by Sam Kean
First published 2021
In the sinister world of medical experimentation, a shocking trail of abuse and atrocity is uncovered. "The Icepick Surgeon" exposes the dark side of scientific progress, where the vulnerable were sacrificed in the name of discovery. From the syphilis experiments that ravaged Tuskegee to the mental patients lobotomized for convenience, this book chronicles the shocking betrayals of the Hippocratic oath. But at its heart lies a gripping human story - of the powerful lording over the powerless, and the immense cost paid by those who dared to challenge the status quo.
Genres: abuse, non-fiction, history-of-medicine, medical-ethics, 21st-century, true-crime
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark-academia, investigative-journalism
368 pages · Paperback · Back Bay Books
Content warnings: abuse, medical-trauma, torture