The Medical Science of House M.D.

Several months ago I wrote a post about the television series House M.D. I have found myself addicted to the series after discovering it last fall. The USA Network allowed me to catch up on the previous two years while coasting along with the current season which ended just a week or so ago.

At the time I wrote the post I received a response from Andrew Holtz, MPH. He has written a book entitled "The Medical Science of House M.D." It took me close to six months, but I recently did find the time to devour a copy.

Holtz is a medical journalist. He worked for CNN as a medical correspondent in the 1980s and 1990s. He has also done plenty of work for public broadcasting.

Compared to all of his previous work, his latest book seems like a very commercial piece of puffery. House M.D. is a television show. It is fully of pretty, California looking doctors and patients for a series taking place in New Jersey. The concept that the good doctor is strung out on Vicodin and only sees patients he wants to see is hardly believable.

So why should be believe these far out tales of medical absurdities? Why would we think that anything that happens on the show is realistic at all?

From reading Holtz's book, there is plenty that is real and plenty that is fantasy, bordering on science fiction. One simple thing that Holtz exposes is that doctors rarely do their own lab work. House constantly gives his team assignments and sometimes swoops in and studies the results himself.

In reality, doctors do not do that. In some cases, they are not even allowed to do their own testing and analysis. They simply do not have the time or the training. Radiologists are paid good money to take the pictures and analyze the results. Sometimes the process takes days and weeks. Rarely do the good “facing” doctors come up with the solution to the medical mystery within twenty-four hours.

Yet some stories are closer to reality. The story of the couple with Cadmium poisoning due to smoking bad marijuana is a real possibility. Holtz explains to the reader that marijuana and tobacco are both likely to pull large amounts of heavy metals from the soil, which the smoker will later ingest. I have never smoked either substance but have always joked that I may when I retire and am no longer considered a role model. This story puts even the that light consideration to rest.

Holtz has put together an excellent paper. One chapter flows into the next easily, from the first visit to the doctor, to testing and all points of the diagnosis process. In fact, the author really did not need to include Dr. House in his presentation at all. The book could easily have stood on its own as a book about diagnosing illness.

When reading the ingredient list on a label, the FDA insists that the first ingredients listed have the greatest percentage in the package while the last ingredients listed have the smallest amount. The title of this book could hold to that requirement.

"The Medical Science of House M.D." is much more about medicine and science that it is about the television show. Holtz is obviously familiar with the program; although I am not positive he is a fan. After reading the book, it strikes me that he just wants to set the minds of potential patients straight about what their expectations should be.

He does that here and does it well. If you have any curiosity about specific storylines, or have an interest at all in the process of diagnosing illness, this book is worth your time.

Thank you for reading. We'll talk again soon.

Paula Poundstone

One of my guilty reading pleasures is books written by stand-up comedians. Paula Poundstone joins a group of funny people from Fred Allen to Bill Cosby to Paul Reiser, who become funny authors. Her book is the aptly titled “There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say”. According to Poundstone, it took nearly eight and a half years to complete, largely due to a personal legal issue that she discusses within the covers.

It is no secret that Poundstone was arrested and spent six months at a rehabilitation facility. It had to be a horrible time in her life. Still, she finds a way to look back with a jaundiced eye and comes up with a way of looking at her problems to make us laugh.

The book consists of seven lengthy chapters which give us capsule views of famous people in history as presented by someone with attention deficit syndrome. The truth is Poundstone does not have to repeat the story of Helen Keller. We know the story.

Poundstone’s versions do not change the facts like a Stan Freberg satire, nor does it add in odd sequences like a Dr. Floyd podcast. Poundstone simply tells the store of these famous people of history, but often gets sidetracked by telling you her own thoughts and experiences.

Sometimes she even gets sidetracked from the story where she was sidetracked. While explaining the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright, she mentions how Wilbur wrote to the Smithsonian Institution. This gives her a chance to talk about her visit to the Smithsonian Institution, but before she can get to deep into her story, she begins to talk about museums in particular before waxing poetic about seeing Debbie Reynolds perform a Judy Garland tribute onstage.

The stream-of-consciousness writing style works well for Poundstone. She knows this is not going to be a reference book appearing on a sixth-grader’s biography report. The point of the book is to make us laugh and make us think.

She points out things that simply do not seem right in this world. She reminds us of how a Today show report on Somalia was interrupted with the news of Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s separation. She tells about her son’s elementary school classmates telling her what would happen during the rapture. “I guess it’s not important to decide whether (my son) should brown bag or have hot lunch next week then.”

Among the spare observations are autobiographical references. She talks frankly about why she is not married. She tells how she came to own so many animals. Most importantly, she talks about being a foster parent and her love for her adopted children.

The book is never going to replace “The Power of Positive Thinking” as a book of inspiration, nor will it make us forget the work of Mark Twain. What this book will do if find ways to make you laugh and realize that no matter how hard you have it, some people have it worse. Just ask Joan of Arc.

Thank you for reading. We’ll talk again soon.

Robert B. Parker's "Blue Screen"

Robert B. Parker is one of the best American fiction novelists ever to dwell amongst us. That may be a strong statement, but every word is true.

Notice that I did not say “mystery novelist”. Parker’s more than fifty novels cover the mystery genre more than any other type, but even his mystery novels include romance, psychological thriller, action and other elements.

His books are thoroughly entertaining and I look forward to the two or three books he presents each year. That is why I was disappointed with his latest novel, “Blue Screen”.

To understand why “Blue Screen” was a disappointment, you have to understand the characters Parker has created. Parker developed Spenser, to be best remembered by the portrayal by Robert Urich on the television series during the 1980s. Spenser is a tough former Boston cop who is intelligent and hangs out with intelligent people. Spenser is funny and ethical and his stories are a joy to read.

In recent years, Parker has broken new ground creating two new characters in separate series. Jesse Stone is a former L.A. cop who has moved to Massachusetts, near Boston, to be a small town police chief. He is a rehabilitating drunk who misses his ex-wife. Tom Selleck has been successful portraying Stone in several recent T.V. movies for CBS. There has even been talk of a weekly series, but Selleck denies wanting to take that step.

Sunny Randall is a female ex-cop turned private detective. She paints and, like Spenser, loves her dog. Like Stone, she has ex-spouse troubles. Her stories have not made the trip to television although Parker has admitted in interviews he created the character for actress Helen Hunt.

In this, the fifth outing for Sunny Randall, the female P.I. meets up with Jesse Stone. Parker’s characters have been bumping into each other for years. This time the police chief and detective are trying to solve a murder together.

Unfortunately, the plotting this time is minimal. If you read the book cover notes, skip the first twenty chapters. Not much more happens than is printed there and it will save you some time. Still, if you read the first twenty chapters, you should have the ending figured out.

What Parker excels in is the writing. He is a master of making a story flow. This book is no different in that sense. My disappointment was in waiting for something surprising or exceptional to happen. It never really happened.

In my view, if you are looking for a summer read with one of the best writers still alive, and you have never read Robert B. Parker, rather than starting with this tepid adventure, leave the best sellers and head back into the stacks. Look for “All Our Yesterdays” from 1994.

“All Our Yesterdays” has none of the aforementioned characters. It is an examination of three generations of Irish northeasterners and their relationships with women. It is entertaining and a true modern masterpiece. You will not regret turning a single page.

Improv Wisdom

"Improv Wisdom" is a fine book published sometime last year by Bell Tower. It's written by Patricia Ryan Madson who has been on the Stanford drama faculty for nearly thirty years.

She starts each chapter with old quotes that I had not seen before but really appreciate, including this one from Sir Isaac Newton: "If I have made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention than to any other talent." This simple statement speaks volumes for all of us in our daily lives. Simply paying attention can help each of us understand.

Following a lengthy prologue where Madson explains where she's coming from, she offers thirteen (yes, thirteen) maxims which incorporate her improv drama teaching with ways to approach everyday life.

Along with simple activities that you can try from your chair, she offers insight and understanding. The book is less about "improv" and more about "wisdom".

I have read longer, similar books (Steven Covey's "Seven Habits for Highly Effective People" springs to mind.), but Madson's quick insights make this book a real find. She gets to the point quickly with short anecdotes and easy ways to apply her techniques.

It's a fast read if you want to read it once. I recommend taking more time with it.

Have a great week!