Surgery on the Shoulders of Giants: Letters from a doctor abroad by Saqib Noor
From Goodreads
Surgery on the Shoulders of Giants is a heart wrenching yet uplifting collection of letters written during the medical travels of Saqib Noor, a surgeon in training and passionate about health care in impoverished areas.
The events are described in real time within a series of personal letters, as the author travelled from country to country over a ten year span. The writings describe the disasters of the Haiti earthquake and Pakistan floods of 2010 as well as travels to South Africa, Cambodia, Ethiopia and Myanmar.
The letters reveal the complexities and challenges of medical work in austere environments, as well as the emotional toll it takes on all involved. The stories are filled with sadness yet inspired by hope and an underlying faith in the goodness of the human condition.
Recommended for travel lovers, all involved with healthcare and those wanting a human insight into medical care during disasters and the health challenges facing the poorest parts of the world.
ISBN: 9781521173190
Publisher: Independently published
Publication date: April 27th 2017
Pages: 251
Review
This is a very emotional book and very poignant. There is a real vulnerability and honesty in this book which is extremely refreshing. The reader is gifted with a chance to see what it’s like working as a doctor in conditions that the vast majority of us probably have little or no concept about.
The book spans many years and places but starts in South Africa when the author was still in training as a doctor. It provides an insight into the life of doctors in places that have limited resources which is something we in our modern world is pretty remote from our understanding of the medical world. It’s like stepping back in time when reading this book. The reader is transported from a world full of technology designed to make our lives easier and pandering to our ‘need’ for things to be completed yesterday, into a world where all this modern technology is as foreign to its people as the lack thereof is to us. It’s refreshing yet also restrictive. The reader is made aware of the frustrations that Saqib faces yet the growth that comes from this is beyond marvellous.
I loved the honesty and rawness of the letters in this book and I came away feeling nothing but admiration and awe for Saqib. I feel privileged to have read this book and been let into this world.
Recommend for: Adults
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
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