"A tour de force of scientific and social history, one that helps illuminate a unique period in the long story of medical discovery. . . . Absorbing and thoroughly documented . . . a vivid narrative of two of the most remarkable of the many contributors to our understanding of human biology and function."
–The New York Times Book Review
"Incisive. . . . An irresistible cautionary tale."
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The Wall Street Journal "Terrific. . . . This rich, engrossing book reminds us of the strangeness of even heroic destinies."
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Los Angeles Times "Markel creates rich portraits of men who shared, as he writes of Freud, a 'particular constellation of bold risk taking, emotional scar tissue, and psychic turmoil.'"
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The New Yorker "A rich, revelatory new book. . . . [Markel is] a careful writer and a tireless researcher, and as a trained physician himself, Markel is able to pronounce on medical matters with firmness and authority."
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TIME "A splendid history . . . [Markel is a] fluent, incisive and often subtly funny writer."
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The Baltimore Sun "Provocative . . . persuasive and engrossing."
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Salon.com "Compelling and compassionate . . . a book that profoundly demonstrates the complexity and breadth of their genius . . . a richly woven analysis complete with anecdotes, historical research, photos and present-day knowledge about the character of the addictive personality."
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Booklist "From the dramatic opening scene on the first page to the epilogue,
An Anatomy of Addiction is a hugely satisfying read. Howard Markel is physician, historian and wonderful storyteller, and since his tale involves two of the most compelling characters in medicine, I could not put it down–addictive is the word for this terrific book."
–Abraham Verghese, author of
Cutting for Stone
"It's a fascinating book about fascinating men, but even more interesting for those of us who want a glimpse of modern medicine when it was just starting to develop."
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The New Republic "Dr. Markel braids these men's stories intricately, intelligently and often elegantly."
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The New York Times "Markel brilliantly describes the paradox of [Halsted's and Freud's] lives."
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Nature "Inspired, entertaining and informative . . . [Markel] tells this fascinating tale in an insightful contemporary book that is both intellectually engaging and exceptionally well written."
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Journal of the American Medical Association "[A] witty, wide-ranging book."
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Boston Globe "A richly engaging book . . . highly recommended."
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Wired "Well-researched. . . . A thoughtful picture of late 19th century medicine."
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The San Francisco Chronicle Book Review "Colorful study . . . brisk . . . an engaging well-researched historical homily about fame and foible."
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Bloomberg "A fascinating revelation of conditions prevailing in hospitals and medical circles in the late 19th and 20th centuries."
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New York Journal of Books "The best medical histories are the ones that cause the imagination to run riot. A fast-rising master of satisfying this human quest for mind-altering willies is the Michigan medical historian Howard Markel."
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The Winnipeg Free Press "With both wit and style, Markel has produced a scrupulously researched, meticulously detailed account of the history of cocaine, as well as the drug dependences of Halsted and Freud."
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Hopkins Medicine Magazine