This was one of a large selection put forward as contenders for July's #BookOfTheMonth and knowing it was for sale in Sainsburys not one, not two, not three but FOUR members of the group legged it there after the meeting to purchase a copy.
This Is Going To Hurt is a no-holds barred account of one junior doctor’s time on the front line of the NHS. Kay, being the said doctor, excellently explained the medical jargon not least by adding some of the best footnotes ever (Dick Fan Dyke). I understand on for e-readers these may have been removed to the back of the book which I imagine would greatly affect the reading experience.
I was surprised by the amount I learnt but make no mistake, a medical text book this is not. The anecdotes had strong humour and Kay didn't hold back, although I did question a particular sentence on page 63 (well in my copy anyway).
I cringed (the lamppost) almost as much as I laughed yet overall it was a heartbreaking account of how close to breaking point the NHS is. Bodily fluids and bleeps at 3 am for the mistranslation of haemaphrodite are one thing but 97 hour weeks, with an hourly equivalent of less than the parking metre that the staff have to pay was certainly an eye opener.
The NHS is a wonderful wonderful thing. On the two times my children have been admitted into hospital I couldn't praise the staff enough. To think on top of that worry I would have to be calculating how much the drugs, bed and ambulance was costing and how I would find the money to pay for it all is something I have thankfully never had to do. I sincerely hope I and my fellow United Kingdomers never have to.
It scored 8.5 and was pretty much universally liked by the group who all found it easy to read. We talked briefly about how this is the group's third venture (When Breath Becomes Air, Names For the Sea) into non-fiction and how this might reflect a recent trend in the genre gaining mainstream popularity. Do you agree?
As a side little anecdote I was speaking to a woman about the book who told me she was present at a book signing by Kay and overheard a woman asking him to write on the inside cover "To [husband's name] this is why we are never going to have children".
If you liked this try reading The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks not quite as funny and not about medicine but a brilliant insight into a particular lifestyle (farming) that will leave you never looking at fields of lambs the same way again.
Our next book is An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
This Is Going To Hurt is a no-holds barred account of one junior doctor’s time on the front line of the NHS. Kay, being the said doctor, excellently explained the medical jargon not least by adding some of the best footnotes ever (Dick Fan Dyke). I understand on for e-readers these may have been removed to the back of the book which I imagine would greatly affect the reading experience.
I was surprised by the amount I learnt but make no mistake, a medical text book this is not. The anecdotes had strong humour and Kay didn't hold back, although I did question a particular sentence on page 63 (well in my copy anyway).
I cringed (the lamppost) almost as much as I laughed yet overall it was a heartbreaking account of how close to breaking point the NHS is. Bodily fluids and bleeps at 3 am for the mistranslation of haemaphrodite are one thing but 97 hour weeks, with an hourly equivalent of less than the parking metre that the staff have to pay was certainly an eye opener.
The NHS is a wonderful wonderful thing. On the two times my children have been admitted into hospital I couldn't praise the staff enough. To think on top of that worry I would have to be calculating how much the drugs, bed and ambulance was costing and how I would find the money to pay for it all is something I have thankfully never had to do. I sincerely hope I and my fellow United Kingdomers never have to.
It scored 8.5 and was pretty much universally liked by the group who all found it easy to read. We talked briefly about how this is the group's third venture (When Breath Becomes Air, Names For the Sea) into non-fiction and how this might reflect a recent trend in the genre gaining mainstream popularity. Do you agree?
As a side little anecdote I was speaking to a woman about the book who told me she was present at a book signing by Kay and overheard a woman asking him to write on the inside cover "To [husband's name] this is why we are never going to have children".
If you liked this try reading The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks not quite as funny and not about medicine but a brilliant insight into a particular lifestyle (farming) that will leave you never looking at fields of lambs the same way again.
Our next book is An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
; ) - excellent review, and yes the 'degloving' ouch/cringe/legs crossed/ relief at not being a man! Love that you added what we chatted about x
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Glynis. Couldn't resist mentioning the dedication!
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