In the 11th century, Rob Cole left poor, disease-ridden London to make his way across the land, hustling, juggling, peddling cures to the sick—and discovering the mystical ways of healing. It was on his travels that he found his own very real gift for healing—a gift that urged him on to become a doctor. So all consuming was his dream, that he made the perilous, unheard-of journey to Persia, to its Arab universities where he would undertake a transformation that would shape his destiny forever.
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
When nine-year-old Rob Cole felt the life force slipping from his mother's hand he could not foresee that this terrifying awareness of impending death was a gift that would lead him from the familiar life of 11th-century London to small villages throughout England and finally to the medical school at Ispahan. Though apprenticed to an itinerant barber surgeon, it is the dazzling surgery of a Jewish physician trained by the legendary Persian physician Avicenna that inspires him to accept his gift and to commit his life to healing by studying at Avicenna's school. Despite the ban on Christian students, Rob goes there, disguising himself as a Jew to gain admission. Gordon has written an adventurous and inspiring tale of a quest for medical knowledge pursued in a violent world full of superstition and prejudice. Recommended. Literary Guild alternate. Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"An adventurous and inspiring tale of a quest for medical knowledge pursued in a violent world full of superstition and prejudice. Recommended." —Library Journal
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent, exciting book about life in the middle ages,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Physician (Mass Market Paperback)
This engrossing book traces the life of 11th century Englishman, Robert Cole. Cole begins as a normal child, is quickly orphaned, and is then apprenticed to a barber-surgeon. As he travels throughout England with his master, the reader is introduced to all aspects of English peasant life. Family life, morality, religion, sexuality, medicine, xenophobia and history are all presented in an interesting, subtle, and easily read writing style. When Cole grows up and decides to be a physician, he comes in contact with Jewish doctors who explain to him that the best universities are in Moslem-ruled Persia, where no Christian may go. Determined to learn, Cole overcomes this obstacle by pretending to be a Jew. As he travels and studies in Persia, the same questions of lifestyle are addressed, only this time within the Jewish and Moslem communities. This is a great read for anyone who likes adventurous stories about growing up, or who is interested in sociology, religion, medicine, or history.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put it down!!!,
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This review is from: The Physician (Paperback)
I read this book 13 years ago and it still ranks with me as one of the best books I have ever read. You will feel as if you are in the locals as this book travels across continents. I found myself reading this book when ever I could find time. This would make a great motion picture.Enjoy!! You will not be disappointed.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Time Piece,
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This review is from: The Physician (Mass Market Paperback)
Kudos to Mr. Gordon. He takes the reader back and shows us all the Y1K problems faced as urban sprawl meant something different than SUV's and the erosion of the ozone layer. Gordon paints a vivid picture of life in England at the turn of the last millenium. He than transports us to the mytic cities of the Near East and shows us medicine in its infancy. As a physician, I was spellbound by a history too often not taught. The lessons in religious tolerance and intolerance thrown in along the way were a bonus. A solid read for any history buff. Something all physicians can learn from. High marks for volume I of the Rob J trilogy.
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