Thursday, April 25, 2013

Another Hero: M.D. Robert S. Mendelsohn: 9780809241316: Amazon.com: Books

Confessions of a Medical Heretic: M.D. Robert S. Mendelsohn: 9780809241316: Amazon.com: Books:

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I will never walk into a doctor's office with my eyes closed ever again. Lizette Rocha  |  13 reviewers made a similar statement
Format:Paperback
+++++

The idea behind this book can be ascertained from its title. The word "confession" means to admit. What the late Dr. Robert Mendelsohn does is to admit truths about what he calls the "Church of Modern Medicine." A "heretic" is a person who professes to heresy. A heresy is any opinion opposed to established doctrines.

Thus, Mendelsohn in his book tells us truths and his opinions (based on his excellent qualifications) regarding orthodox medicine. His opinions are angry ones. (I'd be angry too if I spent my entire life in orthodox medicine only to discover that it is not what it claims to be.) Like anyone who is angry, the author occasionally goes off on tangents but overall he sticks to the main premise of the book.

What is the premise of this book? Mendelsohn tells us this immediately in the book's opening section called the "Non Credo." He states, "I do not believe in modern medicine. I am a medical heretic. My aim of this book is to persuade you to become a heretic, too." (Notice, that contrary to popular belief, the premise of this book is not to tell you to stop seeing your doctor.)

Each chapter (there are nine) of this book has many truths. These truths are not out-of-date and will probably remain relevant into the far future. Here are just three examples:

1) "Every drug stresses and hurts your body in some way."
2) "A healthy society is characterized by strong, positive family relationships and subsequent minimal need of doctors."
3) "Doctors are not trained to attack the core of any problem, merely to suppress symptoms."

Sometimes, the author juxtaposes two truths to make a point. My favorite: "All their [that is, doctors'] intentions may be good, but we all know what the road to Hell is paved with."

What I really noticed about this book is the author's strong opinions. Here, again, are three examples:

1) "Doctors in general should be treated with the same degree of trust as used-car salesmen."
2) "When I meet a doctor, I generally figure I'm meeting a person who is narrow-minded, prejudiced, and fairly incapable of reasoning and deliberation."
3) "Get used to the idea right away that no single system can or should claim to have an exclusive fix on the dynamics of health."

There is even discussion about non-drug medicine. Mendelsohn states, "In the Church of Modern Medicine, the doctor who treats without drugs is regarded as a heretic because he or she appears to have rejected the sacrament of medication." Today, orthodox medicine calls such people "quacks." One of the people they call a quack, the author mentions, is Dr. Linus Pauling because he wanted to treat without drugs. The late Linus Pauling was a two-time Nobel Prize winner. Question: What gives orthodox medicine the right to call such a brilliant person a quack? His credentials prove otherwise.

The book's last section is called, "Epilog: In search of the New Doctor." It is an interesting section where Mendelsohn gives his vision of the doctor of the future. This vision has yet to be achieved and my guess is, it will never be achieved.

The only problem I had with this book is the lack of footnotes with respect to specific numbers and statistics. When statistics are given, you have to give credit to their source. However, Mendelsohn does supply many references.

Another good book on this subject that is less opinionated is "The Medical Mafia" (1995) by Dr. Guylaine Lanctot. I think this title is a good indicator of its contents.

In conclusion, Dr. Robert Mendelsohn's book does a good job in exposing the truths behind orthodox medicine. These truths are what you and your family should know for their own protection. I strongly recommend this book if you want to become aware of these truths.
"A hospital is like a war" Here you have it from a doctor who has been there and done that. As he describes the things that go on in a hospital it is amazing that anyone comes out alive. It does not surprise we when they are several people I personally know who have gotten very ill in a hospital from something COMPLETELY unrelated to why they entered. This book needs to be read by all.
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Wakefield

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars refreshing April 4, 2000
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book confirmed many things that I had already known or suspected about the practice of medicine. I really liked how the author dug into the philosophical aspects of doctor/patient relationships: the absolute power we give them. And it was neat to find someone -- a doctor even -- who agreed with my perception that doctors have their own secret language which protects their knowledge (their power) and wouldn't you know, it's LATIN. (If you're a devout Catholic be forewarned.) But best of all, this book is absolutely hilarious. You might as well keep your sense of humor in all of this, and I found myself laughing out loud as I read.


The Medical Mafia 2002 Edition [Paperback]

Ghislaine Lanctot 
Format:Paperback
This book reveals the seedy underbelly of collusion and greed prevalent in the corporate world in general. The main message is "Profit Over People"! I consider this just as bad as any horrific crime against humanity. Everyone must read books like this one or we all lose everything. Vote with your cash and read this book. Now!
 Dr. Lanctot was stripped of her medical license and not allowed to practice medicine for life once this book was published. (So much for free speech.) You have to read this book to see what the medical authorities/profiteers don't want you to read!!
5.0 out of 5 stars Baby Vaccine Schedule - CRIMINALNovember 12, 2009
This review is from: Medical Mafia (Paperback)
This is an excellent book. I'm a Clinical Nurse Specialist who has worked in health "care" for over 30 years. The system is broken and ruled by pharmaceutical greed. Did you know that babies in the U.S. are given 25 vaccine shots before the age of 15 months? (documented on the American Peds Society website). Use your common sense. This cannot possibly be good for a developing immune system. What it DOES is mess up the natural immunity so that a child is MORE likely to become sick in later life. Then the drug companies present all their horrible pills as a way to "get better." It's a farce. Do not let it continue. See the eye opening DVD entitled "Money Talks - Profits Before Patient Safety." It's superb.
Format:Paperback
+++++

This stunning, easy-to-read book, by French-Canadian medical doctor, entrepreneur, and mother Dr. Guylaine Lanctot (pronounced "Ghee-Lane Lank-Toe") answers many questions such as:

(1) Why are certain illnesses untreatable?
(2) Why do some people always become ill and others never?
(3) Why do some people die from an illness and others recover?
(4) Why do medical costs continue to skyrocket? Who profits from this?
(5) Why are some doctors or therapists barred from practicing and others not?
(6) Why is treatment remunerated and not prevention?
(7) Why are people still dying of cancer after fifty years of intensive research at astronomical cost?
(8) Why is the public not properly informed about alternative medicines?
(9) Why is everyone so unhappy with the existing medical and hospital system?
(10) Why are there so many medical organizations and government medical agencies? Whose interest are they protecting?

The main chapters of this book answer not only these questions, but other questions as well. These chapters are divided into four parts:

(1) The Problem. (5 chapters.)

In a nutshell, the author tells us we have "a medicine of sickness." She goes on to say that "[t]his is true for the United States, as it is for Canada, France, or, for that matter, for all countries whatever their health system may be."

(2) The Solution (to the problem). (7 chapters.)

Here, the obvious answer is "a medicine of health." The author tells us that this solution "treats the cause of illnesses and prevents them from occurring." However, this obvious solution is prevented due to ...

(3) The Obstacle. (8 chapters.)

What exactly is the obstacle? It is "the medical mafia." The author explains: "Officially, we are told that the system is at the service of the patient. But, in practice, the system is at the service of...industry [that] pulls the strings and maintains a system [or a medicine] of sickness for its own profit. That is the MEDICAL MAFIA."

(4) The Realization (of what should be done). (10 chapters.)

The author calls this "self-health." She explains: "The only one who has the ultimate power to change the system is the patient, the very reason for being of the system. The patients will take back their power over health and exercise their sovereignty. The doctors recognize the sovereignty of the patients and help them to exercise it. That is self-health."

Each part ends with a very brief conclusion. I found these insightful.

Eyebrow-raising chapters are found in Part 3. These chapters have their own overall subtitle: "The Trilogy of Lies." They deal with vaccinations, aids, and cancer respectively.

This book is packed with diagrams, pictures, summary charts, book titles, and quotations from others. One of my favorite quotes: "To vaccinate is to replace the natural immunity with an artificial immunity."

The final summary chart of this book includes the following:

"The patient is at the service of the system of sickness.

[Patients] are exploited by:

(1) doctors
(2) health service providers
(3) pharmaceutical and technological industries.

[These three] make people sick and keep them dependent."

Some people may have trouble with the first chapter (or so). This is because it is somewhat abstract. However, keep on reading. The information that follows is very interesting and becomes more concrete.

This book has no index. It does not need one because the table of contents is so comprehensive.

This book is NOT a doctor-bashing book and does not say not to see your doctor. It, instead, looks at the entire system or machine of orthodox medicine and even society in general. Doctors, to the author, are essentially a cog in the medical machine. To learn more about orthodox doctors, I suggest the excellent book "Confessions of a Medical Heretic" by Dr. Robert Mendelsohn.




By 
This review is from: Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won't Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Health Care (Hardcover)
Dr. Marty Makary, a cancer surgeon at the renowned John's Hopkins School of Medicine, has written a provocative, well-researched, and quite scary book that should be read by physicians, nurses, patients, and hospital administrators. Here are some shocking statistics he gives: One in four hospital patients is hurt by a medical mistake. Thirty to forty percent of our health care dollars pays for fraudulent or unnecessary care. Ten to fifteen percent of patients are not given all their options regarding their care. Possibly the most shocking statistic of all: surgeons operate on the wrong body part 40 times per week!

To a physician like myself, these statistics are unfortunately not all that surprising. Medicine is administered by humans, and thus subject to human error. Makary writes that the key to improving health care outcomes (and excess cost) is greater transparency. Basically, doctors and hospitals need to be more open with their complication rates, alternative treatments, and be more willing to prevent bad doctors from practicing medicine. Because doctors and hospitals won't make these changes, the key is patient empowerment.

In that way Makary's book pushes patients to act in their best interests and not accept the status quo. It hearkens back to his contributions with author and medical essayist Atul Gawande in The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. In my hospital, as many others around the country, many of his recommendations are, in fact, being instituted such as with the Keystone initiative. I believe Makary makes some great points which should be seriously considered by hospital administrators and physician leaders.

While this book is quite scary to the patient, I think it's important to remind readers that the majority of physicians are competent. Some of the stories of terrible doctors can be extremely terrifying to patients, including the cardiac surgeon whose last six patients died during routine heart surgery. He is not the norm.

If you read this book, I would highly recommend two other books by prominent, caring physicians. They will remind you that the vast majority of doctors practice medicine to help people, not take advantage of the system. The aforementioned Gawande penned the classic Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, which focuses on medical ethics, unusual patient stories, and the inevitable uncertainty of medicine. It is a very worthwhile read.

Anthony Youn, MD authored In Stitches, a sweet, funny, and eye-opening look at the process of becoming a doctor. It's not as alarming as Makary's book, as pensive and serious as Gawande's, but leaves the reader with a sense of hope in the field of medicine. It's a great third book to compliment these two, and will leave you with a smile on your face.

Even if you read it while occupying a hospital bed.

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