|
Cheating Death: The Doctors and Medical Miracles that Are Saving Lives Against All Odds |  | Author: Sanjay Gupta
Publisher: Wellness Central
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $10.95
as of 11/21/2009 01:57 MST details
You Save: $14.04 (56%)
New (37) Used (11) from $10.85
Seller: cseereader
Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 5330
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.8 x 1
ISBN: 044650887X
Dewey Decimal Number: 616.025
EAN: 9780446508872
ASIN: 044650887X
Publication Date: October 12, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
An unborn baby with a fatal heart defect . . . a skier submerged for an hour in a frozen Norwegian lake . . . a comatose brain surgery patient whom doctors have declared a "vegetable."
Twenty years ago all of them would have been given up for dead, with no realistic hope for survival. But today, thanks to incredible new medical advances, each of these individuals is alive and well . . .Cheating Death.
In this riveting book, Dr. Sanjay Gupta-neurosurgeon, chief medical correspondent for CNN, and bestselling author-chronicles the almost unbelievable science that has made these seemingly miraculous recoveries possible. A bold new breed of doctors has achieved amazing rescues by refusing to accept that any life is irretrievably lost. Extended cardiac arrest, "brain death," not breathing for over an hour-all these conditions used to be considered inevitably fatal, but they no longer are. Today, revolutionary advances are blurring the traditional line between life and death in fascinating ways.
Drawing on real-life stories and using his unprecedented access to the latest medical research, Dr. Gupta dramatically presents exciting accounts of how pioneering physicians and researchers are altering our understanding of how the human body functions when it comes to survival-and why more and more patients who once would have died are now alive. From experiments with therapeutic hypothermia to save comatose stroke or heart attack victims to lifesaving operations in utero to the study of animal hibernation to help wounded soldiers on far-off battlefields, these remarkable case histories transform and enrich all our assumptions about the true nature of death and life.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 17
 Couldn't wait to pass along to the Health Proffessionals I know. November 18, 2009
S. G. Edwards (S.W. Florida)
From the first page I became engrossed and knew I was reading new and very useful information.
This book should be read by all health professionals, I hope if I ever need help that the person helping me has read this tome.
A worthwhile read! November 16, 2009
Alma Carroll (Washington State)
I found this publication to be a very informative documentation of the cutting edge medical research and practice used today. I appreciated that the author's review of such research and practice examined the work of doctors, paramedics, and scientists from various parts of the world. While the book mainly focuses on saving the lives of adults who suffer from various types of ailments (such as cardiac arrest and cancerous tumors) and accidents (such as near-drowning and car accidents), it also looks at the beginning of life and in-utero conditions that threaten the life of the near-born.
The information is presented in a very easy to read narrative form, so the book is quite a fast-read. However, the topic is so important, I would hope that readers will pause to reflect on the significance of what is reported. While Gupta does not definitively state that he believes in miracles, he does sensitively address the question of what is death from both a medical and spiritual perspective.
I highly recommend this book.
 Not what I expected November 14, 2009
Nick Manix (Texas)
"Cheating Death" written and read by CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is amazing and at times shocking. Bringing to light instances where patients, who for all intents and purposes, were clinically dead and brought back to life by doctors who refused to believe what the heart monitors showed. They wouldn't give up and were willing to try experimental procedures that in the end saved a life.
Dr. Gupta states, "We're use to thinking of dying in stark terms. Dead or alive; you're here, and then you're gone." And goes on to say that the process of death is much more intricate and methodic literally starting from the top, the brain, to the bottom, organ failure. Giving us a glimpse into his life, Dr. Gupta tells of the first time he witnessed this process as a third year medical student at the University of Michigan. Since that time, he has wondered if there was a way to give a person in the process of dying just a little more time, a way to "...shift the line between life and death."
Being honest and blunt, Dr. Gupta tells us that there is no such thing as immediate death (being killed instantly) and that death is not a single event. When the heart stops beating it's not the end and death is a process that may be interrupted and sometimes even reversed. He tells us that there is the possibility of cheating death and that our bodies can "modify" itself in order to survive.
From using hypothermia as a way to save heart attack victims and exploring the world around us for examples of how other species survive in extreme and harsh environments, it's explained that we are getting closer and closer to actually cheating death.
As hard as it is to believe, we witness it on a daily basis. The HemCon Bandage can stop arterial bleeding and is being used for head and neck wound trauma, car accidents and even gun shot wounds. Researchers and scientists are closer to developing a vaccine to hinder HIV. Hodgkins Disease, a cancer that once was a death sentence, can now be cured in 90% of those diagnosed; even those in Stage 4 of the disease.
At times, Dr. Gupta's stories seem like they belong in science fiction books but as we look at the world around us, it is indeed shifting to that very realm.
Pleasantly surprised and at times captivated, Dr. Gupta brought me into his world and held my attention. "Cheating Death" is a must have. In audiobook, Kindle, e-book, hardback or paperback however you get it, it is a must read for anyone in medical school, those who ail from debilitating diseases or those of you who want to know just how far medicine has come in the past 20 years and how you, and your doctors, can possibly cheat death...sometimes.
A compelling read November 1, 2009
A. Ezrin
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
A very compelling read and well written collection of unique outcomes. As a scientist asssociated with the case described with regards to the long term brain cancer survivor, I can define that the story is vibrant and a true story. Dr Gupta and his team have accurately captured the emotions and details of the case. Having worked closely with the patient and the clinicians at the Robert Tisch Brain Cancer Center, the story reflects first hand information as it relates to the patient's journey(s) and trials with a universally fatal disease.
The patient's fight against this rare and lethal form of brain cancer and his message to others has been previouly captured in his inspriational music and the subject of a CBS News 60 minute docmentary in 2005 (year 7 of his journey). The up to-date dossier in Guptas 2009 book ends with a note of concern that the patient after 13 years of a good qualtiy of life is once again challenged with a frontal assault upon the return of this life-threateing disease. In addition to being defined as one of the most interesting people in the compilation of this book, the narrative has captured the spirrit of the patient, his strength to face his disease with extreme courage and his medical team who work dilligently every day to provide hope to the patinets in their care that new advances in treating this disease can indeed cheat death.
In the words of the patient we elect not to discuss median survival statistics but focus upon quality of life while Cheating Death. Despite a median survival upon disease recurrence of 30-44 weeks, we celebrate every day. Currently the patient remains disease free almost one year after disease recurrence and in his own words is back traveling and sharing his music and gospel message of hope "better than ever".
Kudos to Dr Gupta, his team and the patients described in this compelling read with whom we celbrate every day after Cheating Death and to those who know the sweet meaning of Life is Good.
Alan M. Ezrin, Ph.D.
 Cheating Death creates confusion November 1, 2009
Carl L. Anderson (Trenton, NJ USA)
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
I already wrote one review on this book, but apparently it never was cleared to be published on Amazon. That really disappointed me, I thought Amazon would be bigger than that, or at least would have told me why it would not be posted. My concern, and a large concern, with this book is that it takes anecdotal evidence, stories and completely unscientific scenarios and presents them as fact. Even if Gupta acknowledges that these may be unusual situations it still presents ideas that are in direct conflict with what good medicine says. This book is not based on fact, or any medical evidence. Instead, it uses Gupta's stories and his reputation to present ideas as fact that will ultimately confuse people as to what coma, vegetative state, and brain dead really are. I was extremely disappointed in this book.
Carl Anderson
Showing reviews 1-5 of 17
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME. Working Dogs | |
