Every time surgeons operate, they're betting their skills are better than the brain tumor, the faulty heart valve, the fractured femur. Sometimes, they're wrong. At Chelsea General, surgeons answer for bad outcomes at the Morbidity and Mortality conference, known as M & M. This extraordinary peek behind the curtain into what is considered the most secretive meeting in all of medicine is the back drop for the entire book.
Monday Mornings, by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, follows the lives of five surgeons at Chelsea General as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings, often in front of their peers at M & M. It is on Monday mornings that reflection and introspection occurs, usually in private. It is Monday Mornings that provides a unique look at the real method in which surgeons learn - through their mistakes. It is Monday Mornings when, if you're lucky, you have a chance at redemption.
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"I liked this book very much though I'll admit to really enjoying medical shows on television as well. The minute I finished this book I realized why I liked it...it read like it was a more educated version of the show, Grey's Anatomy. The characters are likable and interesting. All have something to offer and yet are certainly flawed. Their strengths (as medical professionals) and weaknesses (as human beings) are revealed through their responsibilities at the hospital that's the center of the novel. This is Sanjay Gupta's first foray into fiction and it was very enjoyable."
— Holly (4 out of 5 stars)
“Monday Mornings launches off the page like a thoroughbred out of the gates…Gupta has created a group of unforgettable characters and placed them in situations in the fictional Chelsea General that feel all too real. But hospitals are, after all, Gupta’s turf; his insights into the craft of surgery combined with vivid storytelling make Monday Mornings a gripping and wonderful read right down to the wire.”
— Abraham Verghese, New York Times bestselling author“Narrator Christian Rummel gives this book a fast-paced, dramatic reading that makes it both compelling and entertaining. He effectively uses his deep, authoritative, nasal-tinged voice to portray the doctors as they see themselves.”
— AudioFile“You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to write a novel, but with Monday Mornings, readers will be glad one did.”
— Booklist“Anyone who enjoys medical fiction should like this novel…Gupta keeps his numerous characters and their intermingled lives and crises in play and convinces readers to care about each one.”
— Library Journal" The ER Department of Chelsea General is busy. This book follows the neurosurgeons. We learn of their cases and their personal lives in this fun read. We get to hear about their M&M meetings, meetings only doctors attend, after a patient has died. "
— Megan, 2/11/2014" It was an ok book. At times it got too much off track , some situations were contradicting. I did finish it but it was not a page turner. "
— Nish, 2/1/2014" This was an interesting read. I was quite surprised at Guptas ability to tell a good story..man of different talents! "
— Barbara, 1/31/2014" i liked this novel. i am sure it has some of his experiences in it. "
— Gale, 1/18/2014" Interesting medical information, e.g.; how doctors work and make mistakes. A book however, not well told. "
— Rod, 1/11/2014" This book kind of dragged along! The tv show is definitely better! "
— Heather, 1/10/2014" Entertaining, quick read. Enjoyed the discription of the M & M that doctors use to hold each other accountable. It also shows the doctors as human with all the normal emotions as well as the introspection that those emotions may trigger. "
— Melanie, 1/5/2014" Makes me want to stay awake if I'm ever in surgery; just to make sure they are doing it right. "
— Genevieve, 1/3/2014" Love Sanjay Gupta decent audio for a commute. Not literature but an enjoyable listen. "
— Andrea, 12/27/2013" Okay, but never really grabbed me. This book should really have been called "When Bad Things Happen to Good Doctors". You are introduced to several doctors with a smattering of character development, but the resolution of each thread just fell flat for me. "
— Brian, 12/18/2013" fascinating story about what can happen in a hospital "
— Jean, 12/12/2013" I recall one occasion when my husband was in the hospital the doctor telling me that they had discussed his case at their regular Monday Morning meeting. "
— Carol, 12/4/2013" It was more entertaining than I expected. Good if you are interested in medicine. "
— David, 12/4/2013" I liked this book a lot. There was a lot of interesting medical terminology, but it wasn't overwhelming. The storyline was good. However, I felt like the book ended too abruptly. It needed a few more chapters to get a more reasonable endings for the characters. "
— Jamie, 9/19/2013" If you like Grey's Anatomy you will like this book. Storyline progresses well. "
— Shelly, 5/16/2013" It showed the human side of doctors patients don't often get to see "
— Jackie, 5/2/2013" This book was great, a bit depressing in places, but really spoke to the emotional turmoil that doctors and their families face. I liked that it was not at all political, just a good, solid novel about people. "
— Katie, 2/5/2013" The medicine was interesting, the Novelization not so much. "
— Chad, 2/3/2013" I really enjoyed this book. A look into the world of medicine. "
— Amy, 11/15/2012" Interesting and enjoyable book to read. Shows the human side of doctors. Enjoyed local Ann Arbor references. "
— Keith, 10/29/2012" Well written, hard to put down. "
— Mary, 10/27/2012" to me, this book was like samuel shem's "house of god" as attendings. loved it! "
— Lorie, 9/8/2012" I am a big fan of Dr. Gupta and I loved the Michigan and Ann Arbor details in this book, which reads like a novelization of an ER episode. Likeable enough for a quick summer read. "
— Aggie, 3/14/2012" good story with great characters but disappointed with the medical inaccuracies "
— Christina, 2/19/2012Sanjay Gupta, MD, is a practicing neurosurgeon at Emory University Hospital and associate chief of service at Grady Memorial Hospital. A columnist for Time magazine and a chief medical correspondent at CNN, he lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Christian Rummel has recorded many audiobooks in a variety of genres and won two AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actor, he has worked with Theatre for a New Audience and Clubbed Thumb and also appeared in several episodes of Law & Order.