This was an entertaining and informative read. I found myself sharing what I learned from this book with those around me. I recommend it to fans of good and highly readable non-fiction.

This is a fascinating look at the history of surgery starting way back in the day with Neanderthals supposedly performing complex neurosurgery, or so far as we can tell. It details breakthroughs in surgical history, such as controlling bleeding, controlling pain (with anesthesia), controlling infection and understanding human anatomy.

I appreciated the breakdown of physicians versus barber surgeons, although I would not want someone with no formal surgical training treating my cataracts (yes they did that - how? Not explained... not sure I want to know either).

I am not sure of the audience for this book but since I geek out on all things medical, the weirder the better, I found this book interesting. However, the writing was dry at times and I was surprised there is no mention of miasma, which is what physicians thought caused illness for quite a time before Joseph Lister's breakthrough studies. It is alluded to but not described in detail, which was disappointing because it was the core of belief in medicine for such a long time.

However, the overall outline of the book is well thought out and well put together. Medical personnel and students of history will surely find the look into medicine's past intriguing and at times, a bit horrifying.

Empire of the Scalpel: The History of Surgery is Ira Rutkow's broad and loving exploration of the practice of surgery in European and American history. Rutkow is both a historian who has published other works of medical history, and a surgeon who spent much of his career repairing hernia's to allow time for other pursuits.

Claiming to span the history of surgery from the Stone Age to the present, Empire of the Scalpel is intended "to be a comprehensive and revelatory history, one that is educational and entertaining and showcases the development of the profession..." (Author's Note). I felt these goals were not all met equally. It is certainly comprehensive and educational, but I did not feel particularly entertained.

The beginning sections of this book offer fascinating summaries of the findings of medical archeologists working without the benefit of the written record. Rutkow delves into medical care in the Bible, before transitioning into brief biographies and accomplishments of notable medical practitioners that fill out the remainder of the book, excluding the final two chapters. In this last section Rutkow offers a summary of the current practice of surgery and the possibilities for the future further aided by technology.

Interspersed with all of the history is Rutkow's own personal experience in training and practicing as a surgeon. Offering the occasional first hand view of what has been shared.

While at times fascinating and illuminating, I found in general the book slow to get through. Some of this is no doubt due to me, and some of my prior readings in medical history. As this book is meant to be a summary history of surgery the bulk of the content is introduced, explained and then linked to other points, without much depth.

While rather dry, Rutkow makes a point to keep the language consistent with the medical field, not adjusting it to the lay reader. He also does take advantage of notes to expand upon a topic. For those interested in the history of medicine this might be a book of interest, and would certainly point a reader to topics for further exploration.

Very fascinating history of surgery. This read was a very pleasant surprise, and I learned so much from the book. Well-researched, but told in an entertaining and comprehensible way. Well done!

I read this as an ARC from Netgalley.com.

What with the advances in surgery, it's easy to forget how historically, the concept of it was absolutely horrifying. Anesthesia and antiseptics were not discovered until the mid 1800s, so before that point surgery was very likely to end with a painful death.

Doctor Ira Rutkow explores this history in Empire of the Scalpel in which he goes from the trepanation of cavemen to the modern day surgery, where the surgeon may not even be on the same continent as the patient. I found his writing style to be easy to read, even for a layperson. He is clearly very passionate about medical history, which made the book all the more interesting. Definitely a good read for anyone interested in history or medical topics.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. Rutkow made the book easy to read by using everyday language and explaining medical jargon. Anyone wanting an in-depth look at how the world of medicine and surgeons came about, this book is for you.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Scribner for an advanced copy of this book on medical history.

Trust in science and medicine seems to ebb and flow like a tide. One person swearing they will never take a vaccine because they don't know what's in it, will take pills hawked by media personalities on late night cable. A lot can be ascribed to a lack of literacy on medicine how it's developed, why its developed or even the history of medicine and surgery. That's why a writer like Doctor Ira Rutkow is so important, someone who can clearly describe the most basic and most advanced of medical technology clearly and passionately. Dr. Rutkow's book Empire of the Scalpel: The History of Surgery tells the history of the development of surgery and its techniques, on what has been learned, what can be done, and more importantly what can't be done.

The book traces the history of surgery, first with a real experience that effected Dr. Rutkow's professional life introducing him to the idea that a procedure he had just witnessed was done thousands of years ago, with success. From their we move to the fossil remains of a skull showing the effects of trepanning, where a hole is drilled, or scrapped into the skull to allow blood to be released, easing pressure in the brain. From there the book covers the ancient and medieval times, the influence religion had on surgery, how early surgeons were treated, and what had been known, forgotten and relearned again. Dr. Rutkow also goes into how American money, brains and technology changed and created so many new kinds of safer surgical techniques, and what the future might hold.
The book is very well researched and even better well written. Dr. Rutkow is very passionate about his writing and the field of medical history and it shows in his style. The writing never overwhelms or overawes the reader, everything from the easiest to the most complex is ably explained and interesting without being all technobabbly. Another aspect that comes clear in the writing is the human factor. Yes we have progressed so far and so fast, but it is still the relationship between doctor and patient that is so important to last in health and a successful procedure.

A interesting book not only for medical aficionados or professionals, but for readers who enjoy very good history books. As a reader I found myself lost in the story amazed by the knowledge that has been passed down, and how it was discovered.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a fascinating read on the history of surgery. Highly recommend.

Surgery is scary. Just the idea of being under general anesthesia and being cut open...shudder! Nothing is scarier than real life.

But, surgery was horrifying 100 years ago. Life was fragile when you a toothache could kill you.

Now, in the USA, hundreds of millions of life-saving operations, including procedures never dreamed of before like face transplants, occur. Yet, the evolution of surgery was long and arduous, spearheaded by revolutionary visionaries, brilliant minds and people who defied conventional thinking and thought outside the box.

Empire of the Scalpel is the history of surgery; the scalpel bearers, once thought of as mere laborers, a job anyone can do, and looked down upon by the educated physicians from the ancient and modern past.

The author does a fantastic job tracing the origins of surgery; how it began, who once wielded the scalpel, the impediments and obstacles that prevented surgery from becoming a safe procedure; sanitation and hygiene controls; the creation of anesthesia, controlling blood loss and surgical shock.

Empire of the Scalpel is about the world and about America; how surgery evolved from medieval and ancient times, from Europe's rise to surgical prominence and eventually to America's reign of surgical innovations, transforming the scope of surgery forever.

Dr. Rutkow's writing style is easy to read, comfortable and fluid; his research is copious and comprehensive, and I appreciate the part where he notes surgery is always evolving and that before surgery can take place, the surgeon must be empathetic and aware of his or her patient's well being, mental and emotional health before a procedure.

Today, modern surgery is an incredible achievement, inspiring and wondrous, after so many drawbacks and failures, but we must not forget who came before us, who paved the way for surgery to attain its respectability it holds now.