Paul Craddock

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC! The subtitle of this book is: The Story of Medicine through the History of Transplant Surgery. There is minimal gore (there are a few exceptions) and a great deal of history. The first chapter starts in the 1500’s and starts out with “Skin” and ends in the 1960’s with “Organs” and “Transplant Future”. The book also includes illustrations that add another dimension to the written word.

I always love when a book piques my interest so much that I Google the subject to learn more. SPARE PARTS does just that. One of the more…interesting… items was an old YouTube video of disembodied parts living outside the body of deceased dogs. The film was made in 1940 and is found under the title of “Experiments in the Revival of Organisms”. The highlight (?) of this film is a disembodied dog head reacting to stimuli as it is kept “alive” by an artificial heart and lungs. Not for the faint of heart.

I was totally unaware of the history behind transplants, so reading this book was quite intriguing. Apparently tooth transplants were all the rage in the late 1600’s, with poor children selling their teeth to be transplanted into the mouths of the wealthy. It was poignant to think that the only items of value that those poor children had were their teeth. The book makes note that they were quite eager to sell their dentition in order to make money so they could eat. I am not sure how satisfying meals were, having to consume their food with minimal or no teeth in their mouth.

The book also discusses blood transfusions between humans and animals, and kidney/heart/organ transplants. There is a great deal of history along with the author’s thoughts on the subjects. SPARE PARTS is written well, in a way that a reader with no medical background will understand. Those with a medical background will enjoy it as well, as the history aspect may add another layer to their knowledge.

I enjoyed reading SPARE PARTS so much, as it taught me more of the historical aspect of transplants and how the practice has evolved over the years. It is always amazing to read about how physicians practiced hundred of years ago, and what they thought about the workings of the human body.

If you are interested in learning more about the unusual history of transplant surgery I definitely recommend this book. Well written and quite interesting! Follow my blog for more reviews:… (mais)

Spare Parts: The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant by Paul Craddock, a history much longer than I had ever imagined. The book begins with skin grafts. The first historical accounts of transplants were skin grafts in ancient India. The technique then arose In Europe in the 16th c with nose grafts - apparently it was not uncommon for knights to lose their noses to sword fights or disease. The book then looks at the evolution of medicine through blood transfusions, teeth transplants, and organ transplants including kidneys and hearts.Along the way, Craddock introduces the readers to the heroic and, in many cases, the not so heroic figures behind the failures and successes that led to today. He also looks at the possibilities of advances in the future of transplants including 3D printing of body parts.

Spare Parts is a well-written and compelling account of the history and evolution of transplants and medicine over the centuries. It is a fascinating read even for someone like me with no medical background and very little knowledge of medical history. I’m not sure I would call it enjoyable - there was a certain yuck factor and I have a greater appreciation for the suffering of animals in the search for medical advances - but it was a fascinating read and I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone interested in history or medicine or both.

I’d like to thank Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review… (mais)

I really enjoyed this book that walks us through the past of early medicine to transplants as they are today. I often was reminded of Sawbones. We believed a lot of weird things! This is written expertly, but it also has a lot of humor. I really enjoyed the figures thrown in. One of my favorites has to be the one with the descriptor "Two men attempting to resuscitates a drowned woman by blowing into her anus."

I am in the medical field, but I really don't think you have to have any background in medicine to enjoy this book. Very little of this was part of any training I had. I certainly never learned about transfusions between different animals, for example.

This is definitely a 5 star read for me, and also a very quick read. Thank you netgalley and St. Martin's press for giving me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.… (mais)