Riveting, revealing stories of patient denial.
A superb collection of real-life medical mysteries.
Patients and doctors can both have blind spots. For example, a doctor will occasionally make or refute a diagnosis based on nothing more than pride, despite a career’s worth of experience. Patients, however, sometimes troublingly deny obvious symptoms or refuse to divulge relevant information. In most cases, these patient behaviors lead to prolonged illness and pain or, in the worst cases, a patient’s death. In these nine beautifully written, captivating case studies, Halkin presents true stories of patient denial from his own experience as a physician. These complicated medical mysteries concern not only the body, but also psychological, often subconscious motives. In one such case, a young executive presents with symptoms of a rare, life-threatening ailment called Gaucher’s disease, including a yearlong low-grade fever. The patient and his wife claim that he’s never been diagnosed—until after he is prepped for an invasive procedure, when he suddenly, calmly claims says that he remembers the diagnostic tests. It turns out that after the prior diagnosis, which should have had the couple rethinking their lives, they had continued as though the doctor had told them all was well and suppressed the memory. Halkin asks: Is this behavior self-destruction or self-preservation? The author uses his formidable psychological insight not only to understand his patients’ and colleagues’ baffling behavior, but also to analyze himself (“Could I have put their right to denial before my responsibility to warn them as best I could?”). Although readers may find it chilling to consider that patients could purposely subvert their own diagnoses and treatments, they may find it illuminating to read about the complex dance of trust and fear in doctor-patient relationships.
Riveting, revealing stories of patient denial.Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-1490423524
Page Count: 198
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Dec. 19, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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