The Medicine Book

Charting the development of everything from Paleolithic plant-based remedies to 21st-century breakthroughs such as gene manipulation, immunotherapy, and robotic surgery, The Medicine Book explores and explains more than 90 of the biggest milestones in medical history.

Written in clear English, entries are packed with short, pithy explanations that cut through the jargon; step-by-step diagrams that untangle knotty scientific theories; memorable quotes; and witty illustrations.

Learn about early, bloody, anesthetic-free operations; discover the first crude surgical instruments; follow the painstaking detective work that led to the decoding of the human genome; and understand the role that therapies, potions, and drugs have played in the human quest to tame and conquer disease, injury, and even death.

An engrossing illustrated history and tale of drama and discovery, The Medicine Book celebrates the milestones of medical history across generations and cultures the world over.