A review by kpierce94010
Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood by Rose George

3.0

I saw this book recommended as one of Bill Gates' five summer reads and it sounded intriguing. However, this book is too scattered. I think it would be better if it had focused on either the transfusion/ blood product aspect or the menstruation aspect. For example, there was a lot about blood transfusions and the diseases transmitted by blood transfusions, but there is no mention of the potential transmission of prion diseases, for example.
In addition, I think the author over states her case. For example, there is a whole discussion of the use of leaches for wound healing but the reality is that the use of leaches is extremely rare, including for veterinary medicine, and I think the author overstates the use..