The Edge of Medicine - by William C Hanson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

At a time when we are all gravely concerned about the cost of health care, medical technology, paradoxically, is expanding and evolving as never before. Experts agree that we are entering a Golden Age when many clinical treatments that today seem like science fiction will one day become part of a routine trip to the doctor. University of Pennsylvania Medical School Professor William Hanson offers intimate true-life stories that revise our understanding of mortality. From brainwave-operated wheelchairs, to electronic noses that diagnose disease, to surgery by remote-controlled robots and nanoscale machines that will identify and kill individual malignant cells, this is a startling and exciting account of innovations that will directly affect our health.

Review Quotes

"The work is informative, coherent, extremely well written, and easy to read; it will make readers acutely aware of the vast number of high-tech advances with potential to have a profound, positive impact on medical diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through professionals/ practitioners; general readers." --CHOICE

"(A) spirited, feel-good look at an area of medicine that's making progress." --Kirkus

"For those who look to the future, Dr. Hanson has written an enthusiastic travelogue, a guide to the universe of marvels coming soon to a hospital near you." --Abigail Zuger, M.D., The New York Times

"The Edge of Medicine is a revelatory look at the amazing technology that will drive our medical future, from proton beams to mind-reading brain chips. Dr. Hanson is the ideal guide: knowledgeable, thoughtful, and fun." --Jack El-Hai, author of The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness

"A rare glimpse into the future of medicine, through the eyes of a Renaissance thinker with a remarkable grasp of history and modern science, combined with deep compassion for patients. He sees linkages among vastly different sciences, such as physics, nanotechnology and computer sciences, that others often miss. He envisions a melding of scientific advances in physics and chemistry with those in communications technology, leading to an exciting era of personalized healthcare that seemed impossible only a few years ago. Throughout, he never fails to focus on the human side of healthcare; few could lead us there so elegantly." --David E. Longnecker, MD, Director at the Association of American Medical Colleges

"A riveting and readable account of the future of technology in health care. Dr. William Hanson makes a convincing case that the ultimate goal of tiny nanomachines and gargantuan proton beam facilities is a medicine that is preventative, efficient, and personalized." --Arthur L. Caplan, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

About the Author

William Hanson, M.D., is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. He has lectured at Microsoft, The Wharton Business School, and has been interviewed on NPR's Fresh Air. He lives outside of Philadelphia.