Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect ScienceComplications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
Score Modern
What it's about
Atul Gawande wrote this as a young surgical resident, about what medicine is really like inside the hospital: how surgeons learn by practicing on real patients, how good doctors make mistakes, why some go bad, and how much remains uncertain. He tells it through cases, including a young woman with a mysterious leg infection that could be fatal or nothing.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Award finalist. Gawande is an honest, engaging writer, and the book shows patients and doctors alike how imperfect medicine is.
You'll love it if you liked
When Breath Becomes Air
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
The Gene: An Intimate HistoryGood to know
It's short, built from essays. Some surgical descriptions are vivid.
By the numbers
- Readers89 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics28 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller18 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #139 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #429 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #831 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Atul Gawande
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American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
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Quick answers
Is Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Award finalist. It ranks #831 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science about?
Atul Gawande wrote this as a young surgical resident, about what medicine is really like inside the hospital: how surgeons learn by practicing on real patients, how good doctors make mistakes, why some go bad, and how much remains uncertain. He tells it through cases, including a young woman with a mysterious leg infection that could be fatal or nothing.
How long does it take to read Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science?
About 7 hours (270 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science?
If you liked it, try When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee or The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee.