders he has experienced during his career, and he provides a personalized walk-through that intriguingly describes the highly specialized equipment he uses, the “Five A’s” of his comprehensive care, and why an empty stomach is essential to anesthesia success. Several of the cases he recalls embody the “dark side of medicine,” but they are striking in content and quite moving. They include a high school sophomore basketball player who must endure a heart transplant and, surprisingly, a lethargic 2-year-old gorilla with a life-threatening infection. What may particularly resonate with readers, however, is the pharmaceutical gray area that still confounds Przybylo and the industry at large, as he admits to being “no closer to explaining the mechanism by which the gas I provide anesthetizes.”
A fascinating tour of a mystifying, unnerving, yet precious medical necessity.Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-393-25443-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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