T.C. Robson - reviewed on 5/11/2011 + 147 more book reviews

Few occupations can be compared to that of a physician, and New York-based neurologist Frederic A. Mendelsohns short but powerful collection of tales from the hospital floor demonstrates just how emotionally draining and physically trying the world of medicine can be. Each story, all elegant gems providing insight into humanity, is beautifully written and presented as a small piece of the much larger puzzle that is Dr. Mendelsohns intriguing career. Some of the tales are meant to inspire Joey tells of the bravery of a young boy with an untouchable tumor; Locked In is told from the different perspectives of a person with Locked-in syndrome and his medical doctors and caretakers. Others show the extremes humanity can go to, in many different aspects: Casanova Complex speaks of the risky and damaging extramarital conquests of a clinical colleague; Wally the Whale speaks predominantly of a patient whose undeniable anger issues (or possibly epileptic episodes) very nearly sticks the good doctor on the business end of a blade. Though the tales, and concluding chapter on musics effects on the brain, seem a bit disordered, each story stands as a powerful, inspiring piece of literature, giving a rare, inside glimpse into the world of a life-saver.

- T.C. Robson
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