2011: Book 9

Delivering Doctor Amelia: The Story of a Gifted Young Obstetrician's Error and the Psychologist Who Helper Her by Dan Shapiro


272 pages


Completed 2/10/11


This memoir written in intermittent therapy sessions and narrator's stories was emotional and well-writtten. Young psychologist Shapiro and his young physician patient Amelia feel genuine feelings, and Shapiro does a wonderful job communicating these.

When obstetrician Amelia makes an avoidable error during a delivery, forever altering the family, and her own, life, she becomes despondent and cannot imagine ever returning to medicine. With Shapiro's insightful therapy techniques, besotted with his own feelings towards the patient, this is a great read for anyone interested in medicine, psychotherapy, or a touch of honesty.

2011: Book 4

Ambulance Girl: How I Saved Myself By Becoming an EMT by Jane Stern


240 pages

Completed 1/24/2011

I don't know whether it was the book or whether I was starved for a book, but I sped through this memoir. The tale of a depressed, middle-aged woman who, despite her claustrophobia, fear of illness, and overall disgust with bodily functions, decides to become an EMT to get her out of her slump. Faced with the aforementioned issues, as well as being a rare woman in the field, as well as heavy, Stern takes us through her triumphs - and defeats with poignancy.

I was pretty interested throughout this book - short snippets of odd cases, brief moments of humor - but when she took a turn into depression, the book lost my interest. Although an important part of the story, I was kind of annoyed by how sorry she felt for herself; same goes for her relationship with her shrink. Once the book began delving into her marriage problems, I was lost completely. Luckily it didn't last long, and the memoir finished well.