Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science by Sam Kean

18 reviews

panthalassa's review against another edition

dark informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Slavery, Transphobia, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Mental illness, Murder, and Racism

Moderate: Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Deadnaming, Grief, and Dysphoria

Minor: Rape, Addiction, and Abortion

laurenkimoto's review against another edition

challenging funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Here are some non coherent thoughts on this book as my brain is still reeling from it and the appendix…

The transitions between chapters and delightful little paragraphs that are reminiscent of the “next time on…” that follow tv shows 

Kean’s sense of humour, sarcasm, and wit shine through on occasion to bring some relief when talking about such a serious topic. 

I appreciate that the section breaks in each chapter are little pictures of objects that relate to the content of each chapter. 

The book starts off “easy” talking about pirates but then hits you with the trans Atlantic slave trade. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Transphobia, Torture, and Slavery

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Genocide, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Torture, Suicide, War, and Toxic relationship

clarabooksit's review against another edition

dark informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Dysphoria, Xenophobia, Violence, Torture, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Classism, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Genocide, Colonisation, Child abuse, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

livdelrosso's review against another edition

dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Torture, and Pedophilia

akazzy8's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative mysterious medium-paced

4.75

This book was excellent! I was looking for a good spooky season book, and this was really the perfect option for me. It has notes of creepiness and dark themes, but isn't a murder mystery which is a genre I can't stand and really dominates the spooky book aisles. It is extra creepy as it talks about real happenings, and like any history book as a way to educate and make adjustments for a more equitable future.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Transphobia, Torture, Slavery, Racism, Murder, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Gore, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Colonisation, Antisemitism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Alcohol

While there are many content warnings, I would mention they are stated in more of a detached academic fashion. While there are horrible portions, it is not always written like a story, so readers detachment from some of these acts make this book less "graphic". This certainly is not to say that these warnings aren't still there!

readundancies's review against another edition

dark informative reflective

4.0

This non-fiction read was my kinda morbid. I loved the scientific context mixed with the true crime documentary tone of the writing. 

Let it be known that this is not for the faint of heart. A lot of the more disillusioning and heavy content is covered in a very clinical way, and it can take a bit of getting used to. There are some really coldhearted individuals out there and this book highlights some of the most infamous of the lot. 

It’s so interesting though. I was living for this content. The number of times I said What the fuck?!? while reading was too many. 

At this point I should probably mention that I read this non-chronologically. It’s written in a way that each chapter is directly connected to and leads into the next. But, I was feeling out of sorts and decided to switch things up and read all over the place with respect to chapters. I didn't find it even mildly disconcerting, so I'd say if you wanted to read chapters out of order, it's very doable. 

My favourite chapters in no particular order include: 

• Piracy: The Buccaneer Biologist
• Slavery: The Corruption of the Flycatcher
• Grave-Robbing: Jekyll & Hyde, Hunter & Knox
• Murder: The Professor and the Janitor
• Ambition: Surgery for the Soul
• Malpractice: Sex, Power, and Money
• Fraud: Superwoman.

If you're looking for a science-based non-fiction read with some true crime flair to the writing, I definitely recommend this.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Dysphoria, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

az_pollock's review against another edition

funny informative fast-paced

5.0

Reads like true crime short stories
Fun but can get gross

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Gore, Murder, and Violence

sunshinestark's review against another edition

dark informative fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, and Torture