Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande

Rating: 8 out of 10
Summary: The struggle to perform well is universal: each of us faces fatigue, limited resources, and imperfect abilities in whatever we do. But nowhere is this drive to do better more important than in medicine, where lives may be on the line with any decision.

Atul Gawande, the New York Times bestselling author of Complications, examines, in riveting accounts of medical failure and triumph, how success is achieved in this complex and risk-filled profession. From bn.com

My Thoughts: I began this book at 12am last night, read until 3am, fell asleep, woke up at 10am, and finished it about an hour later. I don’t think I’ve ever done that with a non-fiction book before. This was really, really good.

Gawande is an accomplished General Surgeon with many degrees and all sorts of distinguishments from institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford. I quote, from his official website, “He is also Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Associate Director for the BWH Center for Surgery and Public Health. He has published research studies in areas ranging from surgical technique, to US military care for the wounded, to error and performance in medicine. He is the director of the World Health Organization’s Global Challenge for Safer Surgical Care.”

But all of these fancy qualification aren’t the only reason you should read this book. It’s not only well-researched and informative (I feel like I learned so much!) but human and real too. It doesn’t make doctors out to be superhuman heroes, idols we should place on pedestals because of their revered profession, or even horrible, disgusting villains when they make mistakes (such as leaving behind surgical instruments in a patient’s body).

Doctors are human, and as a result, are driven by human ambitions and human emotions. The title of the book, “Better”, is the main focus–better performance, better results, yes, even better payment–but I feel like I was drawn in because of all the fascinating stories Gawande had about his personal experiences with the field of medicine and surgery. It wasn’t just, “I found a lump in her breast. I recommended a biopsy. I excised a 1.2cm cut in Operating Room 3 at 12:42pm.” Every story he had, he provided a history for. The patients were real people, and the doctors were real people.

Worthwhile and entertaining at the same time. Now I must read his first book, Complications.

Prince of Ice by Emma Holly

Rating: 5 out of 10
Summary: Humans like to call them demons, but the Yama are an old and civilized race, far too civilized to fraternize with lesser beings. It is only through subterfuge that a quarterhuman infant, one Xishi Huon, is raised side by side with the Midarri heir, whose own peculiarities make her his soulmate—at least until the whispers of their unnatural fondness get her banished to an orphanage.

Coming of age as a courtesan, Xishi excels in the erotic arts. But when Corum Midarri becomes her new owner, the relationship will test the limits of her gifts. Corum is the Prince of Ice now and not the sensitive boy she knew. If he succumbs to the temptations of her human touch, their love will defy every convention his kind holds dear. If he doesn’t, his uncontrollable sexual needs might drive both insane. Summary from emmaholly.com

Commentary: I was almost not going to review this because it was such a non-event in my reading line-up… just look at that cover! The cover basically tells you everything you need to know about this book.

I’m not going to say the sex scenes were badly written, but nothing really happened for me. I didn’t feel the chemistry. Some parts just seemed so outrageous that I couldn’t focus on the actual story because all I could think of was “he has an extra appendage on his penis?! What the hell?!?!?!“

I have to give the author kudos for an interesting idea. Her “demon” world seems to be built on a lot of Ancient Chinese culture. Places had names like “Thousand Plum Blossom Street” and “Tea House of Lovely Chrysanthemums” and things like that. Corum’s teacher’s name was Master Ping.

Not a horrible way to waste a half-hour. Don’t buy it though.

Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward

Rating: 6 out of 10
Summary: Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood’s bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.

As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body but his heart for herself- she sees the emotionally scarred male behind all his noble responsibility. But while the war with the Lessening Society grows more grim, and tragedy looms over the Brotherhood’s mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love. Summary from jrward.com

Commentary: This is the 6th book in the series by J.R. Ward, and not one of the better ones. I have to admit that Ward’s books are an exception from the usual dark fantasy, vampire romance, erotica junk that’s usually out there and that I have reviewed before–majority of what Ward’s written has been entertaining, with a real plot and real characters.

I think part of what makes it better is its quirky premise. There are the usual super-good-looking, super-powered, super-sexy, cliche “male vampire”; but in Ward’s books, they talk and act like gangsters? And not gangsters like the Italian Mob gangsters–perhaps a more accurate word would be gangstas. Yes. They talk like bad-asses. I don’t have the book by my side right now, otherwise I’d probably be able to pull out some quote like, “True dat, brotha” or “He was straight-up wicked!”

Once you get over the urge to laugh and shake your head at the idea, the series flows along generally well. As the sixth one in the series, Lover Enshrined is probably hitting some developmental chinks–yeah, yeah, we get you’re trying to fight the vampire slayres, we get that there’s deep emotional conflict between leading lady and leading man, we’ve been through this in all 5 books that came before you. But Ward does a passable job of building up a longer, overreaching arc dealing with a final war, a final climax even that all the books seem to be leading up to, and hasn’t yet happened.

The romance was lukewarm. There were several plotlines happening at the same time, which made the book interesting. I think many of the supporting characters actually grew a lot more than the protagonist and his lady-friend, and I was significantly more interested in what was happening on the sidelines with John Matthew & his friends than Phury and Cormia.

Decent. Start with the first novel to really get it.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Rating: 7 out of 10
Commentary: This novel was the winner of the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. I finished it over a month ago, May 17th (which was when I began this review).

Never really read anything too much like this one before. It’s told from a first-person point-of-view by Junior, the novel’s protagonist, and is periodically coupled with his “cartoons”; drawing is something Junior is very passionate about. Something he could make a career out of, except for the repeated fact that Native Americans on the “rez” (reservation) don’t have careers, don’t make money, and don’t make anything out of themselves.

Junior’s quest to break the stereotype and get a “real” education creates the biggest dilemma in the book–his decision to leave the rez’s run-down high school and attend the all-white school at a neighboring white town turns his best friend away from him, and makes new problems when he becomes basically the only non-white kid at his new high school.

The narration is genuine and well-paced, and Junior’s drawings add a lot to the story. It’s billed as Young Adult, but I thing the problems presented in it are mature and appropriate for all ages, especially adults. Definitely recommended.

This is probably the last one in my binge on YA novels.

Dark Magic by Christine Feehan

Rating: 4 out of 10
Summary: Young Savannah Durbrinski was a mistress of illusion, a world-famous magician capable of mesmerizing millions. But there was one–Gregori, the Dark One–who held her in terrifying thrall. Whose cold silver eyes and heated sensuality sent shivers of danger, of desire, down her slender spine.

With a dark magic all his own, Gregori–the implacable hunter, the legendary healder, the most powerful of Carpathian males–whispered in Savannah’s mind that he was her destiny. That she had been born to save his immortal soul. And now, her in New Orleans, the hour had finally come to claim her. To make her completely his. In a ritual as old as time… and as inescapable as eternity (from book jacket).

Commentary: Quintessential, typical “dark fantasy romance” book. Beautiful young woman fatally attracted to T, D, and H male with domination tendencies. He loves her! He wants to protect her and bring her back to his various mansions and palaces scattered around the world! But she resists! Because she is beautiful, and young, and determined to hang on to her independence, because by god, she is an Independent Woman! A Super Strong Heroine! And did I mention Young And Beautiful?

I think my strongest memory of this book is remarking mentally how many times the author used the words “small rib cage” and “tiny waist” to describe the heroine. Probably like once every 20 or 30 pages.

Just another one vampire/fantasy/erotic romance trend. I pick these up on the off chance that one day I might find a passably decent one that’ll change my opinion about the genre. Sadly, nothing’s really worked out sof ar.

Born to Rock by Gordon Korman

Rating: 6 out of 10
Summary: Leo Caraway – president of the Young Republicans club, 4.0 GPA, future Harvard student – had his entire future perfectly planned out. That was, until the X factor. As in Marion X. McMurphy, aka King Maggot, the lead singer of Purge, the most popular, most destructive band punk rock has ever seen. As in Leo’s biological father.

At first, Leo is horrified to find out his real father is punk rock’s most notorious bad boy. Not only is he not a punk rock fan, but he believes the X factor (the Maggot blood in his veins) is a dangerous time bomb just waiting to explode. And sure enough it does – when Leo stubbornly defends the unlikeliest of people, thereby getting himself falsely accused of cheating on a test.

Because of the blemish on his record, the once-star pupil finds his scholarship to Harvard taken away. So he accepts a job as a roadie with Purge’s summer revival tour, all the while secretly hoping to convince King Maggot to pay his tuition. But life on the road is even crazier than Leo bargained for, and before the summer is over, he will finally discover the surprising truth about his dad, his friends, and most important, himself. (From bn.com)

Commentary: Really great, interesting idea. I also read this one a long time ago, back during the first week of June, I believe.

It’s a Young Adult novel (I went through a period where all my younger brother’s books from the library looked fascinatingly interesting, moreso than my own, more “mature” and “developed” novels) but it reads a little better than the YA novel I reviewed in my previous entry. It might be because the novel is set in a first-persion point-of-view, with our hero Leo narrating everything he sees, hears, and feels. I tend to enjoy first-person narratives a bit more, and Leo was an entertaining and pretty mature narrator, something the author did a good job with.

Leo’s dilemma was a cool idea, and his trip is (as expected) harrowing and life-changing and all about finding yourself! All that good teenage stuff. Lots of great twists, the ending being especially shocking. The romance was fine and fun, and everything was pretty modern (internet forums and message boards are an authentically youthful touch, and relatively important to the story) and convincing in its “teenage-ness”.

Not very substantial, but quick and entertaining.

Bunker 10 by J.A. Henderson

Rating: 8 out of 10
Summary: At eight o’clock in the evening, 24 December 2007, Pinewood Military Installation exploded. The blast ripped apart acres of forest and devastated the remote highland valley where the base was located. No official cause was given for the incident. Inside Pinewood were 185 male and female personnel–a mixture of scientists and soldiers. There were also seven teenagers. This is the story of their last day . . . (from book jacket).

Commentary: More evidence of my increasing laziness as the summer goes on–I finished this book and started the draft for this review on June 2nd, about a month ago. Goodness. Let’s see if I can remember anything about this story…

My first thought is that it was a fast-paced, high energy read. Had me hooked every step of the way, and not just with action and adventure, but very intelligent twists and turns. It’s meant for the Young Adult audience, and reads a bit like it too–I guess the dialogue’s just simpler, characters not as developed, and the romance is very tween-ish. Not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, but it was just something very obvious that was there throughout the whole novel.

However the Young Adult factor didn’t take away anything from the plot and action. It starts with the end: the destruction and assumed death of all the main characters (super intelligent genius kids held in a military installation), which can make you kind of think “Well, what’s the point of reading this novel if I already know what’s going to happen to all the characters?” However, Henderson’s unorthodox beginning merely draws you in, and makes you want to know how the characters ended up in their seemingly deadly predicament.

I can’t say anything else about the plot without giving away the whole story, but I would definitely recommend this. The author kept surprising me throughout the book–very well thought-out, and a good, fast read.