Gifts of Time [Hardcover]

Fred J., M.D. Epstein (Author), Elaine Fantle Smimberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1993

A pediatric surgeon who has developed and pioneered treatment of brain and nervous system tumors, Dr. Epstein has seen his volume of patients increase from a trickle to a torrent since the early 1980s. Embodying both technical virtuosity and profound humanity, he is a rare surgeon who lives his patients' suffering--both before and after the drama of surgery has occurred.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Epstein, director of the New York University Medical Center's Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, operates on children with tumors of the brain and spinal column. Here, collaborating with medical writer Shimberg, he recounts the stories of patients (and their families) who seek his help from all parts of the world, such as 10-year-old Kevin from the Midwest, and Luis, a slum child from Ecuador. Writing in the first person, Epstein discusses the emotional and surgical challenges his young patients present. Alternating third-person narratives follow the surgeon and his associates through the laborious procedures by which spinal, pituitary or brainstem tumors are "debulked" via laser and other technologies. This heart-wrenching chronicle, which reveals Epstein as a highly empathetic, fiercely committed physician, also touches on tragic cases in which he helped parents to accept their child's death.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Gifts of Time is the story of Dr. Epstein, a pediatric neurosurgeon who believes children weren't meant to suffer but to live. Like G. Wayne Miller's The Work of Human Hands ( LJ 1/93), which profiles pediatric surgeon Hardy Hendren, this book offers us a glimpse at the world of a pioneer in pediatric surgery. But unlike the other work, which is rich in history and tradition, Gifts is rich in human emotion. While offering a wider array of patient stories, it also takes a closer look at Dr. Epstein's emotions and the emotions of those around him. The reader shares the anguish of the frightened parent waiting through the long hours of her child's brain surgery but also has a chance to experience the commitment Dr. Epstein offers each patient. Gifts shows not only the successes but the failures. It is informative for the concerned parent while remaining interesting for the casual reader. Recommended for public libraries.
- KellyJo Houtz Parish, Harrison Memorial Hosp., Bremerton, Wash.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 253 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688110290
• ISBN-13: 978-0688110291
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,019,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars, 2 thumbs up, and a "must-read", April 24, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Gifts of Time (Paperback)

This book provides an incredible look into Epstein's Pediatric Neurosurgery program. It provides hope and amazement while showing a man who is what every doctor should be. By showing children who give all they can to live life to the fullest and the doctors who make it happen, this book will make you treasure life with all the joys and traumas it provides. It will force you to look at the good side of medicine, renewing a confidence that many have lost. In short this book, Gifts of Time by Fred Epstein, will educate you, fill you with faith, and restore your belief in not just medicine but in human kind. This is the best book you will ever read