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Customer Reviews of How We Live

I was disappointed. Nuland, a surgeon and professor of surgery at Yale, is at his best in describing medical events and systems in the context of case histories. The few times he does this in Wisdom make for both compelling story-telling and instruction. Unfortunately, much of Wisdom reads like an introductory primer in human medical systems. This is a worthy goal for a book, and Nuland does it well, but it was not what I expected. His basic thesis, that the "wisdom" of the body consists of complex, adaptable systems which by their very variability sustain homeostasis, is persuasively argued. However, Nuland showed in his earlier book that a serious medical argument could be (and was) successfully made both through anecdotal case history and exposition of the broader principles involved.

Nuland misplaced the fulcrum in the balance of his most recent book, with unfortunate results. He is, however, such a fine and humane writer that I eagerly await his next work (as I do his new column in The American Scholar).

Body Mechanics
I bought this book under the title "Wisdom of the Body". Because it was written after "How We Die", which won a National Book Award, it was changed from "Wisdom of the Body" to "How We Live" because so many reviewers nicknamed it that. Dr. Nuland is one of the best writer's I have come across concerning the function of the human body. He writes with such clarity and interweaves his stories with wonderful references to the history of medicine. I think everyone that has the least bit of interest in how their body works should read his books. You don't have to have a medical background to understand his writing, but if you do have a medical background, he helps you see things even more clearly. These books are especially meaningful for anyone who has an aging parent suffering from certain illnesses. It will give you an understanding and a peace that you might not find elsewhere.

Interesting Overview
We start with an overview of the body as a working, smoothly functioning system. Dr. Nuland tells us that a stable system is not a static one, but one that is constantly changing and adapting. The paradox is stability means instability. Although his background is medical science, he has the courage to admit that medicine is an art. Going back to his system's paridigm, he says we are greater than the sum of our biological parts. From that statement he makes an inference, saying by our own choices, we can enhance what we've been given physically.

He returns to this healing theme later in the book by noting, "All growth and all healing depend on the ability of cells to divide and thereby reproduce themselves."

While the book presents fascinating insight on the body's physical functions, it totally misses the mark spiritually. When he comments on those matters, rather frequently in the margins my comments are "bogus" and "spiritually blind." He knows the external functions, but he is woefully lacking on the unseen part.