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Extreme Medicine: How Exploration Transformed Medicine in the Twentieth Century Paperback – Illustrated, March 31, 2015

by Kevin Fong M.D. (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 205 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
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Little more than one hundred years ago, maps of the world still boasted white space: places where no human had ever trod. Within a few short decades the most hostile of the world’s environments had all been conquered. Likewise, in the twentieth century, medicine transformed human life. Doctors took what was routinely fatal and made it survivable. As modernity brought us ever more into different kinds of extremis, doctors pushed the bounds of medical advances and human endurance. Extreme exploration challenged the body in ways that only the vanguard of science could answer. Doctors, scientists, and explorers all share a defining trait: they push on in the face of grim odds. Because of their extreme exploration we not only understand our physiology better; we have also made enormous strides in the science of healing.


Drawing on his own experience as an anesthesiologist, intensive care expert, and NASA adviser, Dr. Kevin Fong examines how cuttingedge medicine pushes the envelope of human survival by studying the human body’s response when tested by physical extremes. Extreme Medicine explores different limits of endurance and the lens each offers on one of the systems of the body. The challenges of Arctic exploration created opportunities for breakthroughs in open heart surgery; battlefield doctors pioneered techniques for skin grafts, heart surgery, and trauma care; underwater and outer space exploration have revolutionized our understanding of breathing, gravity, and much more. Avant-garde medicine is fundamentally changing our ideas about the nature of life and death.


Through astonishing accounts of extraordinary events and pioneering medicine, Fong illustrates the sheer audacity of medical practice at extreme limits, where human life is balanced on a knife’s edge. Extreme Medicine is a gripping debut about the science of healing, but also about exploration in its broadest sense—and about how, by probing the very limits of our biology, we may ultimately return with a better appreciation of how our bodies work, of what life is, and what it means to be human.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    March 31, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    5.28 x 0.8 x 7.99 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0143126296
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0143126294
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

The Washington Post:
“Every chapter combines personal stories, dramatic medical history and clear, vivid science writing…Fong’s book presents daring moments in medicine along with lucid explanations of human physiology and of how medical professionals manage to keep people alive or pull them back from the brink. It should appeal to would-be astronauts, outdoor-lovers, mountain climbers, free-divers, armchair explorers, science enthusiasts, those working in the health professions or wondering about such a career—indeed, just about anyone with a heartbeat and a dash of curiosity.”

The Wall Street Journal:
“In Extreme Medicine, physician Kevin Fong reminds us that virtually everything we take for granted in lifesaving medical intervention was once unthinkable… Dr. Fong's engaging and fast-paced narrative is liberally sprinkled with his own harrowing experiences as a specialist in anesthesia and intensive-care.”

Discover:
“[Fong] weaves first hand, nail-biting ER experiences with gripping historical narrative as he recounts 100 years of breakthroughs...[Fong] looks forward as well: He offers tantalizing ideas about surviving long-term space travel and other possibilities that await us in our relentless quest to explore.”

Mother Jones:
“With clear, evocative prose, he takes readers to ocean depths and mountaintops, and also deep within our bodies, in this entertaining exploration of human limits.”

Kirkus Reviews (starred): 
"A medical thriller of the first order."

Publishers Weekly:
"[An] eloquent history of how 20th-century science and medicine moved us toward 'improved survival'--and with it a better understanding of life and death...these are thrilling stories that describe the limits of human psychology." 

Atul Gawande, surgeon and author of Complications, Better, and The Checklist Manifesto:
"In Extreme Medicine, the ever-intrepid Kevin Fong reveals the fascinating link between geographical exploration and medical innovation, with stories that are as strange and intriguing as they are illuminating."  
 
Professor Brian Cox, author of The Quantum Universe:"It would be hard to find anyone better qualified to write a book on the limits of human physiology than Dr Kevin Fong. His experiences in human spaceflight at NASA, in frontline medicine, and his deep scientific knowledge, shine through. If you want to know what the human body can take, and why we must continue to push ourselves beyond the limit in the name of exploration, then read this book."

The Observer (UK):

"Anatomy and physiology are elegantly explained, not as abstract theory, but as counterpoint to gripping stories about survival against the odds. Real stories of life and near-death form the compelling backbone of the book. The book could easily have ended up as a series of Boy's Own tales of derring-do, but Fong elegantly balances heroism with rationalism, courage with compassion, shock with humility and humor."
 
Guardian (UK):


"From the outset Ice and Fire is a gripping read. It's the kind of book you want to read peeking through cracks in your fingers; you want to look away, but not as much as you want to know what happens… I held my breath, I shed a tear, I laughed out loud, and I struggled to keep my lunch down at various points through this book, and that can only be a good thing."
 
Times Higher Education

(UK

)

:
"Fong weaves together seemingly unconnected events in this world and beyond in a series of breathless vignettes… an appealing mix of academic eloquence and matey talk: … In many ways, Ice and Fire is the story of the 20th century…We explore because we must, and if you have a sense of adventure and the miracle of life within you, then this book is for you."

Daily Mail:


"Fong has dramatic first-person accounts to give, and many more… he also proves himself to be a genuinely talented author… Fong has come up with an often fascinating and actually rather inspiring account of western medicine’s ever-increasing expertise."

About the Author

KEVIN FONG, M.D., holds degrees in medicine, astrophysics, and engineering. Founder of the Centre for Altitude, Space, and Extreme Environments, he lives in London.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reprint edition (March 31, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143126296
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143126294
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.28 x 0.8 x 7.99 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 205 ratings

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Kevin Fong

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
205 global ratings
because it is necessary to keep the momentum since it is a long and tiresome journey.
5 Stars
because it is necessary to keep the momentum since it is a long and tiresome journey.
this was my gift for my fiance for his birthday. we both want to learn medicine related to aerospace travel, this dream of ours brought us together and now we are on our way to US medical residency. thank you for writing this book, it inspires young generation.. because it is necessary to keep the momentum since it is a long and tiresome journey.
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Top reviews from the United States

Frederick S. Goethel
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read On The Extremes Of Medicine
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
From learning that hypothermia could be used to save patients lives to discussing the possibility that man might not be able to survive a trip to Mars and back, this book covers a lot of territory in a very readable and enjoyable way. If you are looking for a very readable medical book, this is for you.
2 people found this helpful
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deborah f
4.0 out of 5 stars easy read. As a medical professional I found it ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2015
Verified Purchase
Interesting, easy read. As a medical professional I found it somewhat simplistic, but still an informative history of the medical practice we take for granted today. Certainly not too graphic fir the faint of heart!!
3 people found this helpful
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hawaii
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on recent medical advancements
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
I was reading this book on my Kindle Reader while traveling in Japan with two other physicians and their wives. Each morning at breakfast I described another chapter in the book and they they were fascinated. Coincidentally, it was also in the current news about the young boy who smuggled himself in the wheel compartment on a jet flying from San Jose to Honolulu and the chapter on Hypothermia explained his miraculous survival. It was no mystery to us. I hope there will be other books written by Dr. Kevin Fong on Kindle
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Robert F
5.0 out of 5 stars While an easy and largely non-technical read
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2017
Verified Purchase
While an easy and largely non-technical read, this book provides and interesting and valuable glimpse into things that happen at the outer environmental fringes, and how the body responds. While medical in nature, this book is entirely readable, and should be interesting to medical and non-medically trained people alike. Well done.
3 people found this helpful
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Scott C
3.0 out of 5 stars Well written, still boring
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
I have read a number of books on survival and survivors stories. I assumed this book would be in the same vein, but it was not what I expected. The writing is good, in fact, good enough to keep me reading long after becoming bored with medical details. Therein lies the problem, while the author discusses cases, they are presented in a clinical manner. Some details are compelling but for the most part I find myself skimming ahead to see if anything "cool" happens. If you are into the details, this book may be for you. If not, take a pass.
3 people found this helpful
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Camp Runamok
5.0 out of 5 stars Just good fun
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
This has proven to be a very interesting book, as I had hoped from the professional review I had read. It's organized in a clever way, with a flashback style timeline that works well. The stories are interesting, but equally interesting is the biology, which the Dr. Fong explains very well, and in a fun style. A big thumbs up.
One person found this helpful
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CMOK
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting approach to medical subjectd
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2015
Verified Purchase
Interesting subject matter especially since it described advances made first in Europe. It isn't presented that way often here in the States. Wish it had shown subjects in a little more depth though.
One person found this helpful
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TFB
5.0 out of 5 stars Great page turner.
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
Maybe the best book of this type I have yet read. Very interesting read that integrates various branches of science with experiences we may have personally had. Elicits new thoughts about previous happenings we may have experienced, or thought about.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Haider Husaini
5.0 out of 5 stars 👍👏👌
Reviewed in India on February 25, 2023
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👏👏👏
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BH
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Interesting!
Reviewed in Canada on May 16, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book held my interest during a vacation that should have had me shunning reading for exploring new vistas. The "story" of each chapter is an historical look at the development of a particular lurch forward in modern medicine. Major world events and individual stories of uncommon men and women are woven into a fascinating account of the incredible cleverness and daring that push the frontiers of medicine into uncharted territory. The results of the innovations that work out are adopted quickly throughout the developed world into the developing world of medicine. Kevin Fong leaves no doubt that this world will continue to expand relentlessly.
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Ms Fiona Saunders
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2015
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Great
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Katherine
4.0 out of 5 stars Wondering
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2018
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Brought as a gift but had no feedback on it
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Srah
4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Reviewed in Canada on July 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
Fascinating read!
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