Empire of the Scalpel: The History of Surgery

From an eminent surgeon and historian comes the “by turns fascinating and ghastly” (The New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice) story of surgery's development-from the Stone Age to the present day-blending meticulous medical research with vivid storytelling.

There are not many life events that can be as simultaneously frightening and hopeful as a surgical operation. In America, tens-of-millions of major surgical procedures are performed annually, yet few of us consider the magnitude of ...