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readingnookreviews's review against another edition
4.0
This book would be placed into both the nonfiction and fiction genres. They are fictitious stories based on or inspired by real life experience and events! The author provides insight into how a trauma doctor views and processes certain events or people in general. Also discussed the concept of having to flip a metaphorical switch in their minds to desensitize themselves to everything they see in order to help the patients in need. The novel (or rather collection of short stories) shows how a trauma room in a small rural town is already at a disadvantage for assisting patients but they must make do with what they have so they can save lives. The book is a very quick read but an emotionally powerful one.
black_girl_reading's review against another edition
1.0
I should have known this book was not going to give me the introspective reflections of a thoughtful doctor based on the fact that Green put “MD” in his name on the cover. Like, dude, we get it. Anyways. I picked it up because I love a good medical treatise, and I thought that the concept of work in a rural ER would be an interesting place to reflect on this issues of the rural populace: poverty, addiction, lack of access to medical care, etc. However, Green referred to vaguely fictionalized patients as junkies and meth heads, made it clear that he did not value staff, and! wrote what I’m sure he thought was a poignant and humanizing account of a man who MURDERED his demented wife because he was stressed. Pushed her down the stairs. It was hard for him you see. Nope. So much nope. Perhaps, other than humanizing a murderer while dehumanizing his victim, the weirdest thing about this book was Green’s propensity to start writing about a patient and then diverge into a soliloquy about what he thought their lives were like prior to their hospitalization. Like imaging where old scars came from, memories of first sexual experiences, idk man, it was weird. He would also try to render these poignant scenes of loss, but some woman cradling the bloody shoe of her dead child while screaming (all of this narrated by some dude in audiobook) was just so melodramatic and heavy handed. What can I say, I’m glad this dude isn’t my doctor. The Emperor of All Maladies this was not.
joywilcox's review against another edition
5.0
Wow
Beautiful and emotional. Well written. As an ICU nurse, I felt so much of what was written here. Thank you.
Beautiful and emotional. Well written. As an ICU nurse, I felt so much of what was written here. Thank you.
txbooklover's review against another edition
5.0
A really well-written medical "fiction" that is clearly based on real cases this doctor dealt with. They are presented as short stories about each patient/case and really explore the emotions of the doctor and patients more than the specifics of the medical procedures. There is a good variety and all the situations and emotions are extremely believable. 4.8/5 star.
angief65's review against another edition
5.0
So good.
I loved this book. The last chapter made me cry. The writing was great. Wow. It was a quick read and I wanted more.
I loved this book. The last chapter made me cry. The writing was great. Wow. It was a quick read and I wanted more.
hhm013's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
knitter22's review against another edition
5.0
I stumbled upon Trauma Room Two in Prime Reading, borrowed it, and found that it was so good I couldn't tear myself away. It's a collection of short stories written by an emergency room physician. Unlike other medical fiction I've read before, these stories are written with enough medical detail to ring true, and enough honesty and emotion to be profound and poignant. "The Crew", a story about the dread that every member of the trauma crew feels while they wait for an ambulance to arrive, fearful that it might involve one of their own sons or daughters, is one of the most compelling and honest stories I've read. Dr. Green is exhausted and possibly burned out, but he writes sensitively about the tragedies he sees on a daily basis, and the last story is a beautifully fitting ending. I simply could not stop thinking about the hospital staff's and patients' stories told in this book.
theprintedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
At first I wanted to give this book a 4 or 5 star rating. I always have this feeling with nonfiction books. I would give them stars just for being brave enough to write and publish a book about their own lives. Often they are worth 4 or 5 stars. But after I did some thinking on Trauma room 2, I decided that this book just wasn’t worth it. It is not a bad book, I would still call it a good book. And it is a nice book to read that I would recommend to anyone. But I just had some issues with it.
First, let’s talk about what I liked about Trauma room 2.
It got emotional. I never felt like it was written by an analytical mind who saw numbers in everyone (we all know doctors like that). This book is written by a human being. The first story had me in tears. It got personal. He didn’t shy away from talking about his fears or his family. He talked about how hard his job mentally is, and that at times he just wants to quit and leave everything at the hospital behind.
On the other hand one of the things that bothered me was that is felt like this book was written by a frustrated man who just needed to write his stories down or otherwise would explode. I think some stories were purely written out of frustration. It can be a good reason to write a book and I hope it’s a way for him to cope with what he sees every day. But it is not the kind of books I particularly enjoy.
The other thing that bothered me was that the book was short. He says in the book that he has numerous examples and stories. But the book is only just over 150 pages long.
I still conclude that this is a good book to read and I enjoyed it. But It just had some faults.
At first I wanted to give this book a 4 or 5 star rating. I always have this feeling with nonfiction books. I would give them stars just for being brave enough to write and publish a book about their own lives. Often they are worth 4 or 5 stars. But after I did some thinking on Trauma room 2, I decided that this book just wasn’t worth it. It is not a bad book, I would still call it a good book. And it is a nice book to read that I would recommend to anyone. But I just had some issues with it.
First, let’s talk about what I liked about Trauma room 2.
It got emotional. I never felt like it was written by an analytical mind who saw numbers in everyone (we all know doctors like that). This book is written by a human being. The first story had me in tears. It got personal. He didn’t shy away from talking about his fears or his family. He talked about how hard his job mentally is, and that at times he just wants to quit and leave everything at the hospital behind.
On the other hand one of the things that bothered me was that is felt like this book was written by a frustrated man who just needed to write his stories down or otherwise would explode. I think some stories were purely written out of frustration. It can be a good reason to write a book and I hope it’s a way for him to cope with what he sees every day. But it is not the kind of books I particularly enjoy.
The other thing that bothered me was that the book was short. He says in the book that he has numerous examples and stories. But the book is only just over 150 pages long.
I still conclude that this is a good book to read and I enjoyed it. But It just had some faults.
jlball125's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5: My only con was the stories were a bit overdramatized. That being said, it is a work of fiction, inspired by real-life experiences, so I understand the author’s rationale for writing this way. Overall, a lot of the stories resonated personally with me and I think anyone in healthcare will feel the same. The author captures what it’s like to tell a family member that their loved one is dead, how difficult it is to have conversations about end of life, and how burnout is a very real thing.
rwcarter's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a collection of fictionalized vignettes that all take place in a rural emergency department. For me, collections of short stories can sometimes blur together and become tedious, but this is not at all what happened here. Maybe it is because of my prior interest in medicine, but each of these stories was impactful and emotional in its own way. Often having Shyamalanian twists which only add to the intrigue, these stories touch not on the medical side of the ER, but the human side. This is a quick read that I devoured over the course of 60 minutes -- the writing is concise and to the point but still able to deliver big bunches of emotion. Touching on issues like physician assisted suicide and what it would be like to code your own child, this collection should be on everyone's bookshelf, healthcare worker or not.