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Genius on the Edge: The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted
Now in paperback, the groundbreaking biography of the most influential surgeon in American history.
“Gerald Imber’s new biography is the first retelling of Halstead’s story in many decades and a particularly expert and thoughtprovoking narrative makes the intense strangeness of Halstead’s subsequent career a gripping story.”
—Abigail Zuger, New York Times Science Section
Dr. William Stewart Halsted’s life was fascinating and complex. Halsted, perhaps the most important surgeon America has ever produced, battled a lifelong cocaine addiction and maintained numerous secret relationships while simultaneously devising revolutionary medical innovations. Yet the story of Halsted’s life, one of seemingly irreconcilable extremes, is in many ways the story of modern medicine.
Before Halsted, poorly-trained doctors performed surgery without anesthesia in unsanitary conditions and patients were rarely expected to survive. Halstead transformed the medical practice by inventing local and spinal anesthesia; introducing the use of rubber gloves during surgery; pioneering the use of fine silk thread for sutures; developing techniques for stabilizing blood pressure during surgery; and inventing the radical mastectomy, blood transfusions, and surgical cures for hernias.
Genius on the Edge is an illuminating biography of a complex and troubled man whose brilliance we continue to benefit
from today.
“Gerald Imber’s new biography is the first retelling of Halstead’s story in many decades and a particularly expert and thoughtprovoking narrative makes the intense strangeness of Halstead’s subsequent career a gripping story.”
—Abigail Zuger, New York Times Science Section
Dr. William Stewart Halsted’s life was fascinating and complex. Halsted, perhaps the most important surgeon America has ever produced, battled a lifelong cocaine addiction and maintained numerous secret relationships while simultaneously devising revolutionary medical innovations. Yet the story of Halsted’s life, one of seemingly irreconcilable extremes, is in many ways the story of modern medicine.
Before Halsted, poorly-trained doctors performed surgery without anesthesia in unsanitary conditions and patients were rarely expected to survive. Halstead transformed the medical practice by inventing local and spinal anesthesia; introducing the use of rubber gloves during surgery; pioneering the use of fine silk thread for sutures; developing techniques for stabilizing blood pressure during surgery; and inventing the radical mastectomy, blood transfusions, and surgical cures for hernias.
Genius on the Edge is an illuminating biography of a complex and troubled man whose brilliance we continue to benefit
from today.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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2147 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
February 6, 2017
A fascinating topic, a strangely written book.
For one, there strangely doesn't seem to be enough information about Halsted to really warrant the title "a bizarre double life." Since his drug habit was in secret, there's seemingly barely any record of it other than "then he would disappear for six months every year and who knows, we can assume drugs." Imber also repeats himself often, sometimes from chapter to chapter, making it seem like either his editor only worked chapter by chapter or there was actually not enough information to warrant 350~ pages. He does mentions a good chunk of Halsted's correspondence was burned by his wife's sister after her death, but he'll allude to letters and correspondence that he doesn't bother to quote or reproduce. Like, I'm here for Halsted, dude. Lets get some words from the man's mouth himself. I'm a big girl, I can handle it.
Perhaps its just that Imber was simply more interested in the medical information than the man. There is a lot of that, and its written pretty clearly in laymen's terms for the most part. And it is totally fascinating. There -is- a lot of information about Johns Hopkins – which is super interesting and obviously relevant – but it makes you wonder if perhaps it would have been easier to just write the book about the founding members instead, with initial chapters devoted to each man's life – sort of the way a lot of rock and roll anthologies are written nowadays.
ANYHOW, overall, an interesting read either way if you're into the man, the medicine or medical history in general.
For one, there strangely doesn't seem to be enough information about Halsted to really warrant the title "a bizarre double life." Since his drug habit was in secret, there's seemingly barely any record of it other than "then he would disappear for six months every year and who knows, we can assume drugs." Imber also repeats himself often, sometimes from chapter to chapter, making it seem like either his editor only worked chapter by chapter or there was actually not enough information to warrant 350~ pages. He does mentions a good chunk of Halsted's correspondence was burned by his wife's sister after her death, but he'll allude to letters and correspondence that he doesn't bother to quote or reproduce. Like, I'm here for Halsted, dude. Lets get some words from the man's mouth himself. I'm a big girl, I can handle it.
Perhaps its just that Imber was simply more interested in the medical information than the man. There is a lot of that, and its written pretty clearly in laymen's terms for the most part. And it is totally fascinating. There -is- a lot of information about Johns Hopkins – which is super interesting and obviously relevant – but it makes you wonder if perhaps it would have been easier to just write the book about the founding members instead, with initial chapters devoted to each man's life – sort of the way a lot of rock and roll anthologies are written nowadays.
ANYHOW, overall, an interesting read either way if you're into the man, the medicine or medical history in general.
June 23, 2014
I reserve 5-star ratings for books that have profoundly added to my understanding of the world and have a lasting effect on how I live my life. Gerald Imber, MD, presents William Stewart Halsted as a dedicated innovator who, along with several physicians of the age, changed the practice of medicine with his insight and hard work. As a practicing surgeon himself, Imber is able to give invaluable accuracy to the various advancements to medicine and surgery by Halsted and his colleagues.
Medicine in the United States at the turn of the 20th century was too reminiscent of the dark ages, with little empiric evidence guiding patient care, which carried poor outcomes and too much suffering. William Halsted devoted his life to improving, among other things, how doctors are trained, how studies are designed, and how surgery is performed. As the progeny of a wealthy family of investment bankers and real estate developers (Halsted Avenue in Chicago is named for his grandfather), Halsted dismayed his parents by pursuing a medical career.
Born in 1872, Halsted went to Ivy League schools, trained in surgery at his own expense with some of the great physicians in Germany (Europe was ahead of the US in training), and brought the science of medical training to the USA. Imber’s book is largely the story of the making of Johns Hopkins Hospital and medical school in Baltimore, with the surgeon Halsted joined by other key players: William Osler (medicine), Howard Kelly (gynecology) and William Welch (pathology). This emphasizes the necessity of collaboration and a robust system to care for sick patients.
Early in his career, cocaine was discovered as the prototypical local anesthetic which, along with sodium pentothal and ether, allowed the birth of the entire field of surgery. Halsted performed the first successful cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder) in his kitchen on his septic mother using drip ether. He also developed the techniques for inguinal hernia repair, radical mastectomy for breast cancer, and various vascular procedures. His attention to detail, careful hemostasis to prevent blood loss, and adherence to strict antisepsis (well known in Europe but ignored in the US) were the keys to his success.
Unfortunately, Halsted experimented with cocaine on himself and quickly became addicted. This led to morphine substitution as the only treatment at the time and severely limited Halsted’s ability to contribute over the years. Despite his addiction, Halsted slogged on, humanely studying techniques on dogs before operating on his patients. Halsted set the standards for formal residency training that persist today, replacing the archaic system of apprenticeship and journeyman extant at that time.
Gerald Imber presents a compelling narrative of a devoted surgeon who struggled through personal hardship and failings to revolutionize the practice of surgery. Many of the benefits we enjoy today began with the insight and innovation of men like Halsted. This book is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in medical care: students, doctors, nurses, ancillary technicians. Imber provides expert insight in the importance of hard work and imagination, and the value of empiric observations, in caring for patients. Halsted joins the pantheon of secular saints who have made our lives better.
Medicine in the United States at the turn of the 20th century was too reminiscent of the dark ages, with little empiric evidence guiding patient care, which carried poor outcomes and too much suffering. William Halsted devoted his life to improving, among other things, how doctors are trained, how studies are designed, and how surgery is performed. As the progeny of a wealthy family of investment bankers and real estate developers (Halsted Avenue in Chicago is named for his grandfather), Halsted dismayed his parents by pursuing a medical career.
Born in 1872, Halsted went to Ivy League schools, trained in surgery at his own expense with some of the great physicians in Germany (Europe was ahead of the US in training), and brought the science of medical training to the USA. Imber’s book is largely the story of the making of Johns Hopkins Hospital and medical school in Baltimore, with the surgeon Halsted joined by other key players: William Osler (medicine), Howard Kelly (gynecology) and William Welch (pathology). This emphasizes the necessity of collaboration and a robust system to care for sick patients.
Early in his career, cocaine was discovered as the prototypical local anesthetic which, along with sodium pentothal and ether, allowed the birth of the entire field of surgery. Halsted performed the first successful cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder) in his kitchen on his septic mother using drip ether. He also developed the techniques for inguinal hernia repair, radical mastectomy for breast cancer, and various vascular procedures. His attention to detail, careful hemostasis to prevent blood loss, and adherence to strict antisepsis (well known in Europe but ignored in the US) were the keys to his success.
Unfortunately, Halsted experimented with cocaine on himself and quickly became addicted. This led to morphine substitution as the only treatment at the time and severely limited Halsted’s ability to contribute over the years. Despite his addiction, Halsted slogged on, humanely studying techniques on dogs before operating on his patients. Halsted set the standards for formal residency training that persist today, replacing the archaic system of apprenticeship and journeyman extant at that time.
Gerald Imber presents a compelling narrative of a devoted surgeon who struggled through personal hardship and failings to revolutionize the practice of surgery. Many of the benefits we enjoy today began with the insight and innovation of men like Halsted. This book is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in medical care: students, doctors, nurses, ancillary technicians. Imber provides expert insight in the importance of hard work and imagination, and the value of empiric observations, in caring for patients. Halsted joins the pantheon of secular saints who have made our lives better.
March 30, 2010
"Genius on the Edge" is an interesting book describing the medical developments (especially in surgery) during the period of about 1846 to 1922. The first third of the book mainly focused on what surgery was like before this period, on the developments that occurred from 1846 to 1889, and how they affected Halsted's medical training and prompted his surgical innovations. The rest of the book was more a series of short biographies of men who worked with Halsted and the developments they (and he) brought to the practice of surgery from 1889-1922. It also covered Halsted's marriage and how he lived.
The author didn't assume that the reader was familiar with medical terms and so concisely worked that information in as was needed to understand the innovations. He did an excellent job of making the topic fascinating and easy to understand. I found the book a quick read despite the amount of information packed into it. I also liked how the author wove the general technological changes and social setting into the story so we could see how society effected the advances and how Halsted and the others influenced society in turn. While the book mostly focused on American surgery (especially that done at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine), the author also brought up related advances over in Europe.
There were only a couple of brief descriptions of actual surgery, so most of the book probably wouldn't bother those who get queasy by descriptions of operations.
Some of the topics covered were: the introduction of general anesthetics, heat sterilization, and antiseptics to make surgery safer. How medical training had been done and how it changed (both in medical school and post-graduate) under the influence of Halsted and his friends at Johns Hopkins. The creation of out-patient clinics, the beginnings of bacteriology and the germ theory, the change from quick and brutal surgery to gentle, careful handing during surgery, the introduction of surgical gloves, of using cocaine as a local anesthetic, emergency blood transfusion, surgery of the brain, and much more.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this well-written and interesting book to those interested in how medicine (especially surgery) has developed into what we take for granted today.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
The author didn't assume that the reader was familiar with medical terms and so concisely worked that information in as was needed to understand the innovations. He did an excellent job of making the topic fascinating and easy to understand. I found the book a quick read despite the amount of information packed into it. I also liked how the author wove the general technological changes and social setting into the story so we could see how society effected the advances and how Halsted and the others influenced society in turn. While the book mostly focused on American surgery (especially that done at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine), the author also brought up related advances over in Europe.
There were only a couple of brief descriptions of actual surgery, so most of the book probably wouldn't bother those who get queasy by descriptions of operations.
Some of the topics covered were: the introduction of general anesthetics, heat sterilization, and antiseptics to make surgery safer. How medical training had been done and how it changed (both in medical school and post-graduate) under the influence of Halsted and his friends at Johns Hopkins. The creation of out-patient clinics, the beginnings of bacteriology and the germ theory, the change from quick and brutal surgery to gentle, careful handing during surgery, the introduction of surgical gloves, of using cocaine as a local anesthetic, emergency blood transfusion, surgery of the brain, and much more.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this well-written and interesting book to those interested in how medicine (especially surgery) has developed into what we take for granted today.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
October 17, 2016
We have a LOT to thank William Stewart Halstead for, and modern medicine wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for him. Breast cancer surgery, hernia repair, even what medical residencies are today all started with this brilliant man. If you enjoy The Knick (which is what initially brought me to this book) or are interested in the history of modern medicine, or even slightly curious about medicine, I can't recommend this book enough. Also... we can thank him for painless dental procedures as well. Seriously, his achievements are endless!
August 29, 2011
So, the subject of this book was really cool. I loved learning about Halsted and how strange he was, and what things he did that changed surgery. Especially as someone who loves the history of medicine, that was the good part of this book. However, it was written pretty terribly. The style was bad, and, more importantly for a biography, the timeline wasn't consistent. Imber jumps back and forth, mentioning characters as if we know them, 20 pages before they're introduced. We go to 1922, then back to 1906, then to 1917 without a clear demarcation of time, or really a clear reason to do so. In addition, the book often gets a little tedious and repetitive (Halsted STILL was using morphine, Halsted STILL was kind of annoying to a lot of people...) and I often found the supporting characters' lives that he goes into more interesting than the main story. It was a good overview of medicine at that time, and a great way to learn about the early history of Johns Hopkins, but, in the end, I wish there was just another way I could have learned about it. The writing was too bad for me to really recommend it, except for diehard fans of the period, or the people involved. It took me many years to get through this, and while I'm glad I finally finished it, I'm not sure if that's satisfaction at learning and reading, or satisfaction that I surmounted an obstacle and will never have to deal with it again.
March 31, 2012
My purpose for reading this book was two-fold. I'm reading as much as I can about about medicine and doctors to inform the current non-fiction book project that I'm working on. And since my project is essentially a biography, I'm reading biographies to see how other writers approach and manage the material. From Genius on the Edge I learned a great deal about the contemporary history of medicine, especially in the United States in addition to learning about William Steward Halsted in particular. The book is in part a history Johns Hopkins and the men who were at the forefront of creating that institution.
The history was fascinating and I feel like a learned a lot. As a biographer, however, Gerald Imber is not the greatest. He certainly dug deeply into the biographically material, especially to elucidate Halsted's drug usage, but his manner of presentation left something to be desired. The writing was not fluid, and it was often redundant and repetitive. Since Imber is a doctor first and a writer second, I should probably place this fault on his editor.
The book served one of my purposes well by adding to my understanding of American medical practice, and it offered a good example of what I hope NOT to do with the story I'm preparing to tell.
The history was fascinating and I feel like a learned a lot. As a biographer, however, Gerald Imber is not the greatest. He certainly dug deeply into the biographically material, especially to elucidate Halsted's drug usage, but his manner of presentation left something to be desired. The writing was not fluid, and it was often redundant and repetitive. Since Imber is a doctor first and a writer second, I should probably place this fault on his editor.
The book served one of my purposes well by adding to my understanding of American medical practice, and it offered a good example of what I hope NOT to do with the story I'm preparing to tell.
June 3, 2011
This is a fascinating view of early modern medicine and the establishment of Johns Hopkins (and how it shaped modern medical practice). I'd say it's about 60% a biography of William Halstead and 40% about my first sentence. I didn't know any of the history and really enjoyed it; my sister read it at the same time and said she had read a biography of Dr. Welch that she enjoyed more. I could see how the diversions into other people's stories/lives could be distracting or annoying (sometimes they seemed to be not in chronological order/placed oddly), but for someone who wasn't familiar with any of it, it was all interesting.
(I was especially interested by the history of gallbladder removal and the significant 'bumps on the road' since I had mine out 2 years ago and it was a cinch. Lucky for me I didn't live 100 years ago or it probably would have killed me.)
(I was especially interested by the history of gallbladder removal and the significant 'bumps on the road' since I had mine out 2 years ago and it was a cinch. Lucky for me I didn't live 100 years ago or it probably would have killed me.)
November 19, 2011
Dr. Halstead was the father of modern surgery. In the mid nineteenth century a compound fracture or appendicitis was essentially a death sentence. Anesthesia didn't exist. Even if a patient could be operated on, surgeons weren't aware of the need to keep the surroundings sterile. If the patient contracted an infection there were no antibiotics to arrest it. So much for the good old days. Dr. Halstead introduced aseptic methods of surgery. He pioneered hernia surgery, mastetectomy to excise breast cancer and thyroid surgery. He was the first Professor of Surgery at the new Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Descriptions of illness and surgical technique were interesting. University politics were less interesting. Amazing that Dr. Halstead accomplished all this while his addiction to cocaine and morphine raged on uncured.
July 26, 2012
I must admit that I felt somewhat mislead by this book's description on its back cover. While the primary subject of this biography is Doctor William Halstead, the bulk of this book is actually about the formation of one of America's premier teaching hospitals: Johns Hopkins. William Stewart Halstead was one of a dozen influential doctors who were instrumental in revolutionizing the techniques of modern surgery. The founding of Johns Hopkins Hospital is part of Halstead's story, so I wasn't too disappointed by the misleading summary on the back cover. In fact, I found the stories of Halstead, Welch, Mall, Cushing, and the other doctors quite fascinating, as well as the amazing discoveries they made in the process of creating and/or improving the antiseptic process of modern surgery.
June 9, 2015
I would never have chosen to read this book; it is a book club selection, not my selection. The book, about the foundation of Johns Hopkins university and hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, drew me in.
The drawback is all the technical medical terminology, but the men and the lives this book describes are fascinating. The difference these founders made in the practice of medicine are relevant to us, today. Halstead developed a sterile operating room, and found successful ways to operate on conditions that were normally fatal. His contributions prolonged lives, and increased quality of life. It was a valuable book to understand just how differently medicine is practiced today because these doctors-with-a-scientific-bent spent their lives figuring out how to practice medicine better.
The drawback is all the technical medical terminology, but the men and the lives this book describes are fascinating. The difference these founders made in the practice of medicine are relevant to us, today. Halstead developed a sterile operating room, and found successful ways to operate on conditions that were normally fatal. His contributions prolonged lives, and increased quality of life. It was a valuable book to understand just how differently medicine is practiced today because these doctors-with-a-scientific-bent spent their lives figuring out how to practice medicine better.
December 8, 2015
The well written and well researched story of Dr. William Halstead who is known as the Father of Modern Surgery. The book is an excellent look at the incredibly bizarre life of Halstead which includes his battle with cocaine and morphine addiction. I knew of Halstead prior to reading this but I had not even the remotest idea of how important and influential he truly was. He developed residency, was the founding father of local anesthesia, influenced about every major surgeon ever. The guy is amazing, his story is insane, and the fact that this is all true makes it even better. The history of medicine is very cool and if you like the show The Knick, just know that Thackery is based off of this guy. Give this book a read.
May 16, 2011
Not particularly well-written, but an extremely interesting account of early modern medicine in general, and Johns Hopkins Hospital in particular. I will be seeking out more information on the people,places, and events that were written about; what better review could there be?
July 15, 2010
Detailed and informative, but also somewhat repetitive. The end gets very technical. Diagrams and a timeline would help.
February 24, 2024
Hate that I enjoyed this so much but it was insane to read about the people who made all these crazy physiological, path, and anatomical discoveries that I've spent hours belaboring on. It made me appreciate medicine so much more and am in awe of how far surgery progressed within a few decades.
April 11, 2025
3.5 - very cool history
January 23, 2014
As a medical student, I am always fascinated to read about famous physicians who were able to transcend (so to speak) the 'normal' boundaries of their profession and make revolutionary contributions.
William Halsted was that rare breed of physician-scientist who achieved that with his keenness, passion and incredible resourcefulness. Surgery before Halsted was haphazard and shoddy, done with little consideration to minimizing infection, patient comfort or proper technique. With his European training and willingness to patiently adopt new ideas, Halsted introduced pioneering protocols to methodically change the face of surgery. He was the first to perform radical mastectomies, the first to systemize hernia repairs, one of the first to use surgical gloves and fine silk sutures- the list goes on and on. At the newly opened Johns Hopkins (which was created specifically as the new face of American medicine by recruiting doctors like him), he helped establish the residency training system so familiar to the medical world today. His students and assistants all went on to have illustrious careers, and some, like Harvey Cushing( father of American neurosurgery) became superstars in their own right All the while he was hopelessly addicted to cocaine (which he had started using as a local anesthetic to perform dental surgeries some twenty years prior) and morphine.
Gerald Imber, himself a surgeon, does a masterful job of bringing the full spectrum of Halsted's complicated personality to light in this thorough, even-handed and excellently referenced biography. He traces the path from Halsted's privileged childhood to Yale (where he was inspired to medicine after renting Gray's Anatomy from the library) to surgery superstardom in New York. After that his career crashed due to his addiction and he had little qualms about leaving for Baltimore to Hopkins. Imber details the prevailing practices in history and juxtaposes Halsted's innovations to highlight their sensibility and brilliance in reducing mortality and improving outcomes. He seems to be charmed by Halsted's austere and reserved personality since he keeps repeating it throughout the book. I felt the book floundered near the end where Imber began repeating himself and jumping around a lot more. Some of his writing is a bit clunky, cliched and unpolished as well, but I guess I can forgive that since he is not a professional biographer. The work is pretty well-researched, including letters, journal entries from Halsted's colleagues, and an extensive 'further reading' section at the end.
Clocking in at less than 400 pages, this is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of medicine. Excellent biography of a very influential man whose discoveries and improvements still influence our lives today.
William Halsted was that rare breed of physician-scientist who achieved that with his keenness, passion and incredible resourcefulness. Surgery before Halsted was haphazard and shoddy, done with little consideration to minimizing infection, patient comfort or proper technique. With his European training and willingness to patiently adopt new ideas, Halsted introduced pioneering protocols to methodically change the face of surgery. He was the first to perform radical mastectomies, the first to systemize hernia repairs, one of the first to use surgical gloves and fine silk sutures- the list goes on and on. At the newly opened Johns Hopkins (which was created specifically as the new face of American medicine by recruiting doctors like him), he helped establish the residency training system so familiar to the medical world today. His students and assistants all went on to have illustrious careers, and some, like Harvey Cushing( father of American neurosurgery) became superstars in their own right All the while he was hopelessly addicted to cocaine (which he had started using as a local anesthetic to perform dental surgeries some twenty years prior) and morphine.
Gerald Imber, himself a surgeon, does a masterful job of bringing the full spectrum of Halsted's complicated personality to light in this thorough, even-handed and excellently referenced biography. He traces the path from Halsted's privileged childhood to Yale (where he was inspired to medicine after renting Gray's Anatomy from the library) to surgery superstardom in New York. After that his career crashed due to his addiction and he had little qualms about leaving for Baltimore to Hopkins. Imber details the prevailing practices in history and juxtaposes Halsted's innovations to highlight their sensibility and brilliance in reducing mortality and improving outcomes. He seems to be charmed by Halsted's austere and reserved personality since he keeps repeating it throughout the book. I felt the book floundered near the end where Imber began repeating himself and jumping around a lot more. Some of his writing is a bit clunky, cliched and unpolished as well, but I guess I can forgive that since he is not a professional biographer. The work is pretty well-researched, including letters, journal entries from Halsted's colleagues, and an extensive 'further reading' section at the end.
Clocking in at less than 400 pages, this is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of medicine. Excellent biography of a very influential man whose discoveries and improvements still influence our lives today.
May 14, 2010
I am interested in this book because it ref's Freud and his cocain addiction and its consequenses.
from the library computer:
Ostensibly a biography of William Stewart Halsted (1852–1922), but the main story is the transformation of medical education in America.Imber (Clinical Surgery/Weill-Cornell School of Medicine) tries valiantly to revivify the elusive Halsted. He was aristocratic and urbane, meticulous in his dress—he sent his shirts to Paris for laundering—and could be cold and imperious. He also had a strange, possibly sexless, marriage, but just what made him tick remains a mystery. Medical education in 19th-century America was haphazard at best, and surgery was often brutal and risky. After attending Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City and interning at Bellevue, like other young men of means, Halsted completed his medical education in Europe. His career as a surgeon was off to a brilliant start in New York in the 1880s, but his experiments with cocaine as a local anesthetic led to his addiction to it and later to morphine. Fortunately, his friend William Welch offered him a new start at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and in 1886, Halsted left New York for Baltimore. Although his presence at the school was interrupted by months of absence every year due to his drug dependency, he made numerous innovations in surgical technique. However, it was his contributions to the training of surgeons and his development of scientific, safe and anatomically proper surgery that cemented his reputation. He set exceptionally high standards for his residents at Hopkins, and Imber profiles a few, including the distinguished Harvey Cushing. Many of Halsted's students eventually became professors and chiefs of surgery, and in turn their residents became heads of major surgical facilities across the United States. In the author's view, anyone in America who undergoes a successful surgery owes a debt of gratitude to Halsted.Halsted remains out of focus, but the significance of Johns Hopkins in modernizing the education of doctors is clear. Copyright Kirkus 2009 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.
October 22, 2014
This could be subtitled: "The History of Modern American Medicine, 1870-1920." While the central character, Dr. William Halstead (yes, although a New Yorker, Halstead Avenue in Chicago is named after his family), is at the epicenter of this saga, it really is about the founding, funding, running and growth of Johns Hopkins University and Medical School…and the creation of modern medical practices, techniques and training. Halstead is a curious character -- brash, brilliant, idiosyncratic, who pioneered modern surgical techniques while tending to a 40 year daily morphine and cocaine habit. He discovered that injecting cocaine under the skin caused numbness for surgery, and dental work. He also discovered that injecting it into your veins gave you new vigor and energy, which he couldn't shake for most of his adult live. Halstead championed antiseptic practices in the operating room (he was the first in the world to use rubber gloves when operating), anesthesiology, neurosurgery, hernia surgery (before Halstead, less than half of hernia surgery patients lived!), mastectomy and glandular surgery -- among other achievements. What Halstead was to surgery, Johns Hopkins was to medical training.
This story is well told by the author who is also an M.D. Fascinating glimpse into the dawn of modern medicine from only 100 years ago.
This story is well told by the author who is also an M.D. Fascinating glimpse into the dawn of modern medicine from only 100 years ago.
September 17, 2010
I really didn't know anything about William Halsted, whom Imber calls teh father of modern surgery. After reading this book, it's clear that only a handful of people ever did. While Imber does his best to delve into this man's life, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot for him to work with. A secretive and private person, Halsted comes across as intelligent and innovative (he pioneered the radical mastectomy and figured out how to repair hernias, among other things), but ultimately, he's a mystery. The "bizarred double life" in the title refers to Halsted's career-long addiction to cocaine and morphine. Although the title makes it sound like he was Dr. Halsted and Mr. Hyde, it's not quite that racy.
As much as this is a biography of Halsted, it's also a mini-history of the Johns Hopkins hospital and medical school, which I appreciated. It's incredibly to think of all the many innovations that were taking place there 100 years ago.
After reading this, I want to visit the North Carolina estate formerly owned by Halsted's wife's family. There's still an inn there, and the descriptions in the book made it sound ideal. I wonder if they still grow dahlias?
I finished this during my jury duty lunch break.
As much as this is a biography of Halsted, it's also a mini-history of the Johns Hopkins hospital and medical school, which I appreciated. It's incredibly to think of all the many innovations that were taking place there 100 years ago.
After reading this, I want to visit the North Carolina estate formerly owned by Halsted's wife's family. There's still an inn there, and the descriptions in the book made it sound ideal. I wonder if they still grow dahlias?
I finished this during my jury duty lunch break.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2019
I'm in awe of Dr. Halsted after reading this book and I greatly appreciate what he did to advance the field of surgery. However, I am not in love with the way this author delivered the story. Some details were confusing as many names came up at the same time and then the use of a pronoun forced you to sort out to whom the author was referring. Be prepared also for several tangential biographies of different people who worked with Halsted. The other grievance is several times I came across repeated paragraphs- in a previous chapter, the author would foreshadow work that Halsted would do later and in the next chapter have the same paragraph almost verbatim. Last, some of the medical details are misleading- for example, not all pituitary disorders are referred to as acromegaly. One of the disorders is but many others can arise from dysfunction of the pituitary. Overall, very worth the read for anyone considering a surgical field or who has an interest in medical history.
December 9, 2013
Genius on the Edge is a fascinating portrait of Dr. William Stewart Halsted, who revolutionized dental surgery and also invented the gallstone extraction, the radical mastectomy, and the resident system of medical education. His disciples went on to found the disciplines of urology and neurosurgery, among other specialties. It's hard to believe that one man could cast such a long shadow and yet virtually disappear from history.
Dr. Halsted achieved all of these momentous things while struggling with addictions to cocaine and morphine, the former addiction a sad byproduct of his work on dental anesthesia. He went on to a great career in teaching and research at Johns Hopkins, and is immortalized in an oil painting hung on the grounds that depicts him and the other three lights of Johns Hopkins' early days.
I highly recommend Genius on the Edge for anyone with an interest in the history of medicine.
Dr. Halsted achieved all of these momentous things while struggling with addictions to cocaine and morphine, the former addiction a sad byproduct of his work on dental anesthesia. He went on to a great career in teaching and research at Johns Hopkins, and is immortalized in an oil painting hung on the grounds that depicts him and the other three lights of Johns Hopkins' early days.
I highly recommend Genius on the Edge for anyone with an interest in the history of medicine.
March 2, 2012
Stupendous! I can't say enough or urge anyone enough to read this book by Gerald Imber, MD. "The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted" is that. The author, however, chooses not to sensationalize the man or his legend but instead depicts various anecdotes, details, and all manner of interesting historical factoids about the Johns Hopkins Hospital and its School of Medicine in their infancies We can thank Halsted for medical staff who wash hands and wear gloves; he set the course. Read this book to learn about the life of Caroline and William Halsted and the peers of Dr. Halsted including Welch, Osler, Kelly, and other "greats." Fabulous! On the merits of this book alone, Goodreads needs to start a second site and title it, "AbsoluteBestreads."
September 21, 2010
The insights into the history of modern surgery, starting in the late 1800s are valuable. But there is a lot of repetition and we don't really learn all that much about the subject, Dr. Halsted, so much as we do the institutional history of Johns Hopkins hospital and medical school.
This is a dry book about the history of surgery, not a look at a "bizarred double life" of anyone.
As a biography, this book is hampered by the lack of primary source materials that would give us insight into the personal life and thoughts of its subject. The author has done a very good job finding what he can to flesh it out, but it is more an institutional than personal history.
This is a dry book about the history of surgery, not a look at a "bizarred double life" of anyone.
As a biography, this book is hampered by the lack of primary source materials that would give us insight into the personal life and thoughts of its subject. The author has done a very good job finding what he can to flesh it out, but it is more an institutional than personal history.
February 17, 2012
Disappointing biography of Halsted, the father of modern surgery. The subtitle, "The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted," is misleading: this is more a fragmentary and incomplete history of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Hospital. Halsted was an enigmatic, taciturn man (and drug addict) who kept his private life private from his colleagues and students and even his wife--and all his letters to his wife were burnt after her death. There really isn't much left for the author to go on except for the bare outline of his medical life. The book is compromised by an inconsistent timeline, poor organization, and frequent repetition. Makes for a tedious read.
March 29, 2010
A very informative look at the life of the founder of modern surgery, as well as the people responsible for beginning Johns Hopkins Hospital and Medical School. The narrative, at times, seems to lack details, possibly because information was not available. All in all, heowever, I enjoyed learning about the transition that occurred in the medical field and surgery during Halsted's time. Being a surgeon myself, I appreciated the look at hopsital life and the development of modern surgical training and research.
December 8, 2010
Interesting as a history of modern surgery and the Johns Hopkins Hospital, but not that great as a biography, especially on the "bizarre double life" part.
Halsted was a cocaine and morphine addict who was an extraordinary and innovative surgeon and also disappeared up to 6 months a year to be alone, travel, and probably indulge his addictions. I say "probably" because although his time at Johns Hopkins is pretty well documented, there is NO documentation of the other half of his life. Speculations fill in most of that, and not very well.
Halsted was a cocaine and morphine addict who was an extraordinary and innovative surgeon and also disappeared up to 6 months a year to be alone, travel, and probably indulge his addictions. I say "probably" because although his time at Johns Hopkins is pretty well documented, there is NO documentation of the other half of his life. Speculations fill in most of that, and not very well.
September 4, 2014
Great introductory book describing the start of modern surgery, foundation of John Hopkins university/ medical school as well as of William Halsted and his contributions through developing the training program for surgeons, first use of local and general anesthetic, use of sterile gloves, the first successful hernia repair, radical mastectomy, etc. I would recommend this book based on its educational value rather than its writing style: although easy to read, it lacks uniformity and seems to be fragmentary and disconnected in places.
September 15, 2016
Since he was primarily a man preferring to remain in the shadows, many are not aware about the full extent of Halstead's contribution to surgery. This book gives a rare insight into the life and works of this great man.
I originally became interested in Halstead after learning that The Knick is based loosely on him, and boy, he sure didn't disappoint!
Beautifully written prose, guiding readers through the extensive and illustrious history of Johns Hopkins, and a glimpse into the lives of the Big Four, with special emphasis on Halstead. A must read.
I originally became interested in Halstead after learning that The Knick is based loosely on him, and boy, he sure didn't disappoint!
Beautifully written prose, guiding readers through the extensive and illustrious history of Johns Hopkins, and a glimpse into the lives of the Big Four, with special emphasis on Halstead. A must read.
March 28, 2010
This gives a different view of medical education in the US in the early 20th century than the book 'The Great Influenza'. It concentrates more on the education of surgeons and on Johns Hopkins medical school and hospital. The main character, Halstead, became addicted to cocaine while trying to find a good local anesthetic. Ironically, the cure at the time for cocaine addiction was morphine to which he also became addicted. He functioned though.
September 1, 2012
The author is a surgeon, not a writer, and this book could have used another draft or two. That having been said, he obviously knows his stuff, and this story of the great 19th century surgeon William Halstead was new to me. He pioneered surgical techniques that were in use for decades following his death, and was instrumental in the creation of Johns Hopkins as the preeminent medical school of the early twentieth century. This despite having done House-like personality and drug issues.
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