Kill as Few Patients as Possible: And Fifty-Six Other Essays on How to Be the World's Best Doctor [Hardcover]

Oscar London (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

This oft-quoted all-time favorite of the medical community will gladden--and strengthen--the hearts of patients, doctors, and anyone entering medical study, internship, or practice. With unassailable logic and rapier wit, the sage Dr. Oscar London muses on the challenges and joys of doctoring, and imparts timeless truths, reality checks, and poignant insights gleaned from 30 years of general practice--while never taking himself (or his profession) too seriously.

The classic book on the art and humor of practicing medicine, celebrating its 20th anniversary in a new gift edition with updates throughout. Previous editions have sold more than 200,000 copies. The perfect gift for med students and grads as well as new and practicing physicians. Approximately 17,000 students graduate from med school each spring in North America.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

* The perfect gift for med students and grads as well as new and practicing physicians.

About the Author

OSCAR LONDON, MD, is the pseudonym of an internist who practiced in Berkeley, California, for 30 years His humorous essays appeared regularly in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press; 2nd edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580089178
• ISBN-13: 978-1580089173
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.6 x 7.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Medical Books > Medicine > Doctor-Patient Relations

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humor for doctors and those who would understand them, October 5, 2008

By 

Dutchman "medical85" (Puget Sound, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kill as Few Patients as Possible: And Fifty-Six Other Essays on How to Be the World's Best Doctor (Hardcover)

Having practiced medicine for longer than I'll admit, my sense of humor may no longer be entirely standard. London combines his love of people and hard-learned lessons of practice to produce these essays, fortunately of a length much shorter than Charles Lamb's. These transparently written essays may explain otherwise in-explicable physician behavior. "My daughter told the doctor she knew she wasn't pregnant, but he did a pregnancy test anyway." "My back hurts, and all my other doctors give me narcotics, but Dr London didn't." Other stories of his approach to back pain, stomach pain, etc, may make you wish he were your own doctor.

Don't expect him to expose the foibles of his patients; his sharpest barbs are aimed at himself and his colleagues.

I keep this on my bookshelf and always enjoy taking it down for a short browsing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doc, It Only Hurts When I Laugh ...., January 13, 2012

By 

GirlScoutDad (Oakton, Virginia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Kill as Few Patients as Possible: And Fifty-Six Other Essays on How to Be the World's Best Doctor (Hardcover)

....if so, then this book will cause you a some serious pain! The pseudonymous "Oscar London" is not only a great and funny writer, but almost certainly an excellent doctor as well. And like all good humor, there are also profound truths buried within (well, okay, maybe the term "buried" isn't the best word to use in describing a book on doctoring). In this book, you can see Dr. London, with wit, comedy, tragedy, or irony, tackling all the very serious issues that stress out doctors and push lesser healers into burnout, addiction, or depression. Medical errors, insurance hassles, predatory "financial advisers", professional jealousy, doctor-nurse relations, difficult diagnoses, malpractice attorneys, incompetent medical students, long-winded patients, pill-seeking addicts: Dr. London has seen it all, and has a humorous or insightful take on it that will amuse all and help physicians cope with the significant stressors of practicing medicine. As a practicing physician, I think this hilarious little book is up there among the best books anywhere about not merely being a doctor, but becoming a good (or great) doctor.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny and entertaining, October 19, 2011

By 

Beth A. Casady (Spring City, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Kill as Few Patients as Possible: And Fifty-Six Other Essays on How to Be the World's Best Doctor (Hardcover)

Very funny and short stories. You have the ability if you are busy to read one or two stories in 5 minutes and save it to read more later.