In an era when bloodletting was considered a cure for everything from colds to smallpox, surgeon John Hunter was a medical innovator, an eccentric,...
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Apr 06, 2010
James
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The Eighteenth Century ushered in what would become known as the "Enlightenment". A new philosophy of progress was proclaimed by intellectuals throughout Europe. They proclaimed that Reason would create a better future; science and technology, as Francis Bacon had taught, would enhance man's control over nature, and cultural progress, prosperity and the conquest of disease would follow. While Condorcet's vision is still not complete, Wendy Moore's biography of Dr. John Hunter, The Knif
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Jul 11, 2008
Richard
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Wendy Moore's history of John Hunter, the almost cult figure who was, quite simply, a full advocate of the scientific method and thus not only the grandfather of modern surgical techniques but also an early proponent of evolution, almost a hundred years before Darwin, is a fascinating and enlightening read.
I picked up this book because I have an almost obsessive fixation with the ways of ancient medicine--bloodletting and such. Moore's book fully explores the techniques of the time More...
I picked up this book because I have an almost obsessive fixation with the ways of ancient medicine--bloodletting and such. Moore's book fully explores the techniques of the time More...
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Dec 17, 2009
Ashley
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This guy has the coolest nickname ever. Therefore you should read this book.
Ok, ok. So basically John Hunter is a total stud. He nonchalantly invented or paved the way for some very necessary surgeries, was one of the first to realize, "Hey, maybe we should really have these medical students study human anatomy in detail before we allow them to cut people open," AND he actually did research and used trail and errors with his patients instead of just relying on the prevaili More...
Ok, ok. So basically John Hunter is a total stud. He nonchalantly invented or paved the way for some very necessary surgeries, was one of the first to realize, "Hey, maybe we should really have these medical students study human anatomy in detail before we allow them to cut people open," AND he actually did research and used trail and errors with his patients instead of just relying on the prevaili More...
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Jun 22, 2010
Spencer
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This was a fascinating book about John Hunter, an anatomist, naturalist, surgeon, scientist, archivist, and innovator, who lived in England in the mid to late 1700s. In an era when bloodletting was the medical cure for most sicknesses, Hunter's fascination with biology/medicine and his incredible work ethic, drive, and insatiable curiosity drove him to make a remarkable number of discoveries, advances, and improvements in understanding anatomy, physiology, pathology etc. Along the way, he amas
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Nov 25, 2008
Robin
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This is an excellent biography of John Hunter, who is considered to be the father of modern surgery. He was never given the title of Doctor, oddly enough, because surgeons were not considered physicians, though from what I can tell from the book, John Hunter was a lot more effective than any of his so-titled colleagues. This book is very detailed and includes illustrations and pictures depicting a selection of Hunter's anatomic preparations (he was England's most experienced anatomist, meaning
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Jun 17, 2011
Paul
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When I was 19, I had an appendectomy. My mom, when she found out, was a bit scared (aside from the fact that it was surgery) due to the fact that a family member of hers, who had the same operation done on them years before, died from complications resulting from the procedure.
If it wasn't for John Hunter, with his emphasis on a scientific approach to surgery, where one assesses their mistakes and errors and then tries to find a way to change or correct them, then I probably would not More...
If it wasn't for John Hunter, with his emphasis on a scientific approach to surgery, where one assesses their mistakes and errors and then tries to find a way to change or correct them, then I probably would not More...
May 27, 2009
Broodingferret
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This book was fascinating. This was one of those impulse, bargain-bin buys that I'm really glad that I made. Exhaustively researched and very well written, this book tells the life story of John Hunter, who, according to Moore, is almost single-handedly responsible for turning Western surgery into a true scientific practice. My only real problem with the book is that Moore is clearly biased in favor of Hunter and his supporters and dismissive of his opponents, and it blatantly affects her pre
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Nov 29, 2010
Amyss
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This is a must read, for everyone with a brain. If you think this book will be dry, or boring, I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth. The book is a must read, and I mean that not in an Oprah book club style, "Oh girl, you must read this!*giggle giggle*" No. It is a must read because these are the things we do not but MUST know and ponder; to stop taking for granted our aspirins and penicillin and the very existence of something that can be described as "minor surge
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Feb 06, 2012
Michelle
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I loved this book! Picked it up randomly in a book sale at the local library and boy, was it a good idea. Not my typical book genre but the writing was just so good that I couldn't put it down.
This book is all about John Hunter, a humble Scottish man with a tremendous zeal for knowledge. Fascinated with science, nature,life, and death, he went on to become London's most famous (and often hated) surgeon and teacher. He defied many of his society's taboos and courageously pursued his ob More...
This book is all about John Hunter, a humble Scottish man with a tremendous zeal for knowledge. Fascinated with science, nature,life, and death, he went on to become London's most famous (and often hated) surgeon and teacher. He defied many of his society's taboos and courageously pursued his ob More...
May 18, 2011
Lara
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Purely from the standpoint of a girl reading a book, this one was highly absorptive, thoughtfully composed, and sprang to life with rich, vivid emotions and a whole lot of visceral pain. From a historical and scientific standpoint, Moore’s telling of the life of John Hunter picks apart the multifarious and terrifying aspects of 18th century medical knowledge and surgical practice, strand by strand, like a tortured muscle. No matter how you vivisect it, this book is a compelling achievement.
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Sep 13, 2010
Akika
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A fascinating biography of one of the fathers of modern surgery. This is not for the squeamish or those who cannot bear to admit or face the realities of what brought us to our vaunted state of enlightenment. It's a progressive world that we live in and sometimes scientists and researchers step outside the boundaries of what is strictly legal in order to make fascinating new discoveries and push the boundaries of both what we know and what we're capable of. The ethics are a little dodgy, in some
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Feb 22, 2010
Audacia
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A fascinating and sometimes gorily-detailed biography of an eighteenth century surgeon, anatomist, and naturalist. I just loved this book - the science/knowledge stuff is interesting (especially if you're interested in being horrified by medical practices of the 18th century), the characters are lively, and the details are... well, very detailed. Wendy Moore really transports you into Hunter's anatomy rooms and takes you into the grisly depths of rotting corpses, meticulous anatomical preparatio
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Mar 21, 2010
Carrie
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What a fascinating man! A great example of what Gardner was talking about with his argument for a "Naturalist" intelligence category. Also interesting to note how far we have drifted away from his ideals of continually observing, testing, modifing, and testing again; I was thinking of the pervasiveness of prescription medications (sort of like the bloodletting that Hunter's patients expected) and the uproar when the medical community introduced new timelines for tests like mammograms
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Apr 20, 2009
Bibliophile
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The Knife Man is a biography of the Scottish surgeon John Hunter, who, in the mid-18th century, revolutionized his discipline by insisting that observation and experimentation were more valid sources of knowledge than relying on the writings of the ancients. Wendy Moore tells a rollicking good tale (although since most of it is about surgery in an age before antibiotics, painkillers or the germ theory of medicine, there are descriptions so vivid that if you’re even a tiny bit squeamish, you mig
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Jul 02, 2011
Marfita
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This was an interesting book, if a bit dry and lacking in illustration. Hunter's controversy-bedecked life is an interesting one. He was both admirably correct and terribly wrong on many counts, but relied on his own observations and testing and not on prevailing opinion. His minute studies of anatomy (thanks to wholesale body-snatching and a ruinous collecting of animals) led him to the conclusion that life on earth evolves. His study of fossils eroded away any idea that one forty day flood
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Oct 29, 2009
Brenda
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Biography of John Hunter, a British surgeon plying his trade around the turn of the 18th & 19th century.
Absolutely fascinating. Hunter developed from a rough Scots farm lad into a pioneering surgeon, lecturer and teacher in London. Due to his incessent search for truth and amazing manual dexterity, he founded many basis for modern medicine and surgery.
Some of the more interesting aspects of his life include his dealings with body snatchers (and his role as one himself More...
Absolutely fascinating. Hunter developed from a rough Scots farm lad into a pioneering surgeon, lecturer and teacher in London. Due to his incessent search for truth and amazing manual dexterity, he founded many basis for modern medicine and surgery.
Some of the more interesting aspects of his life include his dealings with body snatchers (and his role as one himself More...
Dec 08, 2010
Andrew
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This book portrayed the life of John Hunter, a Scottish surgeon who was the founder of modern surgery. I found the book enlightening, not only about his lifes work but also the historical context of the times during which he lived and worked.
The book was highly illustrative of the prevailing views in surgery and medicine in the Georgian period. At turns disturbing, intriguing, thought provoking and insightful the book was a human story as well as a historical work. I had never heard More...
The book was highly illustrative of the prevailing views in surgery and medicine in the Georgian period. At turns disturbing, intriguing, thought provoking and insightful the book was a human story as well as a historical work. I had never heard More...
Jul 12, 2010
Jan
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An interesting look at the beginning of modern surgery -- which involved corpse stealing, dissection of not-quite-executed criminals and semi-scientific gentlemen cutting lots of people apart. It did drag in places, but was overall a fairly solidly written biography. (The blood and gore helped.)
I picked it up at the Huntarian Museum in London. I have to say, it is a nice accompaniment to a visit as the museum retains many of the specimens discussed in the book.
I picked it up at the Huntarian Museum in London. I have to say, it is a nice accompaniment to a visit as the museum retains many of the specimens discussed in the book.
Dec 30, 2008
Shawnee
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I am not typically attracted to the historical biographies, but on a whim I bought this book. Wow, was I surprised. I was drawn into the world of the mid 1700's. when surgery was another word for human butchery. No scientific method or even sterility came into play. The book weaves a engaging story and creates a vivid portrait of the day to day life of John Hunter.
Sep 06, 2011
Richard
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An excellent biography of a pioneering 18th Century British surgeon and anatomist. It not only tells the story of John Hunter's life, but gives a very good overview of the state of medicine and science at the time. A lot of really interesting stuff, although it may be a bit gory for some tastes. (I was okay with everything except for the description of the vivisection of a poor dog.) This is Wendy Moore's first book, and it's a good one. I'm looking forward to see what she writes next.
Mar 12, 2010
Stephen
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John Hunter, the guy this is about is fascinating, but I found this a bit breathless and journalistic. Despite all the Amazon reviews to the contrary, I thought the history in it was very shallow. She spends too much time speculating: "no doubt...", "Hunter would have...", "we can imagine..." and weaving in every single quote she can find.
Mar 12, 2010
John Hunter, the guy this is about is fascinating, but I found this a bit breathless and journalistic. Despite all the Amazon reviews to the contrary, I thought the history in it was very shallow. She spends too much time speculating: "no doubt...", "Hunter would have...", "we can imagine..." and weaving in every single quote she can find.
Apr 24, 2009
Meghan
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Probably the easiest-to-read biography I've read. Well written, enough historical context (though I wish I had access to wikipedia when I read it), details about the science that were also easy to understand. A few of the quoted book reviews inside the cover mention the gory/disturbing detail of some procesures - but I apparently have a high threshold as it didn't bother me in the least. An author I will be following.
Jan 25, 2012
Aaron
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Struggled to get through the first half of the book as it was full of gruesome blood and gore. Detailed descriptions of dissection of decaying bodies in the hot summer with maggots and bad smells was tough to wade through. The second half was more interesting and described the subjects surgery, science and philosophy. Interestingly he was one of the earliest evolutionists.
Jan 15, 2012
E.
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Dissecting stolen corpses while his wife carried on an affair (of the heart, at least) with Haydn, Huner's life was packed with eccentricity, science, danger and gothic gloom - all enlivened by an absolutely obsessional interest in the natural world and the way the body was built. An exceptionally exciting time to be alive.
Mar 02, 2009
J
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I've had this book for 2 days and I'm sure I'll finish it this weekend as I'm already halfway through. It is AMAZING, this biography of John Hunter, Scotland's preeminent surgeon, anatomist and natural historian of the 1700s. I haven't found such fascinating material that is so beautifully researched and written about in a long time.
Aug 04, 2009
Eileen
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This is a fascinating book that will remind you how luck you are to be living in the age of modern medicine! History buffs, art history and medical history enthusiasts will enjoy it. Stick with it, it can be tedious at times, but the knowledge you will gain from this well-researched book with be worth it!
Sep 16, 2008
Korynn
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It starts with one extraordinary event in which Mr. Hunter pulls off a life-changing new surgery and then goes on to detail the life of Mr. John Hunter, the most extraordinary surgeon of his time. A well written straight forward biography with interesting tidbits thrown in from famous contemporaries of the equally infamous John Hunter. Probably not a book for those with weak stomachs or those feel nausea at the thought of blood, corpses of all ages yanked from graves, abused lab animals and a co
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Oct 05, 2009
Liz
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I've always been thankful to have been during at this time, but now I have another reason to add to the list. This is a fascinating look at the how medicine and surgery began to evolve. John Hunter was a brilliant and endlessly curious scientist; he was a man ahead of his time.
Aug 06, 2008
Robert
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Non-fiction about the trials, troubles and ultimate successes in the beginning days of surgery. Surgeon John Hunter in 1700s England was feared and reviled for his studies on living guinea pigs as well as dug-up cadavers from the graveyard. The character of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Hyde was based on him.
This book is very interesting and provocative. It's a non-fictional page turner, which I don't find very often. When you think of where we're at today with surgica More...
This book is very interesting and provocative. It's a non-fictional page turner, which I don't find very often. When you think of where we're at today with surgica More...
