Andrew Lam - The Masters of Medicine: Our Greatest Triumphs in the Race to Cure Humanitys Deadliest Diseases

Contents

Praise for The Masters of Medicine

This book is magnificent! Dr. Andrew Lam guides us through the audacious history of medical innovation in all its genius, serendipity, hubris, and even psychopathy with the warm-hearted and clear-eyed touch of a true writer. I enjoyed every twist through time of this beguiling reminder of how far weve come in medicineand how far we still have to go.

Susannah Cahalan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire

This is a book filled with extraordinary tales of extraordinary personalities who made historya history that has created the world we live in. Its accurate, clear sighted, well written, and where necessary it cuts through myth to get to what really happened. In truth, no myths are necessarythe reality is fascinating enough.

John Barry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Great Influenza

Andrew Lams The Masters of Medicine is a fascinating book that describes some of medicines greatest discoveries. Lam himself is a master surgeon, storyteller, and writer, and this combination produces a book that is both a pleasure to read and rich with information. The Masters of Medicine is a must-read, and Lam is a stellar guide to the breakthroughs that have defined and continue to shape modern medicine.

Adam Alter, Ph.D., professor of marketing and psychology, New York University Stern School of Business, and New York Times bestselling author of Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible

The Masters of Medicine is a skillful and engaging portrayal of the journeys through some of the pivotal accomplishments in medicine. Lam vividly describes the very human exploits, failures, and tenacity of clinicians who found solutions to some of natures most perplexing problems. Andrew Lam has furnished a major contribution to the history of medicine.

Thomas Helling, M.D., professor of surgery, University of Mississippi School of Medicine, and author of The Great War and the Birth of Modern Medicine

This wonderfully absorbing book describes the efforts of individuals that led to key medical advances, facilitated by their skill, knowledge, determination, courage and, quite often, sheer self-confidence coupled to luck. All of which only goes to show, if we ever doubted it, that scientists and clinicians are human. The reader feels as though he is in the same room as these diligent trailblazers. You are almost looking over Dwight Harkens shoulder as he plugs shrapnel-damaged hearts with his finger while stitching up the holes. Its a thoroughly ripping yarn that should be told to all. Remember: the next patient could be you.

Robin Hesketh, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, and author of Betrayed by Nature: The War on Cancer and Understanding Cancer

An assemblage of many great triumphs in the human effort to achieve better health, including stunning narratives of pain, disappointment, luck, andabove allthe hard work that it took to succeed.

Robert Bazell, Ph.D., past chief science and health correspondent for NBC News, and author of Her-2: The Making of Herceptin, a Revolutionary Treatment for Breast Cancer

A fascinating book! Andrew Lams narrative will pull you in. The Masters of Medicine is a character-driven book that takes you inside the minds of some of the most innovative thinkers on the planet, and along the way you learn a great deal more about your own body and how it functions!

Michael Tougias, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Finest Hours and author of Extreme Survival

Dr. Andrew Lam skillfully dissects some of the most seminal discoveries in the fight to combat humanitys deadliest diseases. I highly recommend this fascinating book to anyone interested in the history of medicine.

Sandeep Jauhar, M.D., Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of Intern, Heart: A History, and My Fathers Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimers

This is a gripping and fascinating book by someone who knows what they are writing about, and writes with flair. Dr. Lam takes you through the strokes of geniusand strokes of absolute luckthat brought us some of the worlds most important lifesaving treatments. A delight.

Charles Kenny, author of The Plague Cycle: The Unending War Between Humanity and Infectious Disease

The Masters of Medicine recounts the struggles, successes, disasters, and staggering nonlinear path of medical discovery. With an engaging narrative style, Andrew Lam presents unforgettable tales of life-changing medical breakthroughs and the courageous physicians who devoted their lives to saving mankind from disease. Readers will find The Masters of Medicine riveting, and it will likely excite young people to consider a medical research career just as Paul de Kruifs Microbe Hunters did decades ago.

Charlotte Jacobs, M.D., professor of medicine (emerita), Stanford University, and author of Jonas Salk: A Life

A comprehensive and fun overview of key discoveries that have improved public health. Andrew Lam conveys the personalities of the key players, both famous and overlooked, who contributed to the medical breakthroughs that benefit us all. Rather than placing famous scientists on a pedestal, Dr. Lam shows that not all these characters were necessarily likable and that some had foibles that both helped and hindered their work.

Michael Kinch, Ph.D., author of The End of the Beginning: Cancer, Immunity, and the Future of a Cure

Andrew Lam is the perfect combination of physician, historian, and storyteller. The Masters of Medicine vividly captures the mix of well-planned experiments, serendipitous findings, and eureka moments leading to some of the most important breakthroughs of modern medicine.

Gregg Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., professor of genetic medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

The

MASTERS

of

MEDICINE

Also by Andrew Lam, M.D.

Nonfiction

Saving Sight: An Eye Surgeons Look at Life Behind the Mask and the Heroes Who Changed the Way We See

Fiction

Two Sons of China

Repentance

The

MASTERS

of

MEDICINE

Our Greatest Triumphs in the Race to Cure Humanitys Deadliest Diseases

ANDREW LAM, M.D.

BenBella Books, Inc.

Dallas, TX

The Masters of Medicine copyright 2023 by Andrew Lam

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

BenBella Books, Inc.

10440 N. Central Expressway

Suite 800

Dallas, TX 75231

benbellabooks.com

Send feedback to

BenBella is a federally registered trademark.

First E-Book Edition: 2023

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022040441

ISBN 9781637742631 (hardcover)

ISBN 9781637742648 (electronic)

Editing by Vy Tran

Copyediting by Leah Baxter

Proofreading by Isabelle Rubio and Lisa Story