by Lisa Sanders
First published 2019
Lisa Sanders brings readers into the examining room where medical mysteries unfold. A birthday celebrant in the Bahamas samples barracuda and hours later writhes in agony on a dance floor. A woman's mild hand rash transforms into purple streaks whipping across her body within two days. An elephant trainer suffers crushing headaches after a zebra attack, describing the pain as doors slamming inside his skull. Sanders draws from her work as a Yale School of Medicine physician and her New York Times column to reveal how doctors navigate these puzzling cases. Each patient presents symptoms that defy easy answers. The diagnostic process winds through false starts and dead ends. Sanders demonstrates that reaching the right conclusion demands medical knowledge, careful methodology, and occasional fortune. She places readers alongside physicians as they wrestle with uncertainty and experience the satisfaction of solving complex medical puzzles.
Genres: science, medical, mystery, non-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, medical-drama
Setting: Bahamas, Yale School of Medicine
Period: 21st-Century
320 pages · Paperback · Crown