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Parts of this were interesting and engaging - especially when the authors focused on the titular disease throughout history, various attempts to treat and prevent, etc. It read like compelling popular science, and was a decent listen. But when they venture into mythology and pop culture - werewolves, vampires, and zombies - it was far less compelling...

cont'd in comments

Exhausted just reading this diary of a young NHS OB-GYN doctor: constant stimulus & decision-making, lack of time, lack of sleep, faint praise, strain on personal relationships. Engaging voice with a dose of snark, heartbreaking medical emergencies & spit-take hilarity. 2017
P 86 “really, the only choice is whether you f*ck over yourself or your patients. The former is annoying, the latter means that people die—so it‘s not really a choice at all.”

But whatever we can offer, our interventions, and the risks and sacrifices they entail, are justified only if they serve the larger aims if a person‘s life. When we forget that, the suffering we inflict can be barbaric. When we remember it the good we do can be breathtaking.

Pale Rider, by Laura Spinney (2017)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Premise: An exploration of the origins, epidemiology, and lasting impacts of the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Review: This is an exceptional—and disturbingly prescient—book. So much of this felt like it was written in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet it was published years before. ⬇️

Not a book I would pick, as I already know a fair amount about checklists and how impactful they can be. But I‘m checking out the book club at the local library and this is the next read. The writing is so good that it really kept me engaged, so bravo to Gawande!

As the week of comps draws to a close I can only say how thankful I am. My friends & family (including Litsy fam) all came together to support me while I took these exams. The culmination of a year‘s worth of work, compiling lists & reading them, feels unreal ♥️

That said, this book by Roy Porter is heartbreaking & comprehensive. Anyone planning to study psychology should give it a read. Also anyone struggling with madness, like PhD students! 😆

Dissolving Illusions details facts and figures from long-overlooked medical journals, books, newspapers, and other sources. Using myth-shattering information, this book shows that vaccines, antibiotics, and other medical interventions are not responsible for the increase in lifespan and the decline in mortality from infectious diseases.

- Glosses over root causes of hormone imbalances
- Never discusses nutrition or herbal remedies like wild yam cream or vitex chasteberry
- No mention of history of menopause in women from different cultures

Just another Rockefeller-indoctrinated physician pushing FDA-regulated pharmaceuticals and warning the use of natural compounding facilities.

Informative for sure, but limited to Big Pharma knowledge only.

This book is a stunning and thorough history of cancer. There were some slower moments, particularly with the discussion of research trials, but the author‘s use of compelling scientific discoveries and personal cancer stories kept me engaged. I learned so much. Kudos to the author and narrator.

#litsyblooddrive

Are you eligible to donate blood? Here is a quick breakdown of the basics. You can check with your local donate center to get additional information, including the medication deferral list. There are regular changes (within the last couple years they made it easier for LGBT donors and shortened the tattoo/piercing waiting period).

If you are unable to make a blood donation, please consider other ways to get involved: ⤵️