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Adam Kay: Undoctored (2022, Orion Publishing Group, Limited) 4 stars

3 stars

3 stars

“This book contains pregnancy loss, depictions of disordered eating behaviours, including methods, and details of sexual violence.” it also mentions cheating. Now, these aren't mentioned right away in the book, and I believe they should. Yes, you're reading a book written by a former doctor, but if you are sensitive to those sorts of things, then it's best to know before diving too deep into a book.

I believe the book is mostly a re-telling of the author's life that includes part before they became a doctor, training to be a doctor, working as a doctor, and as a former doctor. So, if you're looking for a book more about being in the hospital, then start with the author's first book.

As always with this author, read their annotations, as it makes the book better. Reading on an eReader can help with this. However, there are still many funny passages, “And finally my dream was fulfilled. Well, someone’s dream, but … whatever.”, or, “At the time, I felt like reminding them that I hadn’t actually been to medical school yet, so how about they let me in, and I’d get back to them in six years?”.

“so much human behaviour would seem like a very bad idea if boiled down to a list of pros and cons. Getting married, for example. Gym membership. The government. A quick drink after work. But despite what medicine may have taught me, not everything can come down to a logical list of benefits and risks. It’s all outweighed by a strange intangible – call it love if you want, call it your brainstem, call it a primal urge – but it’s big, and it’s unknowable, and it’s real.”

I do like how the author ends the book, “The best you can hope for in life is that you leave behind a legacy that makes this world a better place for someone, somewhere, in whatever small way you can.”