Bibliophilia

I was perusing and organizing my bookshelf the other day in an attempt to avoid any domestic responsibilities and decided to reflect on a few books that I read this year. I am no literati, as such I do not aim to provide of a review of the works, simply my off the cuff comments.

So here they are, and in no particular order:

Snow by Orhan Pamuk:  beautiful book, which, as a work of fiction elegantly portrays the secular and religious tensions in modern day Turkey. The use of snow, as imagery, is beautifully done and adds to the many layers of complexity and suspense in the book.

Ghost of Belfast, by Stuart Neville: A veritable page turner. Ingenious story about an ex IRA hitman being haunted by the ghosts of those he has murdered. From my reading of Mr. Neville, the quality of the story is even more impressive given that it was his first book.

Regarding medical practice and patient safety, two time publications are Safe Patient, Smart Hospitals by Peter Pronovost andThe Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande. Both point out several salient facts, not the least of which is that we as medical professionals seemingly work in the best interest of our patients, however, we value autonomy over standardization of practice. A true culture of safety will not function with ‘optionalism’ and a non-standardized, haphazard implementation of know risk reduction practices. I would recommend this for every doctor and patient.

How Doctors Think, by Jerome Groopman:  An interesting analysis of physician clinical and diagnostic reasoning suitable for professionals and laypersons alike.

The Girl who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson: Ok, so I was on vacation with my wife, and I needed a good book to read as I had essentially finished my original ‘vacation book’ on the long flight to our destination. I really enjoyed it. I am still intending to read the 1^st and 3^rd books of the trilogy, so as to experience them in full effect.

Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis: Having already read Less than Zero, Glamorama and American Psycho, how could I pass this one up? My wife was even so kind as to gift it to me on my birthday! There seems to be no limits to the depravity of the Easton Ellis’ characters. Brilliant.

Labyrinth of Terror by Richard Wenzel: Only my colleague, former boss and former Chairman of The Department of Medicine at the Virginia Commonwealth University could write an infectious diseases medical thriller which has elements of hospital epidemiology, infection control, and bioterrorism.  A proper page turner.

God is Not Great, How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens: Whether you are a believer or not, this book is bound to stir some emotions.

The End of Povery by Jeffrey Sachs: Sustainable growth and economic development can be aligned with social goals and lift people out of extreme poverty. I am contemplating adding this book to the reading list of my Public Health Seminar at Virginia Commonwealth University

Freefall: America, Free Markets and the Sinking of the World Economy by Joseph Stiglitz: I would recommend this book, by a Nobel laureate in economics, for a better understanding of what went wrong in our latest economic meltdown. For a vetted and scholarly book on economics, it reads with ease. You will get much more than emotional sound bites on economics.

Codex 632 by Portuguese writer Jose Rodrigues Dos Santos: Cleverly done historical fiction on the secret identity of Christopher Columbus.

Don’t be Afraid Gringo by Elvia Alvarado: Although written in the 80’s, it still provides insight into the ongoing social and gender inequalities facing Honduran peasant women. Having been in Honduras multiple times now, her comments are sadly still relevant.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde: Now I have no idea what possessed me to re-read this book. It was worth it.

Hot, Flat and Crowded, by Thomas Friedman: The celebrated NY Times columnist and author does not disappoint as makes an argument why we need a green revolution to save the planet and to jumpstart out economic future.

Brother West: Living and Loving out Loud, a Memoir, by Cornel West: I was watching Bill Maher’s Real Time and Cornel West was a guest. His commentary was hilarious and spot on. I just had to read the book…..once again my wife gifted me another great read.

While in Honduras on a medical relief trip this past summer, in the still sweltering temperatures at night, I managed to get through several mass market thrillers, translated from the original English to Spanish. I figured I might as well read in Spanish while in Central America, no?  El Testamento Maya (Domain) by Steve Alten and  El Enigma de la Atlantida (The Atlantis Code) by Charles Brokaw.

Life, by Keith Richards: Yes, it has all of the excesses expected from a rock and roll icon, and those details do not disappoint, however, what I found most interesting was how Keith Richards developed as a guitarist, musician and song writer. Well done.

Well that is about all I can remember on write about for now.