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A secret society, guided by the teachings of Plato-ordained guardians, administers organ transfers in Michael Palmer’s The Fifth Vial. Unfortunately, there are more patients in need than supply to fulfill and matches are difficult to find, thus the guardians must take hard steps to provide adequate supply. A medical student, a physician in need of an organ transfer, and a private investigator all find themselves strongly affected by the activities of this arrogant society. The reader can follow the action throughout the world and may be surprised and disappointed by the outcome.

Sanjay Gupta is a practicing neurosurgeon and his background is steeped in medicine. As a writer, he exposes the personal and professional lives of five surgeons in this fictional account, Monday Mornings.
In the medical world, the acronym M & M stands for morbidity and mortality. Sounds alarming, but it is a learning session that dissects the recent operations of the staff. Just as importantly, this session also investigates any questionable outcomes. No surgeon wants a summons to a Monday morning M & M. Five surgeons live and breathe in this book, fully human to pique and admirably maintain your interest. I listened to the book – and I liked the readers too.

David E. Kelly is developing a television show based on the book. Read more here.

The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen (2007)
Kept me quiet and intrigued for a day and a half. I couldn’t put it down! So many characters intertwined to complete the multi-generational saga.

For more medical thrillers view our staff picks here.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (2010)
An engaging and thought-provoking read, this book tells the complicated story of a poor black woman who died of cervical cancer in the 1950s, her cells, and the scientific revolution they spawned. Henrietta Lacks was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where doctors removed some of her cancerous cells without her knowledge.

Known as HeLa (pronounced hee lah), Henrietta’s cells were the first “immortal” human cells. They keep growing – today, 60 years after her death, scientists still perform experiments on HeLa cells. Henrietta’s family had no knowledge of her impact on science until more than 20 years later; and even then, did not fully comprehend.

Skloot skillfully weaves the tragic story of generations of Lackses with understandable scientific information. Check out the author’s website for more on her journey and the book. Named the best book of 2010 by Amazon.com, it’s also a top ten pick of Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.

Attention 20-30somethings! We’re discussing this book at GenLit on Tuesday, January 18 at 6:30. We meet for dinner and discussion at Cooper’s Hawk in the Burr Ridge Village Center. Find us on Facebook to learn more.

Anticancer by David Servan-Schreiber (2008)
This inspiring review of new developments in the war on cancer will give readers hope. The author is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of  Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He writes about the research he has collected in a very readable way.

 Visit the author's website amd read the New York Times review.

You: Staying Young by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet Oz (2007)
Drs. Roizen and Oz review the systems of our aging bodies. Better yet, they provide some “signature” YOU tips to stay young at any age. Quality of life requires a degree of effort. I cannot think of anything more important than keeping my independence. This particular CD flows easily. The authors present their ideas clearly and humorously. This combination works.

 

The Soul of a Doctor: Harvard Medical Students Face Life and Death (2006)
This book of poignant stories show doctors (really, doctors-to-be) to be so human… conflicted, drawn in by the drama of life and death, and constantly learning from the situations they face daily. This is a must read, especially for doctors, others in the medical profession, and for all of us who at some time are their patients. The stories draw you in and make you hope that these medical students remember the “heart” lessons they learned as a medical students at Harvard and that the medical profession works to connect with the human side of their patients. This book is fascinating. Dr. Jerome Groopman, author of How Doctors Think, another of my favorite medical books, does the forward for this book.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (2003)

Roach has written a very interesting while not too ghoulish book about the uses of human cadavers. She traveled the world to research the book and provides the reader with information from different cultures as well as the sciences.

Go to the author's website for reviews, excerpts, and more. For interviews with Roach, visit BookBrowse, The Black Table, or Loaded Shelf. Read a review in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.