The Source of All Things

by Reinhard Friedl

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Source of All Things is a layman accessible look at the interplay between the heart and the mind and emotions from the perspective of a cardiac surgeon. Originally published in German in 2019, this English language translation is due out 24th Aug 2021 from Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint. It's 320 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

I am a medical professional in a histopathology lab. My day job is to prepare cancer biopsies and other patient samples into finished slides to be diagnosed by pathologists. Objectivity is paramount for both quality control and for maintaining enough emotional distance to protect the mental health of the person interacting with the samples. In the same way, the objectivity of a surgeon allows him/her to literally hold an organ in their hands and make the necessary adjustments to allow the patient to heal, if possible. Precisely the same objectivity, erected intentionally as defense, can also build a wall between us and feeling too deeply or completely.

This book is one surgeon's story of his own training, the emotional toll of his work, and his personal growth toward empathy. He's witty and well spoken and the book includes many asides along the way into interesting and enlightening physiology of the body and its inner workings which are mostly hidden from the vast majority.

There are numerous case histories scattered throughout, though the book is not primarily concerned with actual treatment and recovery. It's layman accessible (I don't trust my own judgement on the subject since this is more or less my day job, but I asked a family member who isn't in medicine), and it's meticulously annotated throughout. The chapter notes and bibliography will give ample scope for further reading. Most of the links to peer-reviewed papers are in English, but many will require more in-depth knowledge and aren't especially layman accessible.

I found the translation work to be seamlessly done. It didn't feel as though it had been translated and there weren't any abrupt or odd sentence constructions which felt unnatural or artificial.

As popular science writing, it's appealing and engaging to read. The author has a lot to say about the connections between physiology and emotional health. I personally felt whilst reading that he shaded ever so slightly over into a sort of borderland between hard science and philosophy which (for me personally) felt a little "pop-psych-ish".

Four stars. I would recommend this one for fans of popular science. It would also be a good fit for caregivers, medical professionals, and some patients.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.