The Masters of Medicine: Our greatest triumphs in the race to cure humanity's deadliest diseases
An in-depth look at the mavericks, moments, and mistakes that sparked the greatest medical discoveries in modern times—plus the cures that will help us live longer and healthier lives in this century . . . and beyond
Human history hinges on the battle to confront our most dangerous enemies—the half-dozen diseases responsible for killing almost all of mankind. The story of our medical triumphs reveals an inspiring tapestry of human achievement, but the journey was far from smooth. It is a tale replete with dramatic episodes as spellbinding as any blockbuster Hollywood movie.
In The Masters of Medicine, Dr. Andrew Lam, an award-winning author and retinal surgeon, distills the long arc of medical progress down to the crucial moments that were responsible for the world’s greatest medical miracles. He brings to life heroic tales of embattled mavericks who endured ridicule and sometimes risked their own lives to conceive the incredible, life-saving cures we depend on, and often take for granted, today.
The Masters of Medicine is a fascinating chronicle of human courage, audacity, error, and luck. This riveting ode to mankind expertly highlights the battle against deaths from heart attacks, diabetes, infection, cancer, trauma, and childbirth, revealing why the past is prelude to the game-changing breakthroughs of tomorrow.
Andrew Lam, M.D., is the award-winning author of three books. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, and he has been a featured commentator on PBS Newshour, New England Public Radio and many other media outlets. Born in Philadelphia and raised in central Illinois, he graduated summa cum laude in history from Yale University, where he studied military history and U.S.-East Asian relations. He then attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by specialty training in ophthalmology and retina surgery at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, where he also served as chief resident. Dr. Lam has authored numerous scientific articles and is a co-investigator for several national clinical trials. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, a partner at New England Retina Consultants, and an attending surgeon at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. He resides in Longmeadow, Massachusetts with his wife and four children.
