Cover Image: Diagnosis

Diagnosis

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I think I was expecting a little more in-depth examination of the winding road. These felt more like blips on the radar. I love the concept but it felt more like fluffed stories than actual examination.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great book and I loved it from beginning to end, thank you so much for providing me a copy of this book to read. I post all of my reviews on my Goodreads profile.

Was this review helpful?

Each story in Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders is intriguing, but they are all so short and you don't really get to know or care about the patients. Unsatisfying.

Was this review helpful?

A fascinating collection of people suffering from medical ailments and after searching for help finally find a Doctor who gets a real diagnosis.Based on the New York Times column and now a tv series this is an edge of your seat medical book of puzzling ailments and finally cures .#netgalley#crown

Was this review helpful?

I found Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders. It was frightening to read how much some people had to endure before being correctly diagnosed. Also comforting to read about dedicated physicians willing to search for elusive diagnoses. An interesting case study came from a hospital where I have had surgery. This is a good book for those struggling with illnesses difficult to diagnose, providing hope that there are answers available.

Was this review helpful?

This books reads much like a television show on mystery diagnoses, which is apparently now is on Netflix. No great literature here, but a fun, quick read for medical voyeurs.

Was this review helpful?

I chose Diagnosis as one of my books for the recent 24 Hour Readathon and it was the perfect pick. Flipping through the pages and encountering multiple varied medical stories made for quick, easy reading. Sometimes, I felt like I wanted to know more about a case, but it's clear the book is written for the layperson (for the record, I'm a layperson, but I'm also super interested in medicine and love to read and research the subject). Overall, it was entertaining, but not memorable.

Was this review helpful?

This fascinating collection of cases will please readers from a variety of genres, including nonfiction, medical mysteries, and fans of TV's House.

Was this review helpful?

Dr. Lisa Sanders has become someone I admire tremendously. The whole concept of essentially crowdsourcing diagnoses for all the NORD-os in the world like me is just inspiring. I’m so encouraged by the thoughts behind this book and the column and the Netflix series. I’ve been checking in with the column regularly and I hope this continues indefinitely.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Crown Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders for review.

Step away from this book if you have any tendencies to self-diagnosis on WebMD. Filled with short descriptions of symptoms and the eventual usually very rare diagnosis, this book will have you never looking at a rash the same way.
I love books like these, as a former ER and House addict, I love these interesting cases.
A quick read and now I am very interested in finding the Netflix series based on this book.

Was this review helpful?

Is it weird to say that a book about odd ailments that are not easily diagnosed was a fun read? Because it totally was. The author wrote about weird medical things in such an accessible way that it was entertaining to read. Even when reading about terrible symptoms, my stomach never was turned by the descriptions. I flew through the chapters, because I had to know what happened to the patients.
⠀⠀
Also, so many things come from ticks! I already took precautions for myself and my dog in the woods, but now I will be EXTRA attentive. Did you know there is a tick that can bite you and make you allergic to BEEF?! I am not here for that.

Was this review helpful?

This book had me thinking a lot about how miraculous our bodies are – and how medicine/diagnosis often needs to be a joint effort. Sanders, a doctor who writes for the NYT and has been consulted for House, splits this book into eight different sections that all start with a common symptom among the patients (Burning with Fever or Aching Head) for example. From there, each patient’s stories diverge from the original symptom and the doctors will race to find a diagnosis. We don’t get to know each patient personally – this really is about hearing their symptoms, learning what the blood work/other tests reveal about what’s going on in their bodies, and journeying along with the doctors as they determine the correct diagnosis/treatment for whatever is going on with them.

This book in turns freaked me out (there’s a lot that can go wrong in the body!) while also making me reflect on the doctors and nurses who have come into our lives over the years and found diagnoses – in several cases, rare diagnoses, because they kept searching for what was causing the symptoms. You don’t read this book to get to know individuals (doctors or patients) intimately. You read it if your favorite part of House (or Royal Pains or Grey’s Anatomy) is when they’re figuring out what in the world is going on with their patient. Each story is very short and can be read in only a few minutes.

Was this review helpful?

This book was written by the doctor that the television show House was based on. She has a gift for diagnosing medical conditions that baffle her peers. The essays in this book were interesting. The determination of this doctor to help her patients is admirable.

Was this review helpful?

For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with everything medical! I used to watch medical shows on discovery channel or TLC all the time. So when I saw this book I knew it was going to be right up my alley. I love reading about medical mysteries or symptoms and see how they add up to a diagnosis. If you are obsessed with all things medical pick this one up!

Was this review helpful?

Organized into chapters based on common symptoms – fever, headaches, abdominal pain, trouble breathing, rashes, and weakness – several cases are presented for each.These are laid out with background information of what brings the patient in and previous medical history (if any), then goes into the doctor’s thought process as she or he thinks, considers, and rules in or rules out what might be the issue. Sometimes colleagues are brought in or consulted or (yes, doctors do it, too) the internet is searched before that one clue is discovered and the “Aha!” moment arrives.

For some of these cases, I hope that they’re published in medical journals as a few of the doctors muse that not everyone can know everything. Sometimes valuable knowledge might have been set aside if older drugs get a new lease on life or strange things (like the reaction of lime juice on bare skin under sunlight or that raw or under-cooked shiitake mushrooms can cause a rash) aren’t widely known. Following along at home was fun. I’ve never watched “House” but I can’t wait until this new diagnostic series debuts on Netflix. B

Was this review helpful?

Curious about medical mysteries and the search for answers? Well, look no further as this is sure to satisfy that itch.

DIAGNOSIS presents medical mystery cases in the form of short stories. Here we are given an insight into a field that is complex and so clearly needs a personal touch. We may have the technology to aid us in our discoveries but all too often it’s about gut instinct, open communication with a community of medical professionals and a keen eye. I really enjoyed reading a few of these cases over the past week. It’s an excellent book to have on hand when life is too busy for binge reading.

Later this month, Netflix will air a documentary series called “Diagnosis”. The show is based off her column for the New York Times Magazine. Sanders is also the inspiration behind FOX TV’s House, M.D.

I leave this book with a deep appreciation for the medical field and their devotion to finding the answers. I also leave with the hopes I never have Margarita dermatitis.

Was this review helpful?

Author Dr. Lisa Sanders is the doctor whom the television show HOUSE was based on. She is well-known for her diagnostic prowess as well as for her column in the New York Times. Now, Netflix is filming a series based on her case files. I am very much looking forward to watching this new series. I LOVED watching HOUSE and was sad when the television series ended.

DIAGNOSIS is a fascinating and informative read, as well as being chock-full of information that most doctors (and patients) are unaware of. In my opinion, everyone, especially doctors need to own a copy of this book.

I am well aware of the theory known as "Occam's Razor" which is a principle from philosophy that states that the simplest explanation is usually correct. However, sometimes that theory does not apply. In medicine sometimes a zebra masquerades as a horse and because the disease is so rare, it is unknown to the doctor and/or because of it's rarity, it is dismissed as a possibility.

If you have any interest in medical mysteries this book should be at the top of your 'TBR (TO BE READ)' List. Once I started reading, I was unable to put it down.

Not only does the author do an exceptional job of describing the symptoms each patient is experiencing, she also gives a brief description of the person's home and work life which provides a perfect balance between the technical and the personal aspects of each case.

Dr. Lisa Sanders also provides the reader with an update as to how each patient is faring at the present time. This is something that I find many medical books leave out. It is as if many doctors see only the medical mystery and view the patient as callously as they would view a lab rat;  ignoring them once the mystery is solved and leaving the follow-up to others. Lisa Sanders does NOT do this. In fact, several of the cases were diagnosed years earlier and yet she has taken the time to call each patient and ask after their current help.

This book is worthy of more than just 5 Stars, however, since five stars is the highest rating I can bestow upon a book, 5 STARS will have to suffice. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The world is lucky to have diagnosticians such as Dr. Lisa Sanders and she has saved multiple lives and livelihoods. She is an inspiration to women everywhere.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book.*

Was this review helpful?

These short intriguing essays are as much mystery as medical. Yes, I know, but seriously- these well written tales are about real people with real problems that baffle both them and their doctors. Sometimes the answer to their pain is simple and sometimes it's more complicated and obscure. If you haven't had a chance to read Sanders in the New York Times Magazine, then you're really in for a treat. If you have read her (as I have) over the years this is a great opportunity to have her work collected in one volume. Think of this as short stories and dip in and out. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You will learn from each essay.

Was this review helpful?

I was drawn to this title because of the discussion of the show, House MD, which I was a huge fan of when it was on the air. I was an avid medical non-fiction reader during this time as well. I was hoping that this book would bring back those feelings, but it fell short for me.

I liked the short chapters, quick cases, and how each essay dives into the medicine, but it was easy to get sidetracked by the technical language and lose sight of the patient or the doctor. I was expecting a bit more character, which is what I’ve seen and remember from other medical non-fiction I enjoyed.

I did appreciate how each essay was self-contained and explained both the patient’s concerns and the doctor’s process. I also appreciated the way the language catered to both the average reader and a medical professional. I would have liked more character development or personal connection, as the stories started out with some patient background information but it fell away to focus on the technical aspects of each case.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys medical case study essays with a focus on interesting diagnoses and complex cases. This book is a fast read, as each essay is short. The language has a good balance between the patient reporting symptoms to the doctor with complex medical jargon. I am looking forward to trying the Netflix series when it’s released and seeing how the essays translate to the screen.

Was this review helpful?

I’m just going to preface this review with the fact that I love pretty much anything medical. Mysterious illnesses, and the process to figure them out? I’m all in! I found this to be on somewhat layman’s terms, but not dumbed down. I enjoyed the definitions of uncommon things and certain tests. I love getting to sleuth right along with the doctors and patients in each case. I look forward to the Netflix series!
TW: All sorts of illnesses, symptoms, death, etc.

Was this review helpful?