For all its knowledge and procedures, medicine is an imperfect science, characterised by changing knowledge, incomplete information and fallible individuals. Gawande describes medicine as a messy field. In this post, we’ll review some of the messages that I took from Gawande’s work. It contains a myriad of lessons, not only for those in healthcare, but for those in business as well. Complications is both an insightful and educational book. This includes Gawande’s reflections on the challenges and choices we face when making decisions under uncertainty. The book provides insight into the fallibilities, mysteries and uncertainties of medicine. According to Gawande, though humans are flawed and imperfect, they can still strive to achieve the best possible outcomes, regardless of the personal or societal problems they face.Surgeon Atul Gawande (and now CEO of Haven Healthcare) compiled a collection of essays, written during his general residency, in his book Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science. Without failure, there can be no success. Gawande dispels common fears about failure and insists that failure is necessary for development and growth. Gawande shows how, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, a planned approach and a tenacity to work hard will guarantee success for anyone, especially members of the medical community.īetter also portrays failure as a part of life. He also explores the pitfalls that occur within the medical field. Gawande examines how humans are meant to interact with the world and what their responsibilities to society are. He goes beyond personal experience and uses field research and records to support his arguments.ĭivided into three parts-“Diligence,” “Doing Right,” and “Ingenuity”-the book lays out a blueprint for self-betterment while simultaneously posing deep moral questions. Through a series of essays, some of which he originally wrote as separate pieces for The New Yorker, Gawande strikes parallels between the way the medical community operates and the way individuals live their daily lives, and how we all can do better.

Better is about the practice of medicine and also functions as a treatise on how to live a full and meaningful life.

Complications atul gawande sparknotes