Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
303rd out of 422 books
—
205 voters
Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle
It is 1919 and Elizabeth Hughes, the eleven-year-old daughter of America's most-distinguished jurist and politician, Charles Evans Hughes, has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. It is essentially a death sentence. The only accepted form of treatment – starvation – whittles her down to forty-five pounds skin and bones. Miles away, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
September 14th 2010
by St. Martin's Press
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
364)
This book attempts to examine individuals who were instrumental in the breakthrough to mass produce insulin. There was a number of years where scientists knew that sugar and the pancreas was involved but attempts to reliably produce insulin and replicate results were disheartening. I did not know that the method of dealing with those who were diabetic was to basically put them on a starvation diet. There were a few pictures that showed the children before they were given insulin and then after....more
Dec 23, 2011
Converse
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
medicine,
non-fiction
The low rating I gave to this book is due to the authors use of fictionalized episodes in the text. The authors disclose this practice, so there is no deception, and I believe that it does make the story-telling flow better than admitting that the authors had to hypothesize what had happened. But I think it is a dubious procedure in a non-fiction book and should be avoided.
Breakthrough is about the discovery of a practical way of providing diabetics with insulin in the 1920s. Elizabeth Hughes Go...more
Breakthrough is about the discovery of a practical way of providing diabetics with insulin in the 1920s. Elizabeth Hughes Go...more
This is one of those rare books that simultaneously addresses a major medical dilemma (Type I diabetes), describes the trail leading to the discovery of the cure to that dilemma (insulin), and exposes the human side of the main characters involved in and impacted by the discovery. Not only that, but the authors do this all with such high-quality writing that I hardly realized that I was consuming 30-80 pages at a time, and left wanting more whenever I laid the book down.
The writing is smooth an...more
The writing is smooth an...more
An entertaining lay history of the 1922 discovery of insulin through the lives of Elizabeth Hughes (the daughter of politician C. E. Hughes and who, at age 13, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes) and the doctors, researchers and the pharmaceutical company who saved her and ultimately millions of others.
Frederick Allen, the individual responsible for the widely accepted pre-insulin "starving method," Frederick Banting, Charles Best, and James Collip, the ultimate inventors of insulin, their "ment...more
Frederick Allen, the individual responsible for the widely accepted pre-insulin "starving method," Frederick Banting, Charles Best, and James Collip, the ultimate inventors of insulin, their "ment...more
I thought that this book was a fascinating read. The authors did a great job personifying the patients and scientists involved in discovering insulin. As a story, the plot and characters were well-drawn and flowed nicely.
However, I worried that the documentation was inadequate for certain scenes, particularly those related to Elizabeth Hughes's involvement in early insulin trials in Toronto. In the afterword, the authors note that there is no evidence that Charles Hughes intervened to get Elizab...more
However, I worried that the documentation was inadequate for certain scenes, particularly those related to Elizabeth Hughes's involvement in early insulin trials in Toronto. In the afterword, the authors note that there is no evidence that Charles Hughes intervened to get Elizab...more
In the early 1900s a child diagnosed with juvenile diabetes had less than one year to live. The disease had a 100 percent fatality rate. And because the patients were children who suffered a slow painful decline as the sugar built up in their blood, few of us could imagine the suffering those parents and their children would endure.
One ray of hope was the work of a Dr. Allen who prescribed starving the children -- reducing their caloric intake enough to keep them teetering on the edge of life un...more
One ray of hope was the work of a Dr. Allen who prescribed starving the children -- reducing their caloric intake enough to keep them teetering on the edge of life un...more
Breakthrough brings to life the human side of one of the most important discoveries in modern medicine, the discovery of insulin. The complete title of the book is BREAKTHROUGH: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle, and to me there are many miracles in this story. First, there's the discovery itself, which took place in a dirty lab in Toronto under the most unlikely summer conditions. Second, there's the unbelievable result that insulin provided to real...more
Such an amazing story about the history of insulin and those who created and refined the formula. Definitely deserving of the Noble Prize. It was nice to get kind of a "wrap up" in the last few pages of how everyone in the book ended out.
The most surprising thing is that the the "heroine" of the story, Elizabeth Hughes, never wanted anyone to know she had diabetes. The book thinks this is because of the way that she went about getting the cure (I won't spoil it for you, it's kind of heart pacing...more
The most surprising thing is that the the "heroine" of the story, Elizabeth Hughes, never wanted anyone to know she had diabetes. The book thinks this is because of the way that she went about getting the cure (I won't spoil it for you, it's kind of heart pacing...more
This book takes us back to a time when children lived only a matter of months, after being diagnosed with diabetes. The only treatment available was a near starvation diet of a few hundred strictly chosen calories a day. Parents had to make the painful choice to watch their child waste away on the starvation diet, hoping a cure would come along, or let the child live normally and die within weeks. It's an unimaginable choice to have to make and the odds were terrible.
This book covers the time j...more
This book covers the time j...more
Mar 24, 2013
Asma
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
diabetes,
52-books-2013
The book tells the story of the discovery of insulin and everyone that has been instrumental to it in a very attractive way. While this book is essentially nonfiction. It tells the events that went down during the discovery, the feuds that went down between the original team of discoverers, the greatly debated Nobel prize and the story of Elizabeth Hughes. You'll notice that there's a lot of touch ups that the autohors felt necessary to fill in gaps. The story has been "augmented" for narrative...more
Yep, nonfiction about a scientific/medical development--insulin, for treatment of diabetes--is masterful, compelling, and very suspenseful. Before insulin was developed in the first quarter of the Twentieth Century, the most effective treatment for Type I diabetes was starvation. Which means, those diagnosed bought time--weeks? Months? Years?--by eating very carefully calibrated diets with severe sugar/carbohydrate restrictions. Elizabeth Hughes was the daughter of a prominent U.S. statesman, an...more
This is an in-depth description of the discovery and development of insulin and the pioneering collaboration of a research institution (The University of Toronto) and a pharmaceutical company (Eli Lilly and Company). The plight of patients and their drastic treatment (starvation) prior to the availability of insulin in 1922was horrendous and is well-described. It is intriguing to have a front seat to the drama of the personalities involved in the creative process--and in this case, it was quite...more
I realize that I might be the only one interested in reading this book about the discovery of insulin, but if you've ever known or know someone who needs to take insulin to stay alive, this book is fascinating! The authors follow the scientists who discovered how to extract, use and distribute insulin, and also weave the story of a girl with diabetes and an influential mother and father. I often thank God for those who contributed to the discovery of insulin and all the tools that go along with...more
2 likes · like · see review
I found this to be an engaging read on a topic that I didn't know much about, but which turned out to be fascinating. I vaguely realized that before insulin diabetes was fatal, but I hadn't really put too much thought into it. The fact that it was so prevalent and that it led so immediately to death with almost no option for treatment was startling.
The authors were very good at portraying the human side of the science. I would have liked to hear more stories of other families that were struggli...more
The authors were very good at portraying the human side of the science. I would have liked to hear more stories of other families that were struggli...more
Though the "Discovery of Insulin" sounds like a terribly dry plot, these authors make it gripping. Excellently written true story of how insulin was discovered and then changed the lives and outcome of diabetics. Somehow we tend to take these things for granted, and forget that real people and events surrounded them. Elizabeth Hughes is the "poster child" of this discovery and her story is one I hope to never forget. Thank God, literally, for modern medicine and it's pioneers.
Great book. [Spoily] Apparently there are very few primary sources that speak to the history of Elizabeth's interactions with Banting, and apparently she destroyed all records of her history with diabetes after the fact. This book does a wonderful job of setting up these issues for the reader to consider, something that strict historical accounts have been unable to do for lack of material. I was grateful that the authors took the chance and brought these story lines to light.
Like a lot of the medical breakthrough histories I read, this one is written almost like a thriller. Will Elizabeth get insulin in time to save her life?! In places the chronology seems to fall apart a bit, or loop back on itself in ways that muddles the tension. For a really great example of the medical breakthrough thriller, read The Demon under the Microscope (about the discovery of sulpha drugs).
It's amazing how much has changed in the treatment of diabetes since insulin was isolated, and th...more
It's amazing how much has changed in the treatment of diabetes since insulin was isolated, and th...more
Breakthrough provides an excellent look at the business, political, scientific and human side of the race to find insulin. From the starvation of patients under Dr. Allen who hoped to only keep them alive until a cure could be found to the testing of pancreas glands of various animals in Canada that led to the development of insulin this book shows how it all came together. It covers the fights (including fistfights) of the development team in Canada and the mass production that would make Eli L...more
Breakthrough is a fascinating exploration of the history and people involved in the discovery of insulin. Prior to this development, most people with diabetes died within a year or less - especially children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Cooper and her co-author have researched this history minutely; however, they've chosen to frame their subject in narrative nonfiction, creating a story as gripping as any thriller.
Focusing on Elizabeth Hughes Gossett, daughter of Charles Evans Hughes, a noted...more
Focusing on Elizabeth Hughes Gossett, daughter of Charles Evans Hughes, a noted...more
Interesting story of the discovery of insulin, the surrounding drama among the researchers, and one particular child who suffered from diabetes in the years immediately before insulin changed everything.
I enjoyed this book, but was frustrated by the authors' decision to fictionalize portions of the story. The book's credibility as a whole suffered because of this, which is a shame considering how much documentation and research went into the writing.
I enjoyed this book, but was frustrated by the authors' decision to fictionalize portions of the story. The book's credibility as a whole suffered because of this, which is a shame considering how much documentation and research went into the writing.
First of all, this is probably only interesting if you have the sugar dia-beet-us, like myself. Secondly, it's clear (and the authors admit!) that some personal motivations by our key characters are made up/exaggerated. I actually think that's okay (see my previous parenthetical comment), only I think that they got some things wrong, namely with Elizabeth Hughes.
Also, this book makes me sad. Because the 'beetus sucks.
Also, this book makes me sad. Because the 'beetus sucks.
As a mother of two Type 1 diabetics this book was a chilling reminder of how recently insulin was discovered. (Less than 100 years ago.) Prior to its discovery the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. This book provides an interesting historical narrative of the discovery and the dramatic personalities who, by chance, combined to discover a treatment which continues to save millions of lives every day.
An excellent book, that deftly follows two coinciding stories that impact each other spectacularly. It is also excellent because it shows how people with type 1 diabetes have lived for decades. It also shows how the upper class had easier access to the best treatments known to doctors of the time. It makes me thankful I was diagnosed AFTER insulin was more or less perfected.
The story of the discovery of insulin and what it meant for one woman.
I picked this book up to read because my family has a history of diabetes; one of my aunts died of the juvenile version of diabetes in 1917. The history of the discovery of insulin was a fascinating read, and then to wrap another story around that discovery led to a very good book to read.
I picked this book up to read because my family has a history of diabetes; one of my aunts died of the juvenile version of diabetes in 1917. The history of the discovery of insulin was a fascinating read, and then to wrap another story around that discovery led to a very good book to read.
Highly recommend. The fascinating story of the discovery on insulin, the children it saved, the scientists who fought over recognition and control, and the role of Lily in making it available. The authors keep the reader in suspense throughout. Very well written. Great for any health professional or anyone who is using/or knows someone who uses insulin.
I had this book on my "to read" list for quite awhile, but was afraid it might be boring. I'm generally not a non-fiction fan, and although I love science and work in the pharma industry, I wasn't sure I wanted to read a book about this subject. But somewhat surprisingly, I loved this book and could hardly put it down. I'm a bit embarrassed, as a scientist and proud Canadian, to realize how woefully little I knew about Banting and the discovery of insulin. I didn't know anything about the horrif...more
Heard about this on WFYI publc radio show "Sound Medicine." Fascinating story with several prominent early 20th c. people involved and an Indianapolis connection through Eli Lilly. It would have been more compelling if Elizabeth Hughes had not destroyed most of the record of her childhood diabetes--apparently she was determined to be "normal"--she lived to 72-- and only her closest relatives knew she was diabetic.
I really enjoyed this book! Obviously the connection to Lilly and Indianapolis make the story more interesting, but it is really the "hypothesized" story and dialogue that kept me turning pages. The length of the bibliography makes me think the fictional parts are probably fairly accurate.
For those of you who were in grade school in the early sixties, this book reminded me of an adult version of those blue-covered biographies that lined the school library walls when we were kids. And I don't con...more
For those of you who were in grade school in the early sixties, this book reminded me of an adult version of those blue-covered biographies that lined the school library walls when we were kids. And I don't con...more
Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin (by Thea Cooper) was a really good book. One reviewer compared the writing style to Shaara's Killer Angels, and I agree with them. The book is packed with historical fact on the development of insulin, but is still told in story form, allowing you to get a personal look into the characters' lives; Elizabeth: the model patient, Allen: a doctor struggling to help his diabetic patients last (using the starvation treatment) until a cure is fou...more
I enjoyed this little find I picked up at the Detroit Public Library book sale. I didn't really know the history of insulin and, at at times, this book had me moved to tears. The authors certainly take some liberties giving us the thoughts of the protagonists, but like a good screenplay, it moved the story along.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Co-author of BREAKTHROUGH:
Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle
Thea Cooper is a writer, editor, and teacher. She wrote her first poem in second grade and has been writing ever since.
Throughout her professional career Thea has applied her love of language and narrative structure to a range of environments, from higher education to corporate communications,...more
More about Thea Cooper...
Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle
Thea Cooper is a writer, editor, and teacher. She wrote her first poem in second grade and has been writing ever since.
Throughout her professional career Thea has applied her love of language and narrative structure to a range of environments, from higher education to corporate communications,...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Sep 15, 2012 04:09pm