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Blood and Guts: A Short History of Medicine Paperback – Import, January 1, 2007

by Roy Porter (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 287 ratings
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Mankind's battle to stay alive is the greatest of all subjects. This brief, witty and unusual book by Britain's greatest medical historian compresses into a tiny span a lifetime spent thinking about millennia of human ingenuity in the quest to cheat death. Each chapter sums up one of these battlefields (surgery, doctors, disease, hospitals, laboratories and the human body) in a way that is both frightening and elating. Startlingly illustrated, "A Short History of Medicine" is the ideal present for anyone who is keenly aware of their own mortality and wants to do something about it. It is also a wonderful memorial to one of Penguin's greatest historians.
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  1. Part of series
    Allen Lane History
  2. Print length
    224 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2007
  6. Dimensions
    7.8 x 0.63 x 5.08 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0141010649
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0141010649
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books (January 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0141010649
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0141010649
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 0.63 x 5.08 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 287 ratings

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Roy Porter

Roy Porter

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
287 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book interesting and a good overview of medical history. They describe it as an easy, entertaining read that provides a fair overview of medical practice from antiquity to modern times.

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InterestReadability
10 customers mention "Interest"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an interesting and concise history of medicine. They describe it as a good overview with a list of names, dates, and achievements. The book is described as an easy read that provides a fair overview of medical history in the West.

"I am SO glad that I bough this! It’s a great book and very interesting. It’s to-the-point and flows with ease when reading it...." Read more

"Very interesting history of the evolution of medical practice from antiquity to modern times (2002, so it misses the latest scientific heights)...." Read more

"...So the book is a long list of names, dates and achievements/viewpoints.It is quite an easy read...." Read more

"...There are a lot of interesting things I learned about the development of medicine from this book. Definitly a must read." Read more

10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it an engaging and well-written overview of the history of medicine. The author provides insightful commentary and offers a fascinating review of how we have come to modern medicine.

"I am SO glad that I bough this! It’s a great book and very interesting. It’s to-the-point and flows with ease when reading it...." Read more

"...Book reads well and the condition is great!" Read more

"...It is quite an easy read. But, overall, I was left with the feeling that a lot of drama and "excitement" was missing...." Read more

"...Definitly a must read." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Gaige Mason
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book
    Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I am SO glad that I bough this! It’s a great book and very interesting. It’s to-the-point and flows with ease when reading it. I really love this book.
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  • Alice F
    4.0 out of 5 stars Instead of BCE and CE, medical advance can be classified as BRB (Before Roger Bacon) and ARB.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Very interesting history of the evolution of medical practice from antiquity to modern times (2002, so it misses the latest scientific heights). Each of the eight chapters is written from a different perspective, beginning with how animal pathogens colonized humans, resulting in pendemics as humans stopped roaming the plains, the evolution of the professionals, the slow discovery of the understanding of human organs because of early prohibition of dissection, the growing role of the laboratory as chemistry provided new insights, the gradual understanding of pharmacology, advances in surgery, the changing role of hospitals and finally the rise of the medical industrial complex which has decimated the intimate doctor/patient relationship.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Gotta Girl
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
    Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I ordered this for MCOM, Health communications. This was exactly what I needed and the description of the condition was what I got. Book reads well and the condition is great!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Richard J.
    3.0 out of 5 stars Brief but thorough - but did not excite
    Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Ray Porter goes chapter by chapter through the history of medicine with relation to its different elements. The body, medicines, hospitals, etc. So the book is a long list of names, dates and achievements/viewpoints.It is quite an easy read. But, overall, I was left with the feeling that a lot of drama and "excitement" was missing. I have to admit that others who read it in my book club did not share this opinion.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars excellent read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I had to buy this book for a college course I was taking and we had specific chapters we had to read each week. I couldn't put this book down. I read a head of the class and finished it within a week. There are a lot of interesting things I learned about the development of medicine from this book. Definitly a must read.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • HistoryMystery
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview
    Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This was a good, fairly written overview of the history of medicine in the West. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who wants a "Cliff Notes" history. Since this book is several years old, it makes me curious as to what the author would think about Obama care and the current attempts to repeal it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Richard R. Roach
    5.0 out of 5 stars Avid Reader
    Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Well written, the author presents great insight.
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  • Anne Onimous
    5.0 out of 5 stars Blood Letting, Leeches, Mercury, and Vapors
    Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This was a fascinating review of how we have gotten to modern medicine. From the plague to modern day diseases, I was captivated by the story telling abilities of Roy Porter. Blood letting, leeches, mercury, and vapors are not a good way to cure diseases, fun fact.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Edward S.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Such a great book. As with all of Porter
    Reviewed in Canada on June 11, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Such a great book. As with all of Porter, it is jam-packed with the essentials and the gems. For those wanting a taste before delving into his much larger The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, or who are satisfied with a shorter read, this is your book (along with Bynum's Very Short History of Medicine (Oxford)).
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  • June
    4.0 out of 5 stars good content
    Reviewed in Japan on November 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Easy to read
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  • Alex Broadbent
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic survey of the history of Western medicine
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Comprehensive, concise, and extremely shrewd summary of the history of Western medicine - I found it extremely useful. The apparent ineffectiveness of medicine for much of its history is especially deftly handled, neither Whiggishly nor over-generously.
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  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Juan Miguel
    Reviewed in Spain on April 23, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A grabbing book which I cannot wait to go on reading it! Totaly advisable if you are looking for knowing more about physician, diseases and how the humankind have overcome many drawback.
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  • thetetchytechie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Informative but brief account of medical history
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 25, 2003
    Verified Purchase
    This book does not have lots of blood and guts in it. What it does have is a series of linked episodes that together describe the history behind many medical practises still in use today.
    The story the book is trying to put across relates to societies attitude to medicine and surgery as well as the treatments that went with them.
    It shows that in many ways society is just as prudish as it was hundreds of years ago in how it feels about medical practise.
    The book can be read in sections to cover each turn of the medical establishment in line with social prejudice.
    An easy read, and a book that can be dipped into a chapter or to at a time for bedtime reading.
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