Whether you are a medical practitioner or interested in medicine as a hobby, there are a large variety of books to help you grow your medical knowledge and whatever the reason; you want to make sure that you purchase the best medical books on the market. This guide will help you do that.
Here are five of the best books in the medical genre
Best medical books 2019
| Book name | Pages | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cope's Early Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen | 320 | $44.95 | Check Price |
| Robbins and Cotran Review of Pathology | 504 | $49.49 | Check Price |
| Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple | 90 | $24.65 | Check Price |
| Medical Terminology | 182 | $18.99 | Check Price |
| Pocket Medicine | 280 | $28.99 | Check Price |
| Pathophysiology of Heart Disease | 480 | $45.78 | Check Price |
| Dictionary of Eye Terminology | 100 | $158 | Check Price |
| Proof of Heaven | 196 | $9.59 | Check Price |
| Being Mortal | 304 | $10.48 | Check Price |
| Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance | 288 | $15.34 | Check Price |
Cope’s Early Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen, Twenty-Second Edition by William Silen
One of the Most Read Books by Med Students and Physicians in the World
This book is often referred to as the most famous single-subject book about medicine ever written. At its core, it is a handy book about the history of intestinal ailments, as well as a comprehensive list of the physical examinations of patients who have sought treatment for abdominal complaints and problems.
The book talks in detail about both surgical and non-surgical treatments for abdominal issues, and it is full of thousands of abdominal-related “words of wisdom” for doctors treating patients with stomach problems ranging from the mild to the most extreme. The book also does a great job of giving the student or physician reading it a way to remember and understand all of the intestinal ailments, from the most common to the rarest. It is smart, well-written, easy-to-understand, well-researched, and at times, even entertaining. It is a must-have for any student of medicine or the human body.
Robbins and Cotran Review of Pathology, Fourth Edition by Edward C. Klatt & Vinay Kumar
One of the Most Comprehensive Study Guides on Pathology Ever Written
With over 1,000 multiple choice questions and answers, this book is the best possible choice for students or anyone else looking to learn more about pathology. For students, it is specifically designed to help with regular, every-day coursework or homework and to prepare you for your end-of-course examinations, including the USMLE Step 1 Exam for Pathology.
This particular edition of the book is designed to help reinforce all of the most fundamentals of both gross and microscopic pathology. It also helps the reader better understand the latest findings in the fields of both genetics and molecular biology. The book has all of what made the previous editions great, with many new and helpful additions. It contains further questions that have come up in the field of pathology since the last printing of the book and their answers, the new hot-topics in pathology, and original illustrations to help with visual learning.
The guide will serve to assist the reader with developing a thorough understanding of pathology, reviewing a wide range of pathology-related topics, reinforcing his or her knowledge of essentinal content, bettering his or her knowledge of pathophysiology and its integration with other medical fields, and visualizing key concepts and conditions necessary to a comprehensive knowledge of pathology.
Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple, Fifth Edition by Stephen Goldberg
The Simplest Guide to Neuroanatomy You Will Ever Read
This book is exactly what it claims to be – the most ridiculously simple neuroanatomy guide available on the market today. It takes the complex discipline of neuroanatomy and turns it into something easy to understand, humorous to read, and enjoyable to study. It teaches the reader about the most relevant and salient facts and principles of clinical neuroanatomy by using case presentations, mnemonics, and lots and lots of humor.
The guide comes with a CD-ROM or free download from Medmaster. This CD-ROM or download contains many additional helpful study tools, such as 3d animated rotations of the brain and a lab tutorial with photos of brain specimens. The electronic features are entirely interactive, with each section being a clickable link to learn more about that particular part of the brain or nervous system. The book and additional digital materials are so easy to use that anyone can learn about neuroanatomy by using them.
Medical Terminology: The Best and Most Effective Way to Memorize, Pronounce, and Understand Medical Terms, Second Edition by David Andersson
The Easiest Way to Learn Medical Terms and Lingo, Hands Down
At the double the size of the original, first edition, the second edition of this book is packed full of even more of the most necessary medical terms and jargon than the original. Not only does the book contain one of the most comprehensive lists of medical conditions, but it also breaks them down into their root words, their suffixes, and their pronunciations.
Furthermore, the book is full of tried and true strategies for memorizing, studying, and correctly pronouncing medical terms. Each chapter contains methods, tricks, and rules to help the reader best learn the words, and there is a quiz at the end of each section so that the reader can test his or her knowledge. With this extensive guide, anyone can be speaking like a doctor in no time.
Pocket Medicine: The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine, Sixth Edition by Marc S. Sabatine
Solutions to Medicine’s Most Common Problems in Your Pocket
This guide was created by attending physicians and residents of Massachusetts General Hospital, so you could say that it was made for doctors by doctors. It is a portable, a pocket reference guide that lists common ailments and treatments for problems in several different disciplines, including, but certainly not limited to, the following: rheumatology, gastroenterology, cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonary medicine, neurology, and infectious diseases.
The reference book is updated and reprinted regularly so that it always contains the most up-to-date information on current diseases, ailments, and problems and their treatment options. It also includes a section of colored pages that show examples of some of the most commonly used scans, charts, blood smears, and other tests frequently run by doctors and surgeons. It is the perfect reference guide for anyone in medical school, studying to pass their board exams or seasoned doctors who like to have a back-up brain to consult now and then.
Pathophysiology of Heart Disease by Leonard Lilly – A Collaborative Project of Medical Students and Faculty
An Award Winning Text Providing the Foundations of Heart Disease
Currently, in its sixth edition, this book has long been considered one of the best reference guides for cardiac conditions. Pathophysiology of Heart Disease was carefully written by a large group of medical professionals, medical school instructors, and advanced medical school students. First published in 1993, this text does an excellent job of describing the fundamentals of cardiac health. Each pathological disorder is explained in clear terms with detailed diagrams and images to help the reader fully understand the disease.
Pathophysiology of Heart Disease is also beautifully written with a flowing narrative and an easy-to-understand writing style. This makes it an excellent resource for both medical professionals and hobbyists alike.
Each chapter focuses on a different disease and explains the physiology, pathophysiology, treatment, and management of each condition. Because it is specifically aimed at medical students first learning about terms of the heart and how to treat them, this book is also accessible to members of the general public who want to learn more about how the heart works, both in health and disease.
Pathophysiology of Heart Disease is now a required textbook at a broad range of medical schools and has been translated into many languages. The book has also won two awards from the American Medical Writers Association and has led to the creation of other collaborative textbooks written with the introductory student in mind.
Advantages:
The descriptions are easy to understand and concise.- The accompanying diagrams and images help with comprehension.
- There is a useful summary at the end of each section to make quickly referencing information easier.
Disadvantages:
The guide could be a bit more detailed in some sections.- The electrocardiogram (EEG) section could use some updating.
Overall, this is a uniquely well-written book designed to give a broad understanding of the most common cardiac conditions, for both the dedicated student and medical enthusiast.
Dictionary of Eye Terminology by Barbara Cassin – A Staple in any
Eye Care Professional’s Library
The Dictionary of Eye Terminology is a vital resource for anyone working in the ophthalmology field. This easy to use support includes detailed information on over five thousand anatomical terms and conditions common to eye care. Each word has a complete definition, acronyms, and other related terms, making it a vital first stop for researching any eye-related name.
While this book is specifically geared towards doctors and nurses practicing in the optical health field, its easy to read the language and convenient format make it an excellent resource for patients and health enthusiasts alike.
Advantages:
- Common misspellings are included making it easier than ever to find the definition of a term.
- Abbreviated descriptions are provided for related terms, eliminating the need to cross-reference.
- This book has over five thousand entries, meaning virtually any term relevant to eye health can be found in this volume.
Disadvantages:
- This resource is only available in spiral binding, which can make the book less durable.
A staple in any ophthalmologists office, the Dictionary of Eye Terminology edited by Barbara Cassin is undoubtedly one of the best books of its kind in the market today.
Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife by Eben 
Alexander – The Bestselling Book About a Doctor’s Near Death Experience
This bestselling book tells the story of doctor Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon who spent seven days in a coma induced by an E. coli infection. During this time, the portion of the brain that controls thought and emotion was attacked by the disease and was shut down completely. In this book, Alexander tells the story of what he experienced during those seven days, namely his experience traveling to the afterlife and the beings he communicated with.
Proof of Heaven explores not only Alexander’s experience but how it changed his worldview. Before the coma, Alexander firmly believed that patients who claimed to have near-death experiences were seeing hallucinations. But, as a neurosurgeon himself, Alexander applies his knowledge of the brain and biochemical processes to support his claim that near-death experiences are, in fact, authentic.
The book beautifully chronicles Dr. Alexander’s journey to understanding what happened to him and how his experience changed his life, and the lives of those around him. While it discusses something spiritual, it is highly rational and seeks to explain Alexander’s near-death experience from a scientific perspective.
Advantages:
- This book takes a very objective, medical approach to something that is often considered highly spiritual.
- While this book incorporates a lot of scientific information, it is accessible to everyone, even those with no scientific background.
Disadvantages:
- Some of the claims in this book have been put into question. It is important to remember that this is one person’s personal accounting of his own experiences, not the results of a definitive scientific study.
Ultimately, this book provides a unique insight into the neurophysiological processes in the brain as the author seeks to understand what he experienced in his coma. It is an intriguing read for medical professionals and enthusiasts alike.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande –
A Philosophical Inquiry Into the Reaches of Medicine
Being Mortal is an award-winning book with accolades from the Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR, among others. Written by surgeon Atul Gawande, Being Mortal seeks to understand the ethical and philosophical limits medicine should have, especially about aging and death. This book is a mixture of carefully researched ideas and Gawande’s personal meditation on his own life experiences.
Ultimately, Gawande explores the interaction between increasing life span and benefiting the quality of life. Medicine seeks to improve both aspects of life, but even in the medical community, it is unclear when in one’s life one aspect should take precedence over the other. Here, Gawande asks doctors to focus on well being rather than mere survival.
Especially in the case of hospice and end of life care, medical professionals are primarily in control of how life progresses. Gawande points out that these professionals, while they have the best in mind, are focused on treating disease, not improving the experience for the living. Being Mortal is an active contributor to how we envision aging and death, and it seeks to give a quiet voice to the elderly while calling upon its readers to create better options for end of life care.
Advantages:
- This beautifully written book includes a variety of concrete examples to provide support for Gawande’s arguments.
- Instead of just bringing to light a problem, this book offers meaningful solutions.
Disadvantages:
- There is some criticism that this book is too long winded and could have been edited better.
Being Mortal is indeed a unique book that provides much-needed insight for both medical professionals and anyone with an aging family member or friend who wants to know more about geriatric care.
Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande – A Doctor’s Account on the Drive to Do Better
This honest and deeply human account of life as a medical professional provides a unique insight into how doctors make the challenging choices required of them every day. While it focuses on medicine, the lessons outlined in this book can be applied to anyone striving to succeed in their field.
Gawande explores how the innovations of those seeking to make the world better have changed the world, using examples like malpractice laws and effective handwashing to prove his case. This book is a must-read piece for anyone interested in medical history or even those interested in making better systems in any field of work.
Near the end of the book, Gawande offers five actionable suggestions for creating improvements in any field. Altogether, this book inspires creativity and ingenuity for anyone who has ever questioned whether the standard way to do something is, in fact, the best way to do something.
Advantages:
- Concrete examples are used to illustrate Gawande’s main ideas.
- Better is written in an easy to understand format, making it approachable to anyone either in or outside of the medical field.
Disadvantages:
- Some of the topics are discussed in simplistic terms, ignoring important subtleties that should be taken into account.
It’s clear that Better deserves its best selling status and is an excellent recommendation for anyone interested in medicine or in improving systems.
These medical books are a great addition to any library or would make a wonderful gift for a medical science enthusiast. From a detailed reference guide to a memoir about a near-death experience, the full range of medical books means there is something for everyone.
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