“Like the tennis player and the oboist, and the guy who fixes hard drives, we need practice to get good at what we do. There is one difference in medicine, though: it is people we practice upon.”

“That our efforts succeeded at all is sometimes still a shock to me. But they do. Not always, but often enough.”

Complications is such a phenomenal book told by one trusted doctor who is paying attention to an entire industry. Atul Gawande shares his experiences, plus what he gleaned from research and interviews to tell a compelling story. The fact that this was written 20 years ago shocks me. Gawande was ahead of his time. Yet still the system is flawed and fails. One of my favorite parts was about the improvements done with anesthesia processes. I also loved how the incredible stories told in each chapter show the truths of Gawande’s claims. And of course I appreciate the authors writing skill and his respectful treatment of people throughout. Brilliant book all the way around.