Life and Death: The Story of a Hospital - Hardcover

Yalof, Ina

3.87

39 ratings by Goodreads

9780394562155: Life and Death: The Story of a Hospital

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0394562151 ISBN 13: 9780394562155

Publisher: Random House, 1989

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One of the country's largest and most prestigious medical centers is featured in a study of the everyday procedures performed and the reactions of staff--from kitchen workers to chief surgeons--working day to day with life and death

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From the Inside Flap:

on has so captivated and intrigued Americans as the hospital. It is where the miracles of modern medicine meet the mysteries of the human body. It is where life begins-- and often ends. It embodies our hopes and fears, our capacity for heroism and compassion. Now, based on an unforgettable series of first-person narratives, LIFE AND DEATH takes us behind the scenes for an intimate and inspiring look at one of the best hospitals in the country, New York's Columbia-Presbyterian.
We witness the pressure-packed decision-making process of the hospital's elite heart transplant team; spend a morning in the delivery room as twelve new lives enter the world; share the emergency staff's struggle to care for one midsummer night's wounded in New York City. From the ravages of AIDS and cocaine to the rigors of internship to the remarkable redemptive powers of our great healers, LIFE AND DEATH captures the entire range of human experience -- the poignancy, pain, and humor that are all part of a day's work at

From Library Journal:

In Klitzman's personal narrative of a doctor's first year of medical internship, what emerges is the human aspect of disease. The author's introduction to the hospital--its organization, protocols, etc.--is recounted in short vignettes. Interlaced with dialogue between the narrator, patients, and staff, is a compelling tale of the crises, suffering, resignation, and dehumanization involved in the processes of treatment and cure. The reader is exposed to the different rotations encountered by this intern, and Klitzman's personal dedication while struggling to learn and maintain the necessary distance from each case. Although the material lacks evenness and could be more cohesive, this book presents an absorbing look at one intern's personal and professional growth throughout his first postgraduate year. Yalof's book tells of life at New York City's Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, a large teaching hospital in an inner-city neighborhood. A portrait of this institution emerges through the author's effective use of oral narratives. The reader is taken through the various departments, the ER, medicine, ob-gyn, and OR, as well as service units such as the library and the kitchen. Among those introduced are the hospital president, a laundry worker, nurses, and doctors. The individual narratives demonstrate a strong personal commitment to the patients and hospital as well as pride in their own contributions. A well-written, exciting look at this type of institution's operations and its people. While both books are recommended, Yalof's provides a more in-depth and personalized picture of a hospital, the people who make it run, and all its working parts. Literary Guild alternate.
- Erna Chamberlain, SUNY/Binghamton Lib.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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