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Under the Knife

A History of Surgery in 28 Remarkable Operations

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Under the Knife

By: Arnold van de Laar
Narrated by: Rich Keeble
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About this listen

 The history of surgery in 28 famous operations - from Louis XIV to JFK, and from Einstein to Houdini.

In Under the Knife, surgeon Arnold Van de Laar uses his own experience and expertise to tell the witty history of the past, present and future of surgery.

From the story of the desperate man from seventeenth-century Amsterdam who grimly cut a stone out of his own bladder to Bob Marley's deadly toe infection, Under the Knife offers all kinds of fascinating and unforgettable insights into medicine and history via the operating theatre.

What happens during an operation? How does the human body respond to being attacked by a knife, a bacterium, a cancer cell or a bullet? And, as medical advances continuously push the boundaries of what medicine can cure, what are the limits of surgery?

From the dark centuries of bloodletting and of amputations without anaesthetic to today's sterile, high-tech operating theatres, Under the Knife is both a rich cultural history, and a modern anatomy class for us all.

(P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2018 Arnold van de Laar Medicine & Health Care Industry Surgery Witty Medicine

Critic Reviews

This is history with a surgeon's touch: deft, incisive and sometimes excruciatingly bloody . . . A fascinating combination of art, medical science and - still - daring butchery
Utterly eccentric and riveting
Irresistible . . . Van de Laar renders complex surgical procedures not only understandable, but also immensely entertaining . . . A lot of fun
[A] fascinating history of surgery . . . eye-opening and, frequently, eye-watering . . . a book that invites readers to peer up the bottoms of kings, into the souls of rock stars and down the ear canals of astronauts (Helen Brown)
Fascinating . . . a brisk but revealing tour of the human body. Each story shines a light on the wonders and weaknesses of our biology, and on the science we have used to treat it
Fascinating . . . The author's sense of humour is as sharp as his scapel
In this witty chronicle, surgeon Arnold van de Laar dissects thousands of years' worth of remarkably gruesome stories. From anaesthetic-free amputations and bloodletting to Albert Einstein's aneurysm, these are key insights into the cut and thrust of medicine
All stars
Most relevant
This is one of the few books I have listened to I the car with my entire family. It’s very entertaining and educational.
I did find some of the pronunciation a bit off as well as some of the more technical aspects of medicine but overall, a great book.

Entertaining

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I literally had a fright when the second narrator started his section in the first chapter with a high-pitched voice.

Overall great, just not the second narrator

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the breadth of knowledge demonstrated by the author and his ability to describe and inform in layman's terms was exceptional. I particularly enjoyed the definitions of Latin medical jargon distinguishing between separate morbidities and wish I could print it out as a cheat sheet next time I am given a diagnosis or offered surgery. thoroughly enjoyed this book, sad it is finished!

fascinating

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An enthralling look at the history of surgery. The patients involved ranged from peasants to royalty. The chapter on JFK was fascinating. Highly recommended for anyone interested in medicine or history.

Fascinating!

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Fascinating stories which have a real insight into the life of a surgeon, thanks to the author being a surgeon himself. I also really enjoyed the snippets regarding the etymology of the names used. Fascinating!

Amazing insights!

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