"Dysautonomia, an invisible illness, may be one of the most misdiagnosed medical conditions of all time .. " – Elke Hausmann reviews The Dysautonomia Project - Understanding Autonomic Nervous System Disorders for Physicians and Patients.
This is a gripping story of two remarkable families, a remarkable heart and a remarkable organ donor system, faultlessly told. There will, I am sure, be a film of the book.
The author tells us that 'mysterious illnesses' are complex and complicated, very individual, definitely not in the patient's head (though attention to one's psyche can be beneficial), but in her body, and, importantly, in the culture she lives in...
Anyone currently working in general practice who is, or aspires to be, an effective influencer should read this to learn what it takes to make the changes to improve health care. It also explains what has often been lost from the institutional
The Wild West of medicine - a history for doctors’ feels like a more honest title for a book that makes interesting and informative reading.
The authors describe GPs as ‘street level bureaucrats in that we simultaneously enact the dictates of ‘tyrannical officialdom’ whilst addressing the needs of our clients. They offer a narrative account of the daily realities of British urban general practice and reflect on
Hannah Ritchie takes a clear-eyed view to understand how we got where we are, what the real problems are, and what we should be doing to build a truly sustainable world. Throughout Ritchie supports her arguments with evidence and data. Terry Kemple
In 'Good Reasons for Bad Feelings', Randolph M. Nesse offers a fresh perspective on anxiety and depression in modern day living – that of evolutionary medicine, specifically evolutionary psychiatry.
This book would resonate with parents of neurodiverse children and help them feel less alone, but I also think it is a funny and kind explanation for people who don’t have experience living with SEN or neurodiversity. With the increase in general
Dr Benji Waterhouse provides a fly-on-the-padded-wall account of life as an NHS psychiatrist. He describes the bedraggled NHS we recognise all too well in this memoir...
Misselbrook masterfully uses the tools of philosophy to explain to us how we think the way we do, how we can think more clearly. In a political climate dominated by polarising and often poisonous rhetoric, bullshit-detection skills are the least of what
The practice of silencing is unjust and unfair, but probably universal in medicine. Trisha Greenhalgh reflects on a 'powerful' new book that is packed with compelling patient stories and accessible summaries of the academic literature. And for the teachers and trainers among
A 'potteres-que' educational experience? Elke Hausmann reviews a long running Saturday course in the history of medicine run by one of the UK’s historical medical institutions.
Terry Kemple reviews the latest book by James O’Brien, a writer and broadcaster who hosts a popular daily current affairs programme on LBC radio. O'Brien chooses ten influential individuals with their facilitators and allies to blame for the current dismal state of
Andrew Papanikitas reviews and reflects on a good critical sourcebook on the law for GP trainers and trainees looking to flesh out a case-based discussion or tutorial, as well as for the GP looking for reading in response to a patient unmet
"The book would be worth a read for the GP who is interested in semaglutide beyond its position in clinical guidelines, and for GPs who are looking for a book to recommend to their patients on this matter ... "
"Written in an accepting and accessible format, this book makes a refreshing change from textbooks on ethics and social media vitriol. It contains an objective and sensitive discussion of age-old moral questions in the context of modern life, bringing together utilitarian and
"The Maudsley series of books on prescribing in psychiatry has been a cornerstone of psychiatric practice, and it is welcome to see their first publication focusing on deprescribing. Many would argue that, given the ever-burgeoning scale of prescribing of these medications, such
The Prescribing lifestyle medicine mental health and trauma course was something I cautiously signed up for... Upon arrival, I was amazed at the gathering of surgeons, GPs and nurses alike, ready to hear Dr Gabor Maté , hosted by Dr Ranjan Chatterjee,
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
The Anxious Generation documents a phenomenon which almost certainly has been recognised, tracked and pondered by all practicing GPs, whose workload consists of a substantial and growing prevalence of anxiety and depression, particularly among younger patients.
The power of placebos is both a manual and a manifesto. It both a guide to the ethical use of placebos in healthcare, as well as placebos as a window into empathic, meaningful healthcare.
Elke Hausmann recommends Lynn Payer's book to anyone who wants to understand the history of many of the underlying assumptions shaping medicine and our practice of it -the inevitable result of medical progress but of choices, conscious or not, that arise from
Thinking, Fast and Slow is a detailed summary of much of Kahneman’s influential work spanning numerous academic disciplines which has real-world impact across various professional and personal domains. Richard Armitage explores Its relevance to general practice.
Medicine for Beginners, a short, paradoxical and provocative book was written forty years ago by two young authors with no formal training in history or philosophy. Yet their prophetic insight should continue to disturb us.
10 years was the gap Monica Ali took between her last novel and the release of Love Marriage in 2022. Ironically, this is the same amount of time it would take to go through medical school and train to be a qualified
The Government’s spending decisions are changing the way we live and the sort of society we live in. The future looks bleak. If you want to understand how it all works (or does not work) then this 280-page explainer will give you
There’s much to be said for novellas – short novels you can read in a couple of evenings, without the commitment needed for a blockbuster. If you’re looking for a great example, I’d recommend The Shooting Party by the Russian dramatist Anton
The author strongly supports a woman’s right to choose, arguing for the decriminalisation of abortion in the UK, suggesting that it should be regulated as a part of healthcare. She describes recent cases where women have been given custodial sentences which have
I have recently read ‘Too Many Pills - How too much medicine is endangering our health and what we can do about it’ by James Le Fanu... So, this is my new purpose in life - to create opportunities to have open,
Thinking about patients,’ is a classic text, first published in 2001, that applies sociology and psychology to medical practice. I first read it in 2011 while doing a PhD in medical education, and wondered how I had missed it.
Why Can’t I See My GP charts an ever- changing medical speciality. From the times where GPs practiced in their own homes, to the NHS crisis we face today, Cumbrian GP Dr Ellen Welch takes us on the journey of our National
I first read his 2014 book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies five years ago, which convinced me that the risks which would be posed to humanity by a highly capable AI system (a ‘superintelligence’) ought to be taken very seriously before such a
Notwithstanding the corny connection to a fictional character, and the 'old school' approach to confidentiality, this is a charming and authentic memoir. An anecdote is by definition an unpublished story - and Martin Stagg has converted his anecdotes into 'ecdotes.'
You may recognise the frustration and anger that surface when resources run short; fractures in infrastructure become apparent; staff are scarce, undertrained and approaching burnout; protocols written by distant bureaucrats fail to reflect the realities you are seeing on the front line;
Having... been ‘critiqued’ for writing in too-detached a style, I was intrigued to see how a creative writing approach would change the process of reflection. As part of a self-selected module in ethics education, I took part in a one-day course on
The safety to ask about racism is helping me to change some ingrained false beliefs and this book has been another answer to my awkward questions. It has highlighted a history that I am disappointed not to know before.
Ian Dunt has written an easy-to-read explainer about how our UK Government is supposed to work and how it actually does work. To show the archaic ways of working and perverse incentives that are the operating mechanisms, he strips the system down
What is intensely likeable for me as a GP in his 40s is that The Health Fix also written by a GP in his 40s, with an engaging approach that blends clinical experience, medical evidence and personal history.
David Jeffrey reviews a terrific manual for bibliophiles. General practitioners may be reassured that bibliomaniacs, as yet, do not present for therapeutic intervention.
Science Fictions is an accessible and enjoyable read that is directly relevant to our work as GPs, useful for our much-needed critical appraisal skills, and fascinating to the curious mind that wishes to explore the behind-the-scenes goings on that underlie the research