Customer Reviews

Bedside Manners: One Doctor's Reflections on the Oddly Intimate Encounters Between Patient and Healer

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Be forewarned-in David Watts' new book, "Bedside Manners", you may encounter yourself. Whether cast in the role of the caring physician, the neurotic patient, an idealistic trainee, husband, or father, the sensitive reader can explore a vicarious experience in the stories of David Watts' newest book in a very honest and often revealing way.

Previously published as a poet, Dr. Watts has produced his first prose work with this collection of stories in "Bedside Manners". By his own admission, this native Texan writes: "[S]ometimes you have to go where the horse wants you to go. My horse apparently wanted prose and wanted it to speak of the struggles of doctors and patients."

Dr. Watts distills his stories from moments in the life of a seasoned physician. Some of these stories from medical school and residency training are filled with idealism and hope. Others stem from the work he has done with terminally ill patients, helping them transition to death-each along a unique path.

These tales in turn are juxtaposed against those of patients who are driven to seek care, attention and solace for factitious medical problems. Dr. Watts deftly examines how patient care can influence those personal relationships that practitioners have with their own families-affects which can heal or reveal emotional scars.

In his writings, Dr. Watts masterfully records the feelings that a patient evokes in him during a medical encounter: "A strange sense of frustration, almost impatience, came over me. I wasn't sure why." He speaks of the guilt that inevitably follows. These are feelings known only to practitioners; few will admit to having them, and thankfully patients remain unaware of them.

I found some of these patient encounters to be humorous, some ironic, others heart-breaking or frustrating, some poignant-but all authentic. As I read through these vignettes I sensed a closeness with Dr. Watts and his patients. His writings will evoke a camaraderie among physician readers-a homecoming of sorts. In the busy world of day to day practice, where the human touch is many times displaced by the endless paperwork of medical charts and insurance claim forms, Dr. Watts has found a way to acknowledge these frustrations and continue to be a compassionate physician.

A doctor to his patients and a voice for his colleagues-for those who struggle with the demands of life, family, and vocation-Dr. Watts is a healer in the truest sense. Reading these stories will change lives. They just might change your life, too.

This is a beautifully written memoir from the doctor you wish was yours. The book's subtitle perfectly captures the substance of this book: "one doctor's reflections on the oddly intimate encounters between patient and healer." If you've ever wondered what a doctor is thinking as he or she examines patients, here's your chance to eavesdrop.

In story after story, you get a taste of the life's richness -- from the joy of learning a self-diagnosis is not nearly as dire as the actual problem to the tragedy of a beautiful young girl who keeps coming back to the hospital because her boyfriend refuses to admit he's got a STD, from the gripping story of a patient reliving his WWII experience coming upon a concentration camp before it was widely known such camps existed to the mystery of a medical student injuring herself essentially for the attention.

You see it all this richness through the eyes of a doctor who has a poet's sensitivity and fluency with language. Here's an example of the beautiful prose throughout this book: "My stethoscope glides over the surface of the abdomen like a stone skipping over a flexible sheen of water, listening first, not to disturb the delicate organs huddled and hiding below."

The doctor also has a great sense of humor. Here's what happens when the father of one of his hopital staff nurses arrives at this office:

We've got a problem, my reception says.
Yes, I say. He wasn't suppoed to come today.
Not that, she says. He's HMO.
HMO. HMO. Poor bastard. Sick with restrictions.

(I typed out those lines pretty much as they are appear in the book -- the good doctor leaves out lots of the typical punctuation that accompanies dialog, which sometimes makes you wonder who's speaking. But surprisingly the light punctuation style works well overall by helping to seemlessly blend the interior and spoken dialog.)

Doctors face life and death everyday, a vantage point few of us have in our too-busy-to-slow-down lives. And while this book is not a didactic or prescriptive "here's how you should think about life" book, its stories naturally make you think about your own outlook and approach towards living.

The jacket cover says Dr. Watts is a regular commentator on NPR and indeed some of these stories are based on his NPR contributions. Reading them definitely makes me want to search the NPR archives as well as tune in for his next broadcasts.

I loved this book. It really gets to the heart of the matter on so many levels. Each story is a snapshot of intimate interactions. David Watts is a wonderful storyteller. It's real and honest.

Maybe i'm a bit biased here, as David's web master, a resident of the same village and an occasional family visitor - i don't think so.

What i do think is that a book which is such an alloy of insight, humor, entertainment and nourishment for the soul is a rare treat.

What can i say? I laughed, i cried, i can't wait to read it again.

And it washed clean away the divide that can seep into our hearts and slightly blur our outlook, subtly separating us from others. A gentle reminder of how much we share.

I thought this book captured the doctor's life extremely well--it came alive. RMP

I just finished reading this fine collection and am well satisfied. Bedside Manners: One Doctor's Reflections on the Oddly Intimate Encounters Between Patient and Healer The stories are revealing, touching, horrifying, funny, affirming. My compassion & admiration for medical doctors have deepened. The writing is pitch perfect. I was only sorry when I reached The End. I am looking for more prose from Dr. Watts. This book would make a fine gift for your doctor, your friend, yourself. Bravo!

The only downside about this book is that 3 or 4 of the stories had the same plot which was the only flaw I saw in the book. Everything else about this book was amazing. I thought it would be a hard read but once I started reading I couldn't put it down. The medical information and terminology was very accurate, by the end of this book you will be dyeing for more. The stories are very real some very emotional some hilarious. You will get a good laugh, a good cry, all in an exceptionally good book.

I like medicine and reading stories about it, so I thought this would be a good book. The author tends to try to be "poetical" in a way I didn't find appealing. Some stories are worth reading though. The good thing is that the bad ones end quickly, since they are all short stories.

I buy books to learn something from them. When I bought this book I thought I'd learn something about "Bedside Manners". The book was so confusing because the auther never used quotes when someone was saying something and half the time you had to reread paragraphs to understand who or which person was the one saying something. Very confusing for an author that was supposed to be such a poet. I got little educational value from it.