Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery

In this collection of nineteen unforgettable essays, Dr. Selzer describes unsparingly the surgeon’s art. Both moving and perversely funny, Mortal Lessons is an established classic that considers not only the workings and misworkings of the human body but also the meaning of life and death. With a Preface written by the Author especially for this edition.

Richard Selzer (1928–2016) was for many years a surgeon practicing in New Haven, Connecticut, where he was also on the faculty of the Yale School of Medicine. He was born in Troy, New York, was graduated from Union College and Albany Medical College, and from the Surgical Training Program of Yale University. In 1975 he won the National Magazine Award for his essays on medicine. Dr. Selzer’s books include Letters to a Young Doctor, Mortal Lessons, Down from Troy, Imagine a Woman and Other Tales, and Raising the Dead.