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Hippocrates' Shadow [Paperback]

David H Newman (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 15, 2009 1416551549 978-1416551546 Reprint
"Aclear-sighted, heartfelt, and humane story of the needless tests and treatments that cripple healthcare....as a guide to good medicine, it may help us get back to the essence of what good doctors do: be with patients in healing." —Samuel Shem, M.D., author of The House of God and The Spirit of the Place

In Hippocrates’ Shadow, Dr. David H. Newman upends our understanding of the doctor-patient relationship and offers a new paradigm of honesty and communication. He sees a disregard for the healing power of the bond that originated with Hippocrates, and, ultimately, a disconnect between doctors and their oath to"do no harm."

Exposing the patterns of secrecy and habit in modern medicine’s carefully protected subculture, Dr. Newman argues that doctors and patients cling to tradition and yield to demands for pills or tests. Citing fascinating studies that show why antibiotics for sore throats are almost always unnecessary; how cough syrup is rarely more effective than a sugar pill; and why CPR is violent, invasive—and almost always futile, this thought-provoking book cuts to the heart of what really works, and what doesn’t, in medicine.

 


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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In Hippocrates' Shadow, Dr. Newman sits us down for the doctor-patient chat we've been longing for -- a refreshingly candid, daringly inquisitive discussion of the uneasiness that exists on both sides of the medical care equation these days. There is a cure for what ails us, and Newman doses it in thoughtful, perceptive proposals that make good sense. In the end, everyone feels a whole lot better. There is hope." -- Amy Silverstein, author of Sick Girl

"There are few books that I really almost cannot put down, but Hippocrates' Shadow is one. A stunning indictment of current medical practice by a hard-headed doc tested in big-city emergency rooms, combat hospitals in Iraq, and at his mom's bedside. If your doctor is this frank with you, you are a very lucky patient, and you are getting a lot better (and sometimes a lot less) treatment than most." -- Melvin Konner, MD, PhD, author of Becoming a Doctor

"Dr. Newman's book is insightful and thought provoking. He teaches the reader about aspects of medicine that many of us, lay people as well as physicians, do not understand or appreciate, including the imperfection of the 'science' of medicine as well as the progressive loss of the 'art of medicine.' Anyone who wishes to better understand the promise and limitations of medicine should read this book." -- Geoffrey Kurland, M.D., author of My Own Medicine: A Doctor's Life as a Patient

About the Author

David H. Newman, M.D., runs a clinical research program and teaches at Columbia University and in the Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. He has also been widely published in biomedical journals. In 2005, as a major in the army reserve, he was deployed to Iraq, where he received an Army Commendation Medal. He lives in New York City

Product Details

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Scribner; Reprint edition (September 15, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416551549
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416551546
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (19)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
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2 star:    (0)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary. Can't get it out of my head, November 2, 2008
By 
EM Doc "EM Doc" (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
I am an emergency physician, trained via the same process as Dr. Newman. He and I learned the same skills, ways of thinking, and axioms. But, he took the time to actually investigate what we are doing- and lo and behold, much of it is flawed, dehumanized and wrong. It's not often that a book changes your practice and way of thinking- but this is it. My perspective, practice and teaching recently reflect Newman's. Recommended for all health workers, and should be a mandatory part of the medical student curriculum.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Perspective, October 31, 2008
By 
Curious Cat (Southern Oregon) - See all my reviews
I am not ordinarily a fan of the anecdotal insert, but in this book it works. Dr. Newman brings a different perspective to the issue of evidence-based medicine, due to his experiences as a combat doctor and emergency room physician. His is a more laid-back style than other books in this field, and is very accessible. He provides specific examples of how our system repeatedly delivers health-care that has been proven ineffective or even outright harmful, while ignoring procedures that have been shown to be useful.

For me, the most fascinating part of the book was the section on "pseudoaxioms" -- medical practices which are enshrined in tradition and totally resistant to all evidence of their lack of efficacy.

I am taking one star off this review for abuse of footnotes. Footnotes can be very valuable to provide tangential or technical information, to be read or ignored as the reader prefers, but all too often in this book the information was essential to the point being made in the text and should have been in the body, not in a footnote. Constantly dropping down to check the footnotes made for a choppy reading flow.

Despite this annoyance, this book is a very good addition to the essential reading list in this area: Nortin Hadler's "The Last Well Person," H. Gilbert Welch's "Should I Be Tested for Cancer?", and Gerd Gigerenzer's "Calculated Risks."

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A truly important book, October 21, 2008
This is a fascinating, honest, and clearly well researched book.
Dr. Newman is skillful in combining anecdotes of his real world experience in "the house of medicine" with thorough research to support his arguments. In addition, I respect that he does not exempt himself from criticism acknowledging that he too is a part of the world of healthcare today. I am a physician, and I can truly say that I learned a lot. Whether you are someone who requires frequent follow up with your physician, or one of the lucky ones who sees his doctor for preventative care only, or you are simply in the market for an intelligent and thought provoking book "Hippocrates' Shadow is a must read.
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