Review: Open Heart: A Patient's Story of Life-Saving Medicine and Life-Giving Friendship by Jay Neugeboren

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

When Neugeboren discovered he needed emergency quintuple bypass surgery, he embarked on a journey that just began with the operating table.

MY TAKE:
I had high hopes for this book because I have sort of been on both sides, as the medical student and as the patient.

In Open Heart: A Patient's Story of Life-Saving Medicine and Life-Giving Friendship, the author shares the story of his diagnosis and his quintuple bypass surgery, as well as his friendship with several doctors and how that played into his pre- and post-op life.

One of my favorite subjects in medical school was cardiology so most of the jargon used in the book was familiar to me. I liked that there were plenty of studies and other information included and that they were properly cited. The author's friends also play a prominent part and they make the book more interesting.

Overall, however, the book did not live up to my expectations. It started off okay for me. A few chapters into it, though, and my mind started wandering. The book feels a little bit like a diary or a blog. That is, it's okay in short doses or entries, but it can be a little tedious when read in one go.

There were plenty of details and self-reflection here. Now some may like that, but personally, I found it a little boring and quite possibly self-indulgent. I believe this book could have been edited down significantly as to keep the pace at a nice clip.

Thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. You'll learn a lot.
2. You'll probably feel like you should go to your doctor and have a general examination done.
3. There is proper citation of sources. 

THE BAD:

1. Some may find the pace too slow. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"A second or two after the blood stopped flowing into your heart, the entire bottom of the TV screen - the lower part of your heart - lit up, just blossomed with the glow of all those collateral blood vessels," he says. 

READ IT IF:

1. You think it's unlikely that you'll develop heart disease.
2. You want to learn more about the inner workings of medicine.
3. You don't mind books that have a slow pace. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?