What Cannot Be Undone, Walter M. Robinson
What Cannot Be Undone, Walter M. Robinson
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What Cannot Be Undone
True Stories of a Life in Medicine

Author: Walter M. Robinson

Narrator: Daniel Thomas May

Unabridged: 5 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 09/13/2022

Categories: Nonfiction, Medical


Synopsis

In his award-winning debut essay collection, What Cannot Be Undone, Walter M. Robinson shares surprising stories of illness and medicine that do not sacrifice hard truth for easy dramatics. These true stories are filled with details of difficult days and nights in the world of high-tech medical care, and they show the ongoing struggle in making critical decisions with no good answer. This collection presents the raw moments where his expertise in medical ethics and pediatrics are put to the test. He is neither saint, nor hero, nor wizard. Robinson admits that on his best days he was merely ordinary. Yet in writing down the authentic stories of his patients, Robinson discovers what led him to the practice of medicine—and how his idealism was no match for the realities he faced in modern health care.

About Walter M. Robinson

Walter M. Robinson is a physician and a writer in Massachusetts. He is also a founding editor of EastOver Press and Cutleaf, an online literary journal. His essays have appeared in wildness, Months to Years, AGNI, Ruminate, the Sun, the Literary Review, and Harvard Review.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Davin on December 07, 2023

This is a gripping collection of essays that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the medical world. Robinson shares the thoughts and practical considerations involved in procedures like lung transplants in a way that is clear, emotional, and thought provoking.......more

Goodreads review by Denton on February 19, 2022

This is an important collection of essays written by a doctor from his lifetime of professional experience, primarily working with cystic fibrosis patients. The details are not always pleasant or comfortable to read, especially if you're a bit squeamish, as I am, about the inner workings of the body......more

Goodreads review by David on June 26, 2024

I loved this book of essays from a pediatric pulmonologist who shared exacting details and sharp insights about himself, the medical system, and his patients and their families. I started this book a few years ago and stopped because some of the medical descriptions were so real-life that I felt diz......more

Goodreads review by Cathy on February 26, 2022

When we go to the doctor, we hope the person behind the medical mask knows what they’re doing, cares about us, pays attention, takes their time, will stay with us if things get rough. But how often do we think about what it takes to become that person? In “What Cannot Be Undone,” pediatric pulmonolo......more