book review for m.ed students

17 Books All Pre-Med Students Should Read

As a premed student, medical student, and physician, it is important to be constantly learning. The best doctors are the ones who never stop trying to be better.

Of course, as a premed student, you will have plenty of reading to do throughout your classes. However, you will have downtime over your summer, winter, and spring breaks.

There are a lot of great books written by physicians out there that are not only entertaining but also very informative about the medical career. These books can be very motivational and thought-provoking regarding the complex nature of modern medicine.

Below is my list of 17 books every pre-med student should read before getting into medical school. ( These are also good books for medical students to read!)

#1 Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death, and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon’s First Years

This book was by far my favorite read as a pre-med student. My wife (girlfriend at the time) bought this book for me the Christmas before we went on vacation. I remember spending every night that week falling asleep reading this book.

Hot Lights, Cold Steel is essentially a recap of Dr. Michael Collins’s journey through orthopedic surgery residency. Dr. Collins goes into detail regarding what it’s like to be a young surgeon. Reading this book will give you an inside on the life of medicine as well as entertainment from various humorous situations Dr. Collins finds himself in due to a very hectic lifestyle. 

Click here for a longer, detailed review on the book!

#2 Cutting for Stone

Another must-read for anyone who is interested in medicine. Cutting for Stone is narrated by Marion Stone and follows him through decades of his life and medical career. The story takes Marion through India, Ethiopia, and America during periods of unrest and challenges.

Aside from the great story, premeds, medical students, and doctors will find the medical and surgical aspects of this story very fascinating. This book goes into great detail when it comes to medicine. Some find the surgical descriptions so vivid that you could almost use them as a guide to the real deal!

Reading Cutting for Stone will give you an appreciation for medicine in its rawest state. This is a longer read but well worth it.

Buy Cutting for Stone on Amazon!

#3 Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science

Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science is a different kind of read. The description on this books says it all:

 “In gripping accounts of true cases, surgeon Atul Gawande explores the power and the limits of medicine, offering an unflinching view from the scalpel’s edge.  Complications  lays bare a science not in its idealized form but as it actually is — uncertain, perplexing, and profoundly human.” 

Dr. Atul Gawande talks about his own experiences learning to be a surgeon. He talks about the challenges he faced, but most importantly the complications. Every premed student should read this books so that they can have a better understanding of what it really means to be training in world of an “uncertain, perplexing, and profoundly human” science. Check out my detailed post on  Complications !

Buy Complications on Amazon!

#4 The House of God

The house of God is a fictional satire of what it is like to be a medical resident. This book is famous of its “13 Laws of the House of God” which are essentially 13 rules you need to break in order to help your patients and remain sane throughout residency.

Although this book is not really based on the reality of what medical residency is like, there are important lessons we can receive from it. These “13 Laws” may seem harsh, but there are many physicians who can relate to them to some degree. Some of the physicians I scribed for can attest to this!

Regardless of the accuracy, The House of God is very entertaining to read.

Buy The House of God on Amazon!

#5 Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

Another great book by Dr. Atul Gawande. Like the rest of Dr. Gawande’s books, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End addresses another “profoundly human” aspect of medicine in order to challenge the way we think about it.

However instead of the topic on training physicians, this book revolves around end of life care. Specifically the tension between doing everything to survive and improving well-being. A classic struggle between quantity vs quality.

Remember the important rule of medicine: First do no harm.

Definitely a challenging topic to address, but that is what Dr. Gawande is good at. Premed students should read this book to broaden the way they think about medicine.

Buy Being Mortal on Amazon!

#6 Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs: The Making of a Surgeon

If you loved Hot Lights, Cold Steel (Which you should!) then you will love Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs .

Instead of following Dr. Michael Collins through Residency, you will follow him from his job as a Blue Collar worker through the challenging world of Medical School.

As a premed student you can benefit greatly from reading this book. Especially if you are a “non-traditional” premed. Dr. Collins not only started his medical practices later in life, but he also did so with a wife and kids.

Think life as a premed is difficult? Trying doing it while taking care of toddlers.

Dr. Collins is an ordinary man who did extraordinary things. If he can do it, so can you and I.

Buy Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs on Amazon!

#7 The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

Essentially this book is a biography on cancer, dating back thousands of years. A very interesting read for anyone interested or in Medicine.

The Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer is written by a cellular biologist with the goal of helping us better understand cancer.

Buy The Emperor of All Maladies on Amazon!

#8 The Intern Blues: The Timeless Classic About the Making of a Doctor

Three interns keep a detailed diary of their experiences throughout their intern years. The Intern Blues will give you a great unabridged view of a physicians internship. The good, the bad, and the Ugly.

As a pre-med student or medical student, it’s beneficial to learn about the experiences of physicians who have already gone through the training process. The more prepared you are for your internship the better.

Buy The Intern Blues on Amazon!

#9 When Breath Becomes Air

When Breath Becomes Air will keep you hooked until the very end. This story is about a neurosurgeon who discovers that he has stage 4 cancer in his final year of training.

Dr. Paul Kalanthi, the author and neurosurgeon in this story, does an amazing reflection on life from the perspective of a doctor and a patient. Dr. Kalanthi talks about the struggles of residency, dealing with his illness, and the impact on his marriage.

When Breath Becomes Air will have you very emotionally involved from the beginning to the end. No doubt this book involves a lot of sadness, but it is also very inspiring.

Buy When Breath Becomes Air on Amazon!

#10 The Devil Wears Scrubs

Another book regarding the challenges of the first year of residency . The Devil Wears Scrubs is about a fictional character Jane McGill and her journey through internship. The book takes a kind of Grey’s Anatomy-ish vibe with the romance and overbearing senior resident sick of incompetent interns.

Buy The Devil Wears Scrubs on Amazon!

#11 Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World

An inspiring story about Dr. Paul Farmer, focusing on his work fighting tuberculosis in Haiti, Peru, and Russia.

Dr. Farmer is the kind of doctor that many premed and medical students strive to be. A doctor who really wants to help others and make a difference in the world. Kind of like a Patch Adams character. Inspire yourself to leave your comfort zone by reading this amazing story.

Buy Mountains Beyond Mountains on Amazon!

#12 When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales from Neurosurgery

Arguably the most challenging career in medicine is being a neurosurgeon. I’m sure there are many readers of this blog who are aspiring to one day be able to perform these highly complicated surgeries. Although a rewarding career, the path to becoming a neurosurgeon is long and difficult.

When the Air Hits Your Brain will show you exactly what it’s like to go through neurosurgery residency. Dr. Frank Vertosick describes his journey from intern year to world class neurosurgeon.

Dr. Vertosick portrays the emotions associated when treating patients with complicated, life threatening cases and goes into great detail describing the kinds of surgeries he performed.

If you are like many other premed and medical students interested in reading about the “day in the life” of a physician, this is the book for you.

Buy When the Air Hits Your Brain on Amazon!

#13 Emergency Doctor

Emergency Doctor is an exciting book to read. As you can guess from the title, it’s all about Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Edward Ziegler takes you through the crazy life in the ER of Bellevue Hospital. Everything from intense traumas to humorous encounters with patients, this book will keep you at the edge of your seat.

For premed students this book is a great way to get an inside look at what life in the ER is like. Emergency Doctor is entertaining, motivational, and even educational.

Buy Emergency Doctor on Amazon!

#14 Med School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Medical School Experience: By Students, for Students

Think of Med School Confidential as a map to your destination of becoming a physician.

Although “Med School” is in the title, this book is not just for med students. Med School Confidential covers applying to/picking your med school, getting through medical school, and your training beyond medical school.

Many premed students find this book helpful in seeing the big picture. Reading through Med School Confidential will put all your goals in front of you so that you can focus on achieving them.

Buy Med School Confidential on Amazon!

#15 In Stitches

In Stitches is kind of a coming-of-age book. Dr. Youn describes his journey from being an awkward teenager with a massive protruding lower jaw, to undergoing major facial reconstruction surgery, to his determination of becoming a successful plastic surgeon.

This is a good read for any student interested in plastic surgery or for anyone else who struggles overcoming the awkward teenage years.

Buy In Stitches on Amazon!

#16 The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

Another book by Dr. Atul Gawande with a thought-provoking conversation about modern medicine.

The concept of a “checklist” was started by pilots in the US Air force. As airplanes became more and more complex, it was necessary for pilots to implement a checklist in order to fly the aircraft correctly and safety.

Similarly, checklists have become more common in modern medicine as it becomes more and more complex. Dr. Gawande talks about the importance of checklists through his experiences and how it can turn something overwhelming to something manageable.

Buy The Checklist Manifesto on Amazon!

#17 The Year They Tried To Kill Me: Surviving a surgical internship…even if the patients don’t

If you haven’t had enough books about surviving residency, here is another one. The Year They Tried To Kill Me , tends to be more comedic than the other residency books.

A med student from Wisconsin is thrown into the trenches of a surgical residency in Oakland, California. The author describes this book as a coming-of-age novel. Not just a book about the life of a surgeon, but also a book about the struggles of dealing with life outside of the hospital.

Although we have to remain laser focused on the goal, the reality is that life will get in the way and it is important to be prepared to deal with it while working 80+ hours per week.

Buy The Year They Tried To Kill Me on Amazon!

So there you have it, these are a mix of books I personally read and enjoyed, or were recommended to me. I know this is a long list of books and most premed students are just too busy to do any kind of reading that isn’t their school text books.

But I urge you to try to read at least a few of them for 3 important reasons:

#1 You don’t want to go into Medical School without understanding what medicine is really like.

All medical schools will urge you to shadow and get as much clinical experience as possible before applying. The main reason is that they want to see that you have experienced medicine and that you know what the culture is like.

Becoming a physician is not just about the money and the exciting procedures. It’s important to really be passionate about this career because everyone who becomes a physician will experience the tough sleepless nights, long work week, and the tiring paperwork.

These books can provide an insight to the pros and cons of becoming a doctor.

#2 Being a doctor means you are lifelong learner.

As a physician, you will have to essentially continue studying for the rest of your career. Medicine is constantly evolving and it is important to stay on top of it. In fact, the medical boards make you do continuing education, so you don’t even have choice.

Starting this concept of reading more than what is required of you as a premed will only benefit you in the end.

#3 Reading about the lives of amazing doctors is motivational.

Sometimes your premed studies can get you down. It’s natural for a premed student to feel overwhelmed.

Sometimes it’s a good idea to rekindle your motivation to become a physician. The majority of these books will do just that. You will read about inspiring physicians who really made a difference in patients’ lives. This motivation to be better will propel you through undergrad and beyond.

I hope you like these books I recommended. I know countless other premed students have.

If you have any other suggestions, please share in the comments section below!

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The Best Books for Medical School: Basic Sciences – 2023

The best books for basic sciences in medical school:, 2023 edition.

Much like our other post The Best Books for Your Clinical Rotations , this will highlight some of the best books for basic sciences in medical school – updated for 2023!

For the best medical student discounts – check out our page full of 25% or more off codes for your favorite study resources! No more searching the web for expired promo codes – now they are now   all in one place ! 

How to Study:

Honestly, I almost failed anatomy during my first semester of medical school – then a very wise professor told me the secret to studying in medical school. I never came close to failing again! The right books, the right plan, and loads of practice questions make up my guide on “ How to Study in Medical School .”

The short version is I recommend one dedicated resource book to read and take notes from, and then choose 1-2 question bank options. For an actual question bank book, I have always liked Pre-Test but check out our online question bank partners for big discounts.

Anatomy Books:

Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy  – Every medical student needs a go-to Atlas, and this is the gold standard!

Netter’s Human Anatomy Flash Cards  – Helpful for studying as you go and quick memorization prior to tests.

BRS Gross Anatomy – Concise bullet-style review with (most importantly) review questions at the end of each section. My personal choice!

Pre-Test Anatomy, Histology, and Cell Biology  – Hundreds of multiple-choice, board style, questions to practice. Must have!

Embryology:

High Yield Embryology

BRS Embryology  – If you generally like the BRS products, you’ll find this sufficient.

Neuro-Anatomy:

High-Yield Neuroanatomy  – High Yield Series, good review. 

BRS Neuroanatomy  – Another good review option.

Neuroanatomy in Clinical Context: An Atlas of Structures, Sections, Systems, and Syndromes  – If you want a more extensive option and detailed atlas.

Physiology:

BRS Physiology (Board Review Series) – This book by Costanzo is pretty much the gold standard for physio.

Pre-Test Physiology – Always a fan of a dedicated question book and this is what I used.

My medical school used a small book and then was mostly professor driven with slides. The usual recommended ones are:

Histology: A Text and Atlas: With Correlated Cell and Molecular Biology

BRS Cell Biology and Histology

Pre-Test Anatomy, Histology, and Cell Biology   – This is the same book as for anatomy, but it does include some decent histology questions.

Biochemistry:

Lippincott’s Review of Biochemistry  – More in-depth and extensive option, plus built-in review questions – 200 in the book, and another 500 available online with the book purchase.

Lange Biochemistry and Genetics Flash Cards – Flashcards and clinical vignettes, fairly high yield.

Pre-Test Biochemistry and Genetics – A good combo option for your genetics class as well.

Microbiology/Immunology:

(many schools may not require a dedicated textbook)

How the Immune System Works (The How it Works Series)  – Not very detailed but very good overview and easy read for beginning knowledge.

Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple  – Gold standard book for micro.

Immunology Made Ridiculously Simple  – Very similar style to the above.

A lot of people especially like the microbiology section of the Sketchy Medical series: ( www.sketchymedical.com ).

Pre-Test Microbiology

Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease  – THE “big” book – very long and detailed, but everything you’d ever need as a reference resource.

Robbins and Cotran Review of Pathology  – The “review” version – it’s essentially 1000+ review questions with very detailed explanations. Some say this is all you really need.

Robbins and Cotran Pathology Flash Cards  – Flashcards for the above.

Rapid Review Pathology  – Goljan pathology, the other big name in pathology textbooks.

Pre-Test Pathology – I am always a fan of Pre-Test, as it was my go-to question bank.

Not a textbook, but Pathoma  is another popular product.

– Check out Amazon Student (big discount if in college) or Amazon Prime for great deals and free two-day shipping.  I am an amazon.com junky, and order something at least once a week. Sign up below!

Disclaimer: Each of these is linked through the Amazon affiliate program, and at no cost to you, #LifeofaMedStudent receives a small referral fee if you purchase through these links. We greatly thank you for your support!

The Best Books for Medical School 2021

The best books for anatomy, the best books for pathology, the best books for physiology, the best book for histology, the best books for biochemistry, the best books for immunology, the best books for microbiology, share this:, be the first to comment, add your thoughts here cancel reply.

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Best Books for Medical School

This is technically a list of my book recommendations for the basic sciences, classically the MS1/MS2 years (my books recommendations for the clinical clerkships are here ).

In practice, there are no true “best” books, but there often multiple good ones. I’ve made an editorial selection here to provide a few good and reasonable options depending on your needs that you can read without remorse and should work well in most circumstances.

Please note and be assured that–depending on your course materials, preferences, and comfort with online resources—you don’t necessarily need to buy any books. Most people would at least get an anatomy atlas and a review book or two for Step 1, but outside of that pretty much all roads lead to Rome (I’ve compiled a nice list of free online resources here ). So don’t be afraid to not buy books, and don’t be afraid to switch study styles or plans if things aren’t working out for you the way they used to in college. Iteration is the key to personal growth. You can figure this out.

The most important thing about your study lineup is that you are comfortable with it. One of the most pervasive medical student fears is the fear of missing out. The mantra of medical school should actually be: more isn’t always better. Trust me, the only thing you’re really missing out on is the life of a twenty-something with disposable income.

Medical students love to compete with each other when it comes to resources. Some students gleefully tell their peers how many resources they are using or will disdainfully remark that the book you’re reading isn’t that great, doesn’t contain enough detail, etc. Anyone who tells you what you must and must not do is almost invariably wrong. In real life, you don’t necessarily need any particular book or even a book at all for every course. And no book has a monopoly on relevant “high-yield” medical knowledge just as how no hospital has a monopoly on sick people. You may have detailed lecture powerpoints or good course syllabi, not to mention Al Gore invented the Internet for a reason.

• Moore for the textbook (if you need one, your school syllabus may be enough). Note that most students will supplement an anatomy textbook with an atlas of some type.
• If cadaver-based gross anatomy is anything other than pass/fail, I’d recommend using Rohen  to study for practicals. The real photos go a long way toward helping you identify structures in real life compared to stylized  Netter -type drawings. However, the combination is synergistic; Netter shows you the ideal  relationships; Rohen shows you how to actually identify structures in the lab. Not wanting to buy two big atlases, some students go for the Rohen atlas and buy the Netter flashcards . At least when it comes to gross lab, I guarantee someone nearby will have the big Netter.
• If you want a combination of Netter-style illustrations mixed with a bit more explanatory text, better organization, and some really nice tables, consider Thieme’s Atlas of Anatomy  (it’s excellent; the downside is that your school probably isn’t using it as the official text). Rohen + Thieme (or Netter if you prefer) are a great combination.

Neuroanatomy

• First year neuroanatomy can be a complicated beatdown but often doesn’t require a book.
• Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple  can help with the highlights (hits a good portion of testable points) in a relatively painless way but won’t replace your course materials.
• High Yield Neuroanatomy is a more thorough but dryer version.
• Your needs will vary a lot depending on your school’s course, so ask up. Commonly, embryology is deemphasized and you’ll be safe with nothing. The handful of parts they care about may be folded into your anatomy course and require nothing else.
• For focused reading, you might benefit from High Yield Embryology  vs BRS for the relevant material (same author, same material, a bit more explanation + length + practice questions in BRS).
• But if the anatomy & embryology folks truly have a stranglehold on your education, you may just want to pluck down for whatever they want.  Langman’s is probably the most thorough and has lots of clinical correlation (which is a plus [if you can tolerate lots of graphic photos]) but generates strong dichotomous love/visceral hate from students. Moore’s Before We are Born is the most concise textbook, but her The Developing Human is ultimately stronger, more clearly written, and more popular. Larsen’s rounds out the list. If you’re really picking your own, then it’s worth taking a look in person and seeing which one speaks to you: embryology is visually complex and often meaninglessly detailed; you want something that jives with your preferences.
• Histology is another course that students often need not buy a specific book for depending on class materials and requirements. The salient portions for Step 1 are reinforced adequately by most pathology courses, so it’s often really a first-year endeavor. The main question to answer as you plan your studies is how slide/image heavy your course is so you know how deep to go down the histo rabbit hole. Outside of that, as they say in design, form follows function. Always think about relating structure to function as you learn, and you’ll be fine.
• I’d pick  The Color Atlas and Text of Histology  (great pictures, pretty friendly text) or  Wheater’s , but Ross’ Histology  or  Junquiera’s Basic Histology  are also fine if that’s what your school recommends/derives exam material from.
• Please see this page of links to a variety of online histo resources that probably obviate the need for an atlas for most students.
• Costanzo’s Physiology , easily. It’s a real textbook, but it’s well written and actually relatively concise. Physiology actually matters in medicine, so it’s something worth learning well. A strong physiology background will take you far on Step 1 as well. People are often scared of renal and acid/base. Don’t be scared. Be hungry.
• Costanzo also wrote the BRS Physiology Review , which is somewhat shorter, more concise review. Conceivably, you could read her main book as an MS1 and then use BRS during MS2 to review for Step 1 (as some students advocate), but I think this is overkill. You can use the main book as a reference for as much as you need.

Biochemistry

• Lippincott is the strong choice, if you want to actually learn biochemistry at all. Biochemistry lends itself well to brute force rote memorization over deep understanding, but you’re gonna have to work for it no matter what you use. It comes with questions baked in and an additional 500+ online question bank as well.
• The  Lange flashcards  are quite good. They’re essentially a concise high-yield review book divided into flashcards with lots of clinical vignettes. This could be enough for you; it honestly was for me.
• For something in between a dedicated text and flash cards, consider  First Aid for the Basic Sciences , which fleshes out the FA bones for your initial exposures.

Microbiology

• Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple   is a classic highlight. It doesn’t cover everything, and it’s not detailed enough to stand completely alone, but what it does it does really well. It’s also pretty cheap.
• Since my days, SketchyMicro has taken on and expanded the visual learning mantle (and now includes topics that require such methods less).
• Deja Review Microbiology is essentially a book of clearly explained notecards in a side-by-side column Q&A format. It’s a great format change of pace (and particularly nice for quizzing yourself and friends, gauging your progress, etc). Don’t get the kindle version, which loses the crucial two-column format. Or, for rapid bug review, consider the Lippincott flash cards  if that’s more your sort of thing. Fast and painless and probably better than making your own.
• If desperate for a more traditional textbook, try Levinson . For unnecessary additional depth in immunology, go for Abbas . You probably won’t need either one.

Behavioral Science

• I’ve never met anyone who needed a behavioral science text. But if you did, you’d buy BRS Behavioral Science . If you do, get the newest edition (Fadem wrote all three of the most common behavioral science books, but only BRS has been updated for DSM5). First Aid does address most of the salient material.
• Also not usually necessary. The school choice if there one is probably Medical Genetics  (it’s clearly written and not crazy detailed).
• If your school wants you to read more (almost twice more), then it might be Thompson and Thompson . For whatever reason, the 7th (2007) edition of T&T is available just sitting here as a pdf .

Epidemiology & Biostatistics

• Can be safely skipped. First Aid, Crush Step 1, and a number of other resources cover the ground fine.

Pharmacology

• If your lectures aren’t doing the trick, I’d pick the Lippincott Illustrated Reviews: Pharmacology over  Katzung and Trevor’s  to be your foundation. LIR has a friendlier and more digestible organization, style, and pictures (though K & T has nice USMLE-style questions baked in working in its favor). Either would work fine, though many people won’t end up buying a dedicated pharm text.
• Pharmacology is another great subject for flashcards. Deja Review Pharmacology (format discussed above) is a great option for a notecard-like resource to hammer the details. Making your own could actually be worth your time, but your friends and the internet also have decks of varying quality. If none of that suits you,  the PharmCards  are also pretty good overall.
• I owe a lot to the Robbins & Cotran Review of Pathology (aka the Robbins question book). You can learn most of the testable information in pathology just by going through the (difficult) questions in each chapter one by one, reading the explanations, and soldiering on. You’ll even start getting questions toward the end of a chapter right because you’ll have learned the testable facts as incorrect choices on earlier questions. Explanations are concise (but awesome), so you’ll occasionally need to supplement, but this is easily my favorite book from the basic science years. I don’t really believe in “must-haves,” but if I did, this was mine. Do the whole thing cover to cover right before your pathology shelf and you’ll have given yourself the best possible chance of destroying it.
• Since my time, Pathoma became a thing. This often replaces everything else “pathology” for a lot of people, though it’s more on the “clear & high-yield” side and less on the thorough. Videos are generally beloved, probably better than your school lectures, and—assuming you attend those—excellent to watch beforehand. The level of detail may or may not be enough for your school’s tests, so ask your more senior peers. They offer a pretty extensive free trial to see if the lectures and book are your style.
• Goljan’s Rapid Review of Pathology  has lost some ground to Pathoma but is still very popular, well-received, and is often well-utilized longitudinally throughout a second-year path course (and sometimes just for dedicated Step review). It’s more detailed. RR covers a lot of important material, but personally, I think it’s death by bullet point (the best stuff is the blue boxes/tables/pictures). If you look at your lineup and you just don’t see a good way to fit it in, that’s entirely fine. You don’t need to Goljan to succeed.
• Big Robbins is an excellent textbook if you still like the idea of “really learning the basic sciences” by the time second year rolls around or need a non-pharmacological sleep aid (it’s over 1400 pages). I’d argue that the parts that will show up on tests make their way into the Q&A book just fine, and big Robbins is most efficiently used a reference (if at all). The completionists will, of course, learn pathology “better” by pouring over the whole thing page by page (#yolo/#fomo).
• It’s now common practice for students to go through and annotate  First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 as they progress through the basic sciences. FA is generally too terse to learn from at first but a universally utilized high-yield review when a foundation is in place. If this method sounds good to you, then by all means do it. If it doesn’t, then don’t—I certainly didn’t. I want my textbooks to be textbooks, my review books to be review books, and I don’t want to take notes in general, let alone in the margins.
• I actually found First Aid to be overrated, tedious to get through, and difficult to retain.  Crush Step 1  wasn’t around when I was a medical student, but if it had been, I’d definitely have used it (I was a big Crush Step 2 fan back in the day, though the new Crush takes a more detailed approach). I’d probably still have rushed through FA during dedicated Step 1 review (everyone does), but Crush would have been more helpful at actually teaching/hitting the high points as a longitudinal two-year resource.
• Keep in mind: Questions are good. Do lots of questions. If you have cash to burn, UWorld has great ones, and they’re the most critical component of Step review. Here are some free question resources if you don’t.

Read on:  Best Books for the Clinical Clerkships

Additional reading:

• An organized list of my highest yield posts for medical school
• A compilation of free study resources for the basic sciences

12 Comments

Thanks for these recommendations! What do you think about Deja Review for Pharmacology and Microbiology? According to the latest First Aid, they received “A” grades, so I was wondering if you had any thoughts about them. Thanks again!

They’re solid (discussed above). Imagine them like flashcards that put the question & answer in side by side columns. Material is succinct and clearly written. While it’s not quite the same as applying knowledge to answering questions, the Q&A format helps with rote memorization, and as such, can be quite helpful for those two subjects. To me, they fit best in that rapid notecard-style studying niche (an important niche!), and not primary text (lecture notes/powerpoints, textbook, etc) replacement. Great for last-minute pre test review/cramming.

Thank you SOOOO freaking much! You have given me the reassurance that countless speakers and older med students couldn’t give be because you have actually given me a relevant plan of attack. I wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavours, and thanks again for taking the time to do this and for being so helpful. :D

thanks i wanna be a medical doctor, specialized in obstetrics or gynecology and i’m now having plans to enroll myself in a university. i wanna buy some books and learn them at home before i start to help me have a wider knowledge and understanding when i’m in. what books do you recommend?

These recs are for medical students. That’s a long way away for anyone who hasn’t gone through college courses etc. You’ll serve yourself better reading for and doing well in your premedical coursework at this point.

Any thoughts about the Graphic Guide to Infectious Disease by Brian Kloss and Travis Bruce that was recently released? Maybe it’s competition for Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple?

Looks really good; style is bit different. The comics are detailed and the regular text is pretty straight/vanilla. But MRS style isn’t for everyone, so not necessarily a bad thing.

Thank you so much Ben…,that was awesome…,sincerely you’ve given me the confidence as I’ll be joining medical school in September…,, You have been very helpful to me Ben. Be blessed in all your endeavors.

I am currently in my fist semester, I am struggling the answering the questions. I have the knowledge according to my counselor but I pick the wrong answer. Any suggestions or recommended resources. I would greatly appreciate it.

The best way to get better at questions is to answer more high-quality questions. If you’re not already using UWorld, you should.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Post-match life research, nyu and the slow coming wave of “free” school, the distressed debt of healthcare private equity, how i read nbme/usmle questions.

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The Best Textbooks for Medical School

The Med School Resources series is a compilation of the most useful resources for studying medicine. To check out the other articles, click on the links below:

A “Minimalist” Approach to Using Textbooks

Surprisingly, textbooks are usually not a strict requirement for medical school, save for select chapters or readings that your lecturer will set for a specific module. This is because we learn most of our content from the lecture materials. These lecture slides or notes will be tailored to your school’s syllabus and teaching sequence.

Nevertheless, textbooks are great reference materials. With their credible content and amazing diagrams, they can be useful supplements to our learning. The problem is, there’s a myriad of options to choose from, and varying opinions on which is “the best”.

You can certainly try to get your hands on all of them. But ultimately, it’s good to have just one main textbook that you refer to for each subject area. Of course, you can always have ancillary ones for further reference if needed. But by having just one go-to text, it helps to clarify your mental process. You won’t waste time shuttling between different texts, trying to decide which is best—especially when you just need a quick reference.

Having a “minimalist” or “lean” approach to using textbooks also ensures that you’ll actually read or refer to some of them. If you fixate on amassing many resources, chances are most of them will lie untouched.

How This List Was Selected

This list of the best textbooks for medical students was curated after consulting hundreds of resources and opinions, ranging from medical schools’ booklists to articles, reviews, student forums, and medical students’ experiences.

One main textbook is listed for each broad subject area (e.g. anatomy, physiology). Of course, what’s “best” may be subjective, so alternatives have been included for consideration. A few better ones are highlighted as “popular alternatives”. The rest are really just “options”, which you needn’t consider if you’d like a dilemma-free textbook selection process.

(Note: Textbooks on clinical skills and clinical medicine are not included in this list.)

The Best Medical Textbooks by Subject Area

Anatomy: gray’s anatomy for students.

Gray’s Anatomy for Students is the students’ version of Gray’s Anatomy , which remains the definitive, comprehensive reference on human anatomy. The illustrations are great and it’s easy to read. Many medical students have this as their go-to text for anatomy. Like all the other options below, the text is organised by regions (not by body systems).

Popular Alternative: Moore’s Clinically Oriented Anatomy

Moore’s Clinically Oriented Anatomy is also immensely popular among medical students. It is on par with Gray’s in terms of its illustrations and readability. Some would argue that Gray’s illustrations are better or that the text offers more clarity—these are personal preferences. Other like Moore’s for the “Clinical Blue Boxes”, but Gray’s also has “In the clinic” boxes, which relates the anatomy to its clinical significance. There are probably bits of content in one that may not be in the other, but both offer very a complete coverage of the subject matter.

Other Anatomy Textbooks

• Snell’s Clinical Anatomy : The illustrations are definitely not as nice. You’d be better off choosing between Gray’s and Moore’s.
• BRS Gross Anatomy : Part of the Board Review Series, widely used by US medical students studying for the USMLE Step 1. Good for high-yield notes and USMLE-style practice questions, but not a full-on textbook. – may be more USMLE-oriented

Anatomy (Atlas): Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy

Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy has simply the best anatomical diagrams. The labelled illustrations are vibrantly coloured with exquisite detail.  While there are other options, Netter’s is favoured by most.

Other Anatomy Atlases

• Thieme Atlas of Anatomy : Includes short explanations and tables, (whereas Netter’s is just full-page diagrams). The images have a less hand-painted feel (more like Gray’s style).
• Gray’s Atlas of Anatomy : The atlas version of Gray’s Anatomy. Style of images is similar to that seen in the Gray’s textbook. It is not as widely recommended as an atlas.
• Sobotta Atlas of Anatomy : Includes captions to each figure. Art style is more like Netter’s.
• Photographic Atlas of Anatomy (Rohen) : Full-colour photographs of actual cadaver dissections. It’s not bad for looking at real specimens, but good to pair it with a complete set of standard illustrations like Netter’s.
• Grant’s Dissector : Step-by-step human cadaver dissection procedures. (Usually not required, probably only if used by your school.)

Embryology: Langman’s Medical Embryology

Langman’s Medical Embryology is the go-to book in this field, with its comprehensive material and nice illustrations. It covers everything you need to know (usually more). Very helpfully, it’s divided into two parts: General Embryology and Systems-Based Embryology. “Clinical Correlates” boxes highlight the clinical relevance.

Popular Alternative: Moore’s The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology

While Langman’s is more often cited as the go-to embryology text, Moore’s The Developing Human comes in a very, very close second . Just like Langman’s, the first few chapters cover the stages of embryonic development, and the later chapters dive into each organ system. Again, similar to Langman’s, boxed content highlight congenital defects—the clinical significance.

This was the most difficult choice on the list. Moore’s diagrams are amazing, and some may be superior to Langman’s. My suggestion is to focus less on the text—good to go with either (or neither i.e. use your lecture materials)—and use a mix of diagrams from Langman’s and Moore’s (they’ll likely be featured in your lecture slides as well).

Other Embryology Textbooks

• Larsen’s Human Embryology : Another very good alternative to Langman’s and Moore’s, with all the same features outlined above. Diagrams are great! That’s why you use your school’s lecture materials (or Google images) to get the best of all worlds.
• BRS Embryology : Part of the Board Review Series, widely used by US medical students studying for the USMLE Step 1. Good for high-yield notes and USMLE-style practice questions, but not a full-on textbook. – may be more USMLE-oriented
• High-Yield Embryology : Part of the High-Yield Series, which extracts the most important information and presents a concentrated, efficient review of embryology material tested on the USMLE Step 1. Graphics are not coloured. Go with BRS Embryology for high-yield notes. – may be more USMLE-oriented

Histology: Junqueira’s Basic Histology

With its full-colour, high-quality micrographs and accompanying graphics, Junqueira’s Basic Histology is lauded for its near-perfect combination of text and images. It covers everything, going first into the broad tissue types, then organ system-specific histology.

Popular Alternative: Wheater’s Functional Histology

Although Junqueira’s is usually recommended as the top choice, Wheater’s Functional Histology is just as good. It is organised in a similar fashion, covering The Cell, Basic Tissue Types, and Organ Systems. An advantage is that the text is slightly more concise compared to Junqueira’s.

Other Histology Textbooks

• Histology: A Text and Atlas (Ross) : A good alternative to Junqueira’s and Wheater’s, with similar organisation of content.
• Color Atlas and Text of Histology (Gartner) : Another good alternative to Junqueira’s and Wheater’s, with similar organisation of content.
• BRS Cell Biology and Histology : Part of the Board Review Series, widely used by US medical students studying for the USMLE Step 1. Good for high-yield notes and USMLE-style practice questions, but not a full-on textbook. – may be more USMLE-oriented

Physiology: Costanzo’s Physiology

Costanzo’s Physiology is a gem. It has just the right level of depth required for pre-clinical medical students. Well-designed figures and tables provide handy visuals and make complex principles easy to understand. The text is readable and clear.

Popular Alternative: Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology

While Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology is dubbed the bible of physiology, the content is too dense at some parts and not as readable as Costanzo’s. It is perhaps good for reference, but otherwise, Costanzo’s wins hands down.

Other Physiology Textbooks

• Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology : An alternative to Costanzo’s, though Costanzo’s is still best overall. Since it is a review, it’s less dense than Guyton and Hall.
• BRS Physiology : Part of the Board Review Series, widely used by US medical students studying for the USMLE Step 1. Good for high-yield notes and USMLE-style practice questions, but not a full-on textbook. – may be more USMLE-oriented

Pathology: Robbins Basic Pathology

Without a doubt, Robbins Basic Pathology is the best textbook on the subject. You don’t have to read the denser Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (aka Big Robbins). You could check out the “shorter” versions, in descending order of depth:

• Robbins and Cotran Review of Pathology
• Robbins Essential Pathology
• Pocket Companion to Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease

However, as a textbook, Robbins Basic Pathology is the one that offers the right amount of depth and should be your go-to.

Other Pathology Textbooks

• Rapid Review Pathology (Goljan) : Favoured by US medical students studying for the USMLE Step 1, Step 2, or course exams. Good for high-yield notes and USMLE course review, but not a full-on textbook. – may be more USMLE-oriented
• Fundamentals of Pathology (Pathoma) : Favoured by US medical students studying for the USMLE Step 1. Good for high-yield notes and USMLE course review, but not a full-on textbook. – may be more USMLE-oriented
• BRS Pathology : Part of the Board Review Series, widely used by US medical students studying for the USMLE Step 1. Good for high-yield notes and USMLE-style practice questions, but not a full-on textbook. – may be more USMLE-oriented

Microbiology: Lange Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology

For Microbiology, it’s best to look for review books , since the level of detail will be too great in the thicker volumes. Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology is succinct and high-yield, without compromising on readability. The content is very well-organised, spanning Bacteriology, Virology, Mycology, Parasitology, Immunology, Ectoparasites, and Infectious Diseases. The tables and summaries are especially helpful.

Other Microbiology Textbooks

• Lippincott Illustrated Reviews: Microbiology : Similar to the Lange review; a good level of depth for medical school.
• Mims’ Medical Microbiology and Immunology : A very comprehensive text with nice images. The downside is that there’s probably too much detail.
• Prescott’s Microbiology : Similar to Mims’; unnecessarily comprehensive and in-depth for most medical school purposes.
• Sherris Medical Microbiology : In-depth text covering all aspects of medical microbiology; far too in-depth at this stage.
• Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology (Mahon) : More suitable for practicing microbiologists.
• Bailey & Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology : Similar to Mahon’s; not really required for pre-clinical medical students.
• Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple (Gladwin) : Touted as a classic by US medical students. The book breaks content down into digestible portions, with silly drawings to aid memorisation. It may not be the best if you’re looking for a traditional reference textbook.

Immunology: Janeway’s Immunobiology

Janeway’s Immunobiology the classic textbook for immunology. It’s comprehensive and best used for its informative illustrations and tables. As with most other full-size textbooks on this list, some parts contain more detail than is required.

Popular Alternative: Kuby Immunology

Kuby Immunology rivals Janeway’s . Its graphics are excellent, and some may even surpass Janeway’s. The biggest advantage is that it’s more concise than Janeway’s, yet still a very comprehensive textbook.

Other Immunology Textbooks

• Essentials of Clinical Immunology : This textbook is clinically focused and simple yet thorough. Diagrams are nice but fewer than in Janeway’s or Kuby.
• The Immune System (Parham) : Similar to Kuby as a condensed alternative to Janeway’s, but considerably shorter and more concise. May not be the reference book that some would prefer.
• How the Immune System Works (Sompayrac) : Cuts through the jargon to provide readers with a clear and engaging understanding of the subject. Good for understanding concepts in immunology, but not a comprehensive reference textbook.
• BRS Microbiology and Immunology : Part of the Board Review Series, widely used by US medical students studying for the USMLE Step 1. Good for high-yield notes and USMLE-style practice questions, but not a full-on textbook. – may be more USMLE-oriented

Make It A Dilemma-Free Process

Many textbooks are great, and sometimes when choosing between two options, it’s really give and take. Searching up more reviews doesn’t do any good. Save yourself the dilemma, choose a main one and stick with it. Google and Google Images the rest (if that’s not already the first place you go to). If you just follow the list above—without even considering the alternatives—you’d be good to go.

Mostly though, you won’t even have time to master all the content in your lecture materials. So, except for any required readings set out in specific modules, take textbooks as just extra reference material—consulted only when needed. There are much more efficient and effective ways to study medicine than reading a textbook cover-to-cover.

Please feel free to share your favourite textbooks too, especially if they aren’t listed above! Simply leave a comment below. Don’t forget to check out the other articles in the Med School Resources series too. (Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links on this page. All embedded links lead directly to the publisher’s page, where you can view the table of contents and other details for each book.)

7 Books Every Medical Student Should Read

16 May, 2024 Blog Articles , Medicine Articles

Anatomy and physiology textbooks will likely be at your side throughout your medical studies, and you’ll be reading through countless scientific papers, but you might want to read something beforehand that gives you insight into the world of medicine in practice – whether that’s research, at the clinic or in the operating room. This pre-study reading is also incredibly helpful for young students aiming to get a head start in their medical careers, such as by attending our Oxford Summer School , where we further explore many of the topics covered in these medical books.

With that in mind, below is a list of the best books for medical students that will you a good idea of what Medicine is like (without getting textbook-y!).

What’s the best book you’ve read about medicine?

Table of Contents

1. Bad Science  by Ben Goldacre

Undoubtedly a must-read if you’re interested in research (which you should be!). This gem combines humour with facts to shed light on what really goes on behind every discovery, as well as what happens when things are slow in the lab.

In this book by British physician and researcher Ben Goldacre, basic principles of the scientific method in research are explained in a satirical, eye-opening way. He discusses the malpractice used by some researchers, universities and scientific journals, and the problems caused by, as he puts it, bad science. This ranges from calling out the dodgy claims made by scaremongering journalists going after an easy news story, to researchers themselves hiding important results simply because they wouldn’t give them a publication. The book is a light-hearted yet informative read, making it perfect for a holiday or for those preparing for academic Medical studies like an Oxford Summer Course , where a critical understanding of research integrity is emphasized.

2. This Is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

If you’re going to read one book from this list, make it this one. It’s an insightful, inspiring page-turner. This series of light-hearted yet informative accounts from Adam Kay’s career as a gynaecologist starts when he was applying to med school. He describes how the admissions process is rather arbitrary and not always effective in choosing students with the right qualities for the career. He goes on to talk about his days as a junior doctor, seeing his first death, saving his first life, and offers real insight into life as a junior doctor in the NHS.

3.  Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Healthcare Handbook by David Werner

Originally a healthcare manual written based on the experiences of the author in a village in western Mexico, this book aims to inform its readers about how to deal with healthcare issues even in an isolated area where professional healthcare may not be readily available. This is one of the denser texts on this list, but definitely worth a read to get some insight into what medicine can be like in developing countries. In the process, you’ll also learn a few tips that might come in handy. From AIDS and malaria to abortion and drug addiction, the essential steps to prevent, recognise and treat common health issues are outlined in an informative manner.

4. Do No Harm by Henry Marsh

This is another insightful account of a doctor’s experiences, wherein neurosurgeon Henry Marsh dives into the realities of having someone’s life in your hands. It’s been described as “An unforgettable insight into the countless human dramas that take place in a busy modern hospital, and a lesson in the need for hope when faced with life’s most difficult decisions”. 

If you think neurosurgery is all about intricate skill, knowledge and a steady hand, Marsh will make you think again. The agonising day-to-day decisions that need to be made (with urgency) require you to be able to live with the consequences. As he explains here, a neurosurgeon usually has to perform operations that leave the patient with the lesser of two evils (for example, paralysing them to save their life). Even if the operation is supposed to have a good outcome, what happens if it all goes wrong? How do you deal with it? 

5. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Stanford University neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer at the age of 30. He uses this book to tell his story and tackle the issue of approaching death with grace, all while probing age old questions like what is the meaning of life? What makes a life worth living?

The question of the meaning of life, Kalanithi writes, arises frequently in medical settings. As a surgeon, especially a neurosurgeon, you must learn to judge whose life could be saved; whose couldn’t; and whose shouldn’t. Rushing a patient to the operation room in order to save their brain just enough to keep their heart functioning, leaving them unable to speak and destined to eat through a straw for the rest of their lives, condemns the patient to a existence they would never want. Kalanithi discusses why this makes it extremely important to be able to guide a patient and family to an understanding of death and illness.

6. The House of God by Samuel Shem

The only fictional work on this list, this novel written by a psychiatrist in the early 1970s follows a group of medical interns at a hospital called The House of God. Based on the author’s actual experiences, it tells of Roy, the new intern at the department, and his encounters with the people he meets there; for example, Fat Man, a second-year resident who believes old people never die. It’s a satirical, comical read, giving an idea of what life after graduation can be like for a medical student. The hospital even has its own list of rules, including this:

Rule 12: If the radiology resident and the medical student both see a lesion on the chest x-ray, there can be no lesion there.

If you’re looking for a humorous novel that’ll also give you an idea of the hectic life of an intern, this is the one.

7. Being Mortal  by Atul Gawande

American surgeon Atul Gawande discusses how care for the sick and old has evolved since the early 1900s, when American hospitals were more like holding cells and did not provide much care. As they started to become equipped with antibiotics and monitoring equipment, this changed drastically. It talks of the cultural contrast with Asian and middle eastern countries, where the elderly are revered and cared for by their families until they require advanced care. Gawande also discusses the topic of assisted suicide, and hope for the ageing population in the future. 

Next Steps for Aspiring Medical Students

• Not sure whether you want to study Medicine? Read our article on reasons to study medicine .
• If you’re making medical school applications, read this helpful list of recommended extracurricular activities for medicine .
• Learn more about our Oxford Medicine Summer School to experience what studying medicine is like.

Experience What Studying Medicine is Like

If you’re considering or preparing to study Medicine at university, our Medicine Summer School can give you the edge you need to succeed and get a head start on your studies.

The Best Books for Medical Students

Table of contents.

You might think there isn’t a lot of time for or value in reading non-academic books for leisure, but think again! Books are a great way of finding a new perspective when you can’t experience it firsthand. While there is value in interpersonal interactions, words have the power to move people in a totally different way.

So in this article, I’ll talk about books– books that have given medical students the push they need to be the best doctors they can be. In no particular order, I selected these books based on their writing, relevance, how in-depth of a view it gives of the medical profession, and maybe a bit of my personal taste, as an aspiring doctor and self-proclaimed bookworm.

#1: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

“There is a moment, a cusp, when the sum of gathered experience is worn down by the details of living. We are never so wise as when we live in this moment.”

In the last year of his neurosurgical residency, Kalanithi battles a terminal illness and ponders the meaning of life. As he tries to make the most of the time he has left, he balances his life as a doctor, patient, and husband. Despite the book being published posthumously and its generally gloomy theme, it has moments of hope and inspiration as the author loses the life he thought he’d have and replaces it with something even more meaningful.

This book is a personal favorite of mine, and I put it here at the top of the list for a reason. As a future doctor, you need to learn not only what it means to be a physician, but also what it means to be a patient. In this brief yet meaningful memoir, Kalanithi gives an in-depth view of both — and the struggle between the two.

Kalanithi, as a literature major, immerses you in a story about hope and grief in such as way that you can’t help but put yourself in his shoes. You wonder what you would prioritize at the end of everything and what it would mean to be your own patient. In the face of your own mortality, you’re in the best position to see the bigger picture. If you’re looking for a novel that reminds you what you’re doing all this for or what exactly you’re dedicating your life to, look no further than When Breath becomes Air .

#2: House of God by Samuel Shem

“Every intern makes mistakes. The important thing is neither to make the same mistake twice nor to make a whole bunch of mistakes all at once.”

There is no rule book or manual for being a medical intern in a hospital — sometimes you have to make it up as you go along. In Shem’s House of God , their interns follow their own survival guide passed down from the wisdom of their seniors. The story follows the interns of the House of God (a pseudonym for a fictional hospital) as they traverse the grueling and degrading challenge of being a junior doctor.

I put this here because while the novel is satricial, it’s still loosely based on actual experiences of interns in hospitals. Although a real hospital usually has fewer blurred lines and borderline-negligent rules, it still follows that being a junior doctor is difficult and it’s easy to feel lost. Different doctors will tell you to follow different rules, and it’s up to you to decide what’s best for your patients.

The book overall is a great read, especially if you’re an intern looking for some laughs when resting from your duty hours. It’s so well-known that some of the language is even used in pop culture and by some doctors. But take note: you might also find the haunting truth that maybe the satire isn’t all that far from reality.

#3: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

“For pleasure, I have to turn to the vivid memory of tastes and smells, an inexhaustible reservoir of sensations. Once, I was a master at recycling leftovers. Now I cultivate the art of simmering memories.”

This memoir follows the life of the former Editor-in-Chief of the French magazine Elle as he wakes up from a 20-week coma to Locked-in Syndrome, a rare neurological condition in which a person is almost completely paralyzed but their cognitive function and memories remain intact. With only acute awareness and what’s left of his motor function, he tells of his physical, emotional, and mental struggles with his condition, and the memories he holds on to for strength. This book was written by Bauby, who could only communicate through blinking. It took 200,000 blinks and 10 months to “write” before Bauby eventually died of pneumonia.

It’s one thing to diagnose and treat patients, but it’s another to put yourself in their shoes. The way Bauby describes his experience is vivid and impactful, using his years of literary prowess to make you feel the tornado of emotions that one feels when faced with a severely debilitating disease. What feelings do our patients have when robbed of their body’s basic functions? What does it mean to live when the wonders of medicine have not only prolonged survival, but also the agony of living with disease?

If you’re looking for a book to help you understand your patients better, especially those with disabilities, you might want to try this book. It’s important for a doctor to understand the impact of disease on an individual to help decide the next best course of action. While you may find the book tragic, it can be moving and empowering as it makes evident the perseverance and true strength of the human mind.

#4: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

“We’ve been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival. But really it is larger than that. It is to enable well-being.”

Gawande has written quite a few books about medicine and patient care. This particular one tackles a topic that I think all students should consider: the end of life. Being Mortal shares the reflections and personal stories of patients undergoing hospice care or struggling with terminal illness.

Health care in our older years can be financially and emotionally exhausting. That’s because as we get older, we are left with memories and some regrets about the life we’ve lived. As a future doctor, it’s important to understand that you will see many patients (and their families) in a day, but for them, these are pivotal moments in their lives. That fact matters as much as any treatment you can give.

If you’re looking for a book to help you come to terms with these aspects of your patient’s lives or to prepare yourself for the inevitable, this book does the job. At the end of life, where theoretical and standard practices may fall short for your patients, empathy becomes your greatest tool in improving their quality of life. I would also recommend Gawande’s other books about medicine as well.

#5: This Is Going To Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay

“So I told them the truth: the hours are terrible, the pay is terrible, the conditions are terrible; you’re underappreciated, unsupported, disrespected and frequently physically endangered. But there’s no better job in the world.”

For years, the idea of being a doctor has always been followed with some prestige. Who doesn’t think that saving lives on a regular basis is cool as heck? Well, it’s not as glamorous as people make it out to be. In Kay’s collection of diary entries, he paints a messy yet honest picture of his journey as a medical trainee. Under the humorous tone of the book, Kay is faced with grueling work and traumatic events– the harsh and inescapable reality of being a doctor.

I chose this book because it challenges the view of how people see doctors against what it actually is like to be one. Many people believe doctors to be something more than human. They expect doctors to know everything, because it’s terrifying to believe that they could be wrong. Because of this, many — and even some of us doctors — forget that we’re human. We want time for ourselves and the people we love. We want breaks from the heavy pressure of medicine. But despite the compassionate nature of the job, it’s rare we find it for ourselves.

If you’re looking for a book that doesn’t pull punches about what it’s like to be a doctor, but with a tinge of humor, you might want to try this one. It takes real talent to communicate the difficulties while also getting a few laughs. You may think that it’ll turn you off from medicine because of how harsh it sounds, but if you’re entering this career for the right reasons, it’ll take more than this book to stop you.

A Final Word

While your textbooks are important, narrative books are definitely something to include in your reading. They’re entertainers, companions, and mentors. You can read them for leisure and feel like you’ve grown as a person afterwards. You can feel awful one moment and feel inspired the next. There were a lot of times when I read through these books and finally felt like I was understood and my problems were validated. It’s like magic in the form of words that you can bring with you anywhere.

So if you find yourself looking for inspiration, motivation, or a new perspective, try some narrative books. You might think you won’t have time for it, but I encourage you to make time, because you’re going to need help in those times you feel stuck. I know it worked for me when I needed my passion for medicine reignited in my darkest hours. With the right mood, an open mind, and a deep love for medicine, it’ll work for you too.

Bianca is a medical intern at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health in the Philippines. She is a BS Psychology graduate, currently working on her double degrees in MD and MBA.

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How to Study Microbiology

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6 Must-Read Books for Medical Students

• By Meghana Pagadala
• February 11, 2019
• Medical Student , Pre-med
• Books , Extracurricular Activities , Reading , Self-improvement

Finding time to read as a medical student can be tough, especially after long days in anatomy lab or nights reviewing lecture slides. Free time is a luxury that is usually filled with exercising, cooking, watching TV or hanging out with friends. However, even between these busy hours, there are some books that are must-reads for medical students. They are well-written, provide unique but essential perspectives on the field of medicine, and are just plain good. This is the list of the top 6 must-read books for pre-med and medical students, based not only on my own experience, but also the insights and opinions of several other medical students and residents .

Emperor of all Maladies  – Siddhartha Mukherjee

This book can be intimidating at first. It is thick. It is about history. It is about cancer. I received it as a high school graduation present and thought I would never get to reading it. Despite these intimidating first impressions, I decided to crack the book open and I immediately devoured it. Emperor of all Maladies   may appear at first glance as a laborious biography of cancer, but in reality, the book is much more. Mukherjee starts from the first documentations of cancer thousands of years ago and guides the reader on a journey to the cutting-edge research that is being conducted currently. He frames the major events in cancer’s history to literally keep you on the edge of seats. He so eloquently describes the vast history of the disease that still is one of the major health problems in our world. There is no other book like this one out there,  and it is a must-read for medical students, as they will definitely encounter cancer at some point in their medical training or practice. Mukherjee also wrote The Gene: An Intimate History that also released with stellar reviews.

Being Mortal – Atul Gawande

Like Siddhartha Mukherjee, I believe that Atul Gawande is a must-read author for any medical student. Aside from Being Mortal , he has other excellent books, such as The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right and Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science . Being Mortal was the first of Gawande’s books that I read, and I am so glad I did. The traditional notion is that doctors should save people’s lives and do no harm, which still is 100% true. However, Gawande touches on a topic that every doctor must experience but never talks about — end-of-life choices. In particular, he specifically explores assisted living facilities and medical procedures for older patients in a thoughtful manner. The book  delves into the uncomfortable topic of mortality and the inevitable reality that all lives must come to an end. However, Gawande frames this topic in a way that is important for all health-care professionals to understand.

Cutting for Stone  – Abraham Varghese

I bought Cutting for Stone after going to a conference where Varghese was the keynote speaker. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, because I think it is very different from other novels written by physician-authors . While other medically-oriented novels are set in the familiar environment of a hospital and detail medical school experiences, Varghese sets up a starkly different environment. Cutting for Stone is set in Ethiopia and focuses on two twin brothers whose mother died in childbirth and whose father fled. The book has numerous storylines ranging from a changing political climate to coming-of-age stories, but the medical topics are beautifully intertwined to help shape your perspective as a medical student. The twins are raised by two physicians and without giving too much away, as you read the book, the lessons to be learned as a medical student are evident. I especially appreciated how Varghese transports you to a very different world in this book but is still able to tie in important messages that are universal.

When Breath Becomes Air –  Paul Kalanithi

There is a near  100% chance that either in medical school (or when speaking to a non-medical person about medical school), this book will be mentioned. When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir written by Kalanithi detailing his reflections of facing stage 4 non-small-cell lung cancer as a physician. Kalanithi died in March 2015 and his memoir was published posthumously. This novel has impacted readers everywhere, even those not in the medical field. It is a heartbreaking, raw, and powerful novel.  

What Doctors Feel –  Danielle Ofri

Physicians are dedicated to their patients and take an oath of selflessness. Physicians are there for patients at their most vulnerable times. However, physicians are humans too and experience the same complexity of emotions—sadness, anger, happiness, anxiety, grief, gratefulness and shame. In What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine , Ofri opens the curtain to reveal her emotional experiences and how reflecting on these has shaped her as a physician. As future physicians, I believe Ofri’s book is a must-read to prepare for working with patients and gaining perspective about your own feelings and emotions.

An Anatomy of Addiction –  Howard Markel

The history of medicine is fascinating and even more fascinating are the leaders who made it the field it is today. An Anatomy of Addiction details the cocaine addictions of Sigmund Freud and William Halsted. It is a book that takes you back to a different time in medicine, intertwining biographies of two prominent men and a condition that still plagues our current generation. Especially if you are interested in surgery , it is a must-read, as William Halsted is widely considered the father of modern surgery and aseptic technique.

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5 must-read books for medical students, these medically relevant non-fiction books are moving, scientific and relevant to growth and development as a physician in training., kevin seely, oms iv.

Student Doctor Seely attends the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

If the mountains of information medical school provides have not caused you to lose interest in reading for enjoyment, this column is for you. Even if you don’t feel like you can read another word, sometimes an inspiring reminder by way of creative storytelling or reflections from a physician/author can be impactful and rejuvenating, helping to remind us of our purpose and personal motivation for going into medicine.

Below are concise reviews of five medically relevant non-fiction books that are moving, scientific and relevant to growth and development as a physician in training.

‘ The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human ‘ by Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD

I always found it fascinating when a professor would take an aside from the scientific details and share stories of fundamental discoveries and relevant historical figures. Such stories constitute the entirety of this incredible compilation of scientific history. Imbued with fascinating anecdotes and insights that undoubtedly required countless hours of rigorous research and historical data gathering, Dr. Mukherjee unveils the stories of the most important discoveries in cell biology.

“The Song of the Cell” describes how our knowledge of the body’s structural and functional unit has changed over time. As I read, I was repeatedly awestruck at Dr. Mukherjee’s ability to frame scenes of history in a masterfully compelling way. Furthermore, woven into key timeline events are stories of his own patients, research and discoveries, including his own triumphs and failures. The final chapters demonstrate how far we have come in our understanding of cell biology, but are also honest regarding the depth and breadth of answers we still seek.

‘ Heart: A History ‘ by Sandeep Jauhar, MD

No matter what specialty of medicine you’re interested in, the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the heart are foundational concepts for all physicians to know. “Heart: A History” takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the world of cardiology, including unique cases, intense situations, scientific breakthroughs, acts of legislation and societal movements. It also includes the author’s own journey as a patient with coronary artery disease.

Dr. Jauhar’s writing is concise yet captivating. A cardiology program director at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, he intersperses metaphorical, reflective prose with passages in which he teaches with clinical clarity.

“The heart in disease was best understood as a complicated pump,” Dr. Jauhar writes. “Everything depends on pressure differences.”

Dr. Jauhar provides fascinating insights into key developments in cardiology, intravascular procedures, transplants and advancements in the treatment of heart failure. He describes the evolving cardiology-related science and technology as rapidly changing “as if flowing out of the steady beating of the heart itself.”

“Heart: A History,” will undoubtedly interest and capture the mind and heart of every medical student.

‘ The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care — and How to Fix It ’ by Marty Makary, MD

As a surgical oncologist, researcher and professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Makary became interested in deciphering the problems facing the American health care system. Dr. Makary writes about his experience traveling across America to investigate why health care has become a bubble culminating in one in five Americans having medical debt in collections.

“The Price We Pay” paints a vivid picture of the business of medicine and its elusive money schemes that he contends must be changed.

In an infuriating indictment of the U.S. health care system, Dr. Makary describes the harmful effects that high prices charged by hospitals have on patients. He cites a study that shows “half of patients with metastatic breast cancer in the United States report being pursued by a collection agency for medical bills.”

Dr. Makary confesses that “as a cancer surgeon, hearing the details made me sick to my stomach. Is this what the noble profession of cancer care has become? Is this how our society now treats breast cancer patients at the end of their life? Not only are these patients dying from breast cancer, they are also facing financial ruin.”

He goes on to argue that if we are to “first, do no harm,” we cannot continue to decimate patients’ financial stability while claiming to help them.

“The Price We Pay” opened my eyes to the severity of the financial mistreatment our patients face. At times, it made me feel like the situation seems hopeless, dominated by factors out of our control. However, Dr. Makary closes with a message of hope – that the movement to restore medicine to its mission is alive and well, and we can all participate in a mission that can rebuild the public trust and save our country from the crushing cost of health care.

‘ Physician Leadership: The 11 Skills Every Doctor Needs to Be an Effective Leader ’ by Karen Nichols, DO

We always hear that physicians are supposed to be leaders, but what exactly does that mean in day-to-day practice? Written by renowned physician leader and AOA Past President Karen Nichols, DO, “Physician Leadership” is an important book. I have had the opportunity to meet Dr. Nichols and hear her speak. She is a powerful leader. The book outlines 11 true principles of physician leadership with examples from real-world situations and scenarios.

As Dr. Nichols puts it, “you will learn foundational leadership essentials that every physician needs to master to transform themselves from a highly motivated novice leader into an effective, skilled and productive leader.”

I loved the structure and interactive aspect of the book. At the end of each chapter, there is a potent synopsis of the key ideas as well as sample questions, exercises and a bibliography of the pertinent literature. “Physician Leadership” condenses Dr. Nichols’ research and personal experience into a concise and helpful handbook, making it the perfect resource for physicians or physicians-in-training.

Editor’s note: Read more about Dr. Nichols’ book in this article from The DO Book Club.

‘ Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High ’ by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Al Switzler and Ron McMillan

“Crucial Conversations” is an important book for all professionals, but especially medical trainees. It draws our attention to the defining moments that shape our lives, relationships and world. It provides practical advice and real-world examples demonstrating how to hone your ability to handle tough interpersonal situations. It trains the reader to prepare for high-stakes situations, transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue, make it safe to talk about almost anything and to become persuasive, not abrasive.

In medicine, the stakes are always high. Indeed, we are in the profession of sickness and health, and we cannot take that lightly. I have found the tools in this book to be helpful and powerful in my interpersonal interactions between peers, other health care professionals and patients.

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Nice job, Kevin – though I humbly submit you left out an important tome – End Medical Debt ( https://endmedicaldebt.com/ ). Perhaps even my earlier primer: The Patient, The Doctor and Bill Collector.

I would add “Being Mortal” by Gwande , “The Best Care Possible “ by Byock and yes , “The House of God” because we all need a Fatman in training.

Very interesting selections and especially helpful for students (in a bibliotherapeutic manner). Maybe a course in the first or second year could be established to discuss/debrief students on their future challenges and what changes have been made (under evidence based). I would personally like to see books about patients like Tuesday with Morrie, Brain on Fire, Bear Town and etc. Happy New Year to All

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Best Books for PreMed Students

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Along with having exceptional medical skills, future medical workers should develop critical perspectives on various medical specialties. A fantastic way to do this is by reading excellent books!

Studying other books on top of the reading required for medical school can be challenging. However, as an aspiring physician, you must read to have advanced knowledge that you will need in the future.  

Before you apply to medical school, we suggest perusing some top-notch books to help you develop into a well-rounded future doctor. 

If you want the best books for premed students, this article is for you. We have listed 30 books that will benefit you during your pre-med journey.

Why Should You Read Outside the Classroom? 

Premed students are incredibly knowledgeable in specialized fields of science. Therefore, medical schools are drawn to students who know "a little about a lot." 

However, admissions panels seek well-rounded applicants whose knowledge extends beyond the fundamental scientific prerequisites.

In other words, they are looking for students with vast knowledge of different disciplines. 

Additionally, applicants who are aware of the potential intersections between these fields and medicine (e.g., the economics of healthcare and insurance, major ethical issues).

Beyond finishing a physician shadowing program, reading frequently and widely is one of the best ways to develop this knowledge. And no, browsing Facebook's newsfeed is not considered to be reading.

Fortunately, there are many resources available that provide thorough, trustworthy knowledge. Again, we suggest The New York Times , NPR , and FiveThirtyEight for recent news.

Aside from reading and being up-to-date with the latest news about medicine and science, further reading will be your best advantage in medical school.

Literature, history, fiction, and nonfiction books that paved the way for treatment are just some books you must read.

30 Best Books for Premed Students

As you sit down to compose your personal statement or secondary essays , the books you have read might provide some food for thought. 

In addition, the interviewer for a medical school will frequently ask you to remark on a recent book you read. 

That said, you should look through the list of books below and choose a few to read during your free time to improve your volunteer work, clinical experiences, and discussions with doctors.

Here are the best books for premed students (arranged in alphabetical order):

Adventures of a Female Medical Detective

• Author: Mary Guinan
• Year Published: 2016
• Buy "Adventures of a Female Medical Detective" on Amazon

In Adventures of a Female Medical Detective , Mary Guinan weaves twelve colorful tales from her medical career. Each details a unique experience she had managing outbreaks, discovering new illnesses, and providing care for patients worldwide.

Guinan's narrative of her trailblazing career is at times tragic and other times humorous. It will encourage future medical investigators and public health students. 

Furthermore, it provides all readers insight into the branch of the government that is solely responsible for safeguarding their health.

America's Bitter Pill

• Author: Steven Brill
• Year Published: 2015
• Buy "America's Bitter Pill" on Amazon

The book America's Bitter Pill by Steven Brill examines how the Affordable Care Act , known as Obamacare, was drafted and implemented. But, most importantly, it addresses widespread fraud and abuse in the healthcare sector—or fails to address it.

It provides an insider's view of the epic battle to approve a 961-page bill to reform the country's most significant and dysfunctional sector. 

The book is a sharp account of how profiteering — which Brill first exposed in his ground-breaking Time magazine cover story — ontinues today, despite Obamacare.

It is also the first thorough insider account of how President Obama persisted in passing the law but failed to address the staff incompetence that hampered its implementation.

An American Sickness

• Author: Elisabeth Rosenthal
• Year Published: 2018
• Buy "An American Sickness" on Amazon

Elisabeth Rosenthal , a doctor, is working to improve the system through her book An American Sickness .

She recognizes the problems, gives a diagnosis, and prescribes the U.S. healthcare system as one of her patients. 

She guides the viewer through the complexities of the American healthcare system and what led to its collapse. This book is for anyone interested in healthcare economics or getting ready to respond to queries about it in interviews.

Atomic Habits

• Author: James Clear
• Buy "Atomic Habits" on Amazon

Atomic Habits provides a tried-and-true framework for constant improvement, regardless of your ambitions. 

James Clear shares actionable techniques to show you how to develop positive habits, break bad ones and master the minute actions that produce excellent outcomes.

Suppose you want to change your habits, whether you are a team trying to win a championship or just a person trying to stop smoking. In that case, Atomic Habits will change your thoughts about progress and success.

Being Mortal

• Author: Atul Gawande
• Year Published: 2014
• Buy "Being Mortal" on Amazon

It can be challenging to discuss mortality in public. Yet, while guiding their patients through end-of-life care, doctors frequently interact closely with the dying process.

One such doctor with a wealth of knowledge about this complex topic is Atul Gawande . He offers a collection of tales that shed light on two frequently ignored facets of medicine in his book, Being Mortal . 

Complications

• Year Published: 2002
• Buy "Complications: A Surgeon's Notes On An Imperfect Science" on Amazon

American surgeon Atul Gawande published a nonfiction book titled Complications: A Surgeon's Reflections on an Imperfect Science . This was written by Gawande while he was a resident in surgery at Brigham & Women's Hospital in 2002.

The three sections of the book—Fallibility, Mystery, and Uncertainty—delve deeply into the challenges doctors may encounter. At the same time, they carry out a range of medical treatments. 

As a result, each section outlines many difficulties physicians must overcome, which inevitably lead to mistakes due to their flaws and blunders.

Cutting for Stone

• Author: Abraham Verghese
• Year Published: 2009
• Buy "Cutting for Stone" on Amazon

Abraham Verghese , a physician, and author of Indian descent born in Ethiopia, published a novel entitled Cutting for Stone . It is a story of twin brothers who were abandoned by their father and left orphaned after the death of their mother in infancy. 

The book explores the human side of medical practices and provides a thorough account of medical processes.

• Author: Cal Newport
• Buy "Deep Work" on Amazon

Author and lecturer Cal Newport twists the narrative about the effect of a connected world in his book Deep Work . Instead of arguing that distraction is bad, he embraces its opposite power.

Eyes Wide Open

• Author: Isaac Lidsky 
• Year Published: 2017
• Buy "Eyes Wide Open" on Amazon

The author of this New York Times best-seller, Isaac Lidsky , shows readers that reality is not determined by external conditions but rather by how they perceive and react. He draws on his experience of experiencing great success, joy, and contentment while blinded by a sickness.

The principles and mindsets presented in Eyes Wide Open are essential for leading a fruitful, fulfilling, and regret-free life.

In addition, Lidsky demonstrates to the readers how they may face life's challenges with initiative, humor, and grace by sharing his hard-won knowledge.

Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality

• Author: Pauline Chen
• Year Published: 2007
• Buy "Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality" on Amazon

Pauline Chen had the desire to rescue lives when she first enrolled in medical school twenty years ago. However, she underestimated how much death would factor into her writing. Chen was confronted with medicine's most challenging dichotomy — that a field built on helping the sick also routinely depersonalizes death — very quickly. 

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

• Author: Angela Duckworth
• Buy "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" on Amazon

Pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth demonstrates to parents, educators, students, and businesspeople that grit is the key to exceptional achievement in her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance .

Drawing on her compelling experience as the daughter of a scientist who often lamented her lack of intellect, Duckworth describes her winding path through teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience. 

Hot Lights, Cold Steel

• Author: Michael J. Collins
• Year Published: 2005
• Buy "Hot Lights, Cold Steel" on Amazon

Michael J. Collins is utterly unprepared for the hectic life of a resident at a prominent hospital when he decides to pursue a career in surgery. Collins was a born overachiever in high school, and med school led to a residency at the renowned Mayo Clinic , one of the most prestigious medical institutions in the world.

Collins, however, feels unprepared and inadequate in comparison to his neighbors. Too soon, the excitement of starting his career as an orthopedic resident is replaced with the realization that he is an imposter who has infiltrated a group of esteemed physicians.

In Stitches

• Author: Anthony Youn
• Year Published: 2011
• Buy "In Stitches" on Amazon

Anthony Youn was raised in a small community where whiteness was practically omnipresent as one of two Asian-American children. You can enter Dr. Youn's world in In Stitches as he prepares to become a doctor. He struggled mightily, yet he overcame his annoyances by inspiring his patients.

Left Neglected

• Author: Lisa Genova
• Buy "Left Neglected" on Amazon

Left Neglected is a documentary written by Lisa Genova . It tells the story of a young, active mother who later experienced the terrible repercussions of a brain injury. It realistically portrays brain disorders, their rehabilitation, and the psycho-social problems they cause.

If you are a premed student thinking about a career in neurosurgery or want to stop and think about what really matters in life, this book is for you.

Med School Confidential

• Author: Robert H. Miller and Dan Bissell
• Year Published: 2006
• Buy "Med School Confidential" on Amazon

The authors of Law School Confidential and Business School Confidential , Robert Miller and Daniel Bissell , adopt the same chronological framework and mentor-based system in Med School Confidential , which has helped these books become precious and well-liked resources.

It guides the reader through every stage of the medical school process, from considering, applying to, and selecting a medical school and program to residencies, the four-year curriculum, internships, and fellowships, to choosing a specialization and locating the ideal career.

Med School Uncensored

• Buy "Med School Uncensored" on Amazon

In his book Med School Uncensored , Richard Beddingfield , an anesthesiologist , acts as an older brother for pre-med and incoming med students. In this book, he shares all the information he would have wanted to know from the start to make the most of med school's opportunities.

He hopes to help medical students stay sane through the rigors of applying to and succeeding at med school, residency, fellowship, and beginning work as a new physician. This all-inclusive guide is necessary for anyone who aspires to become a doctor and includes guidance from more recent graduates of Ivy League medical schools and elite hospital residents.

Mountains Beyond Mountains

• Author: Tracy Kidder
• Year Published: 2003
• Buy "Mountains Beyond Mountains on Amazon

My Own Country tells the tale of a young infectious disease doctor in Johnson City, Tennessee , in the middle of the 1980s. 

Abraham Verghese started treating patients with a previously undiagnosed condition. He became the town's AIDS expert due to the seemingly never-ending influx of patients who shared the same symptoms but for whom there was still no effective therapy. 

A book of such depth and humanity emerged from the sorrow of many deaths and egregious acts of prejudice. The story is inspiring and promising even as it delves into the depths of human sadness.

My Stroke of Insight

• Author: Jill Bolte Taylor
• Year Published: 2008
• Buy "My Stroke of Insight" on Amazon

The book My Stroke Of Insight details the experience of a brain researcher who suffered a severe stroke and could not speak, read, write, or move. Jill Bolte Taylor used this experience to develop moving testimonies and practical recovery manuals for stroke and brain damage patients.

This book is for premed students and medical professionals who will treat people with brain injuries.

The Emperor of All Maladies

• Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee
• Year Published: 2010
• Buy "The Emperor of All Maladies" on Amazon

The Emperor of All Maladies achieves a delicate balance between complexity and readability. While you will be inundated with details about cancer and its treatment, Siddhartha Mukherjee 's compelling narratives will make you read until the end. 

He is exceptionally qualified to present the fascinating history of cancer and the tales of those who have firsthand experience with the illness. This includes patients and their families, doctors, researchers, and several other extraordinary people in an account that spans many centuries.

The House of God

• Author: Samuel Shem
• Year Published: 1978

Published in 1978, The House of God is a satirical book by Samuel Shem , a pen name for psychiatrist Stephen Bergman. The book centers on the psychological damage and dehumanization brought on by the residency training of a group of medical interns in the early 1970s.

Once considered scandalous, the book—was described by The New York Times as "raunchy, disturbing, and hilarious." Nevertheless, it gained a cult following and eventually cemented its place in the developing conversation about humanism, ethics, and medical education.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

• Author: Rebecca Skloot
• Buy "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" on Amazon

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks' cervical cancer cells gave rise to the immortal cell line, or HeLa, that bears her name. When a biology teacher mentioned Lacks but did not know much about her, Rebecca Skloot became intrigued. 

Skloot started doing a lot of research on her and collaborated with Lacks' family to write the book.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is famous for its scientific writing and discussion of concerns related to race and class in medical research that is ethically important. 

According to Skloot, Henrietta Lacks' daughter Deborah's journal and "archival images and papers, scientific and historical research" was the source of some of the material. 

The Intern Blues: The Classic About How a Doctor Is Made

• Author: Robert Marion
• Year Published: 1989
• Buy "The Intern Blues " on Amazon

The Intern Blues updates the readers on the lives of the young interns who first shared their stories more than ten years ago. It discusses the state of medical education in America today.

Andy, Mark, and Amy recount their experiences dealing with seriously ill children. They face child abuse and the terrible human toll of the AIDS epidemic, avoiding the medical bureaucracy's indifference and overcoming their own worries, insecurities, and chronic exhaustion. Their personal success is unforgettable, and their stories are terrifying and frequently humorous.

The Premed Playbook Guide To The Med School Interview

• Author: Ryan Gray
• Buy "The Premed Playbook Guide To The Med School Interview" on Amazon

The Premed Playbook is a collection of Dr. Ryan Gray 's knowledge gained from discussing the application process with professionals on The Premed Years podcast.

Learn why it is crucial to create your story, then discover how. 

Next, find out why being unique is preferable to being superior. 

Finally, discover how to excel at being the best-prepared premed student possible by avoiding common blunders.

This book provides over 600 prospective medical school interview questions you can start preparing responses to, divided into eleven categories, including MMI.

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly

• Author: Matt McCarthy 
• Buy "The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly" on Amazon

Matt McCarthy had a different type of doctor in mind in medical school—the kind of legendary, unflappable doctor who could connect with people who were impossible to reach.

Yet, he panicked when a new admittance to the critical care unit nearly passed away on his first night on call. Dreams of mastery swiftly gave way to hopes of just making it through a day in the hospital, where self-assurance was hard to come by. 

No amount of medical school preparation could calm the fear of interacting with genuine patients.

The Spirit Catches You & You Fall Down

• Author: Anne Fadiman
• Year Published: 1997
• Buy "The Spirit Catches You & You Fall Down" on Amazon

The Spirit Catches You & You Fall Down is a tragedy that has a breadth comparable to Shakespeare's and is written with the most profound human feeling. It is a book by Anne Fadiman that details the challenges of the Lee family.

The Soul Of A Doctor

• Author: Susan Pories
• Buy "The Soul Of A Doctor: Harvard Medical Students Face Life And Death" on Amazon

The sounds you hear in Susan Pories ' The Soul Of A Doctor  are those of third-year students just starting to assume clinical duties. 

Their discussion centers on the peculiar shift students go through when dealing with actual people in actual situations and crises and when they have to set aside their emotions to make prompt, precise, and considerate decisions.

They do not always make the best choices, and the results can change everyone's lives. 

Their actual experiences are affecting, upsetting, and honest; they reveal a side of the industry that few people ever see or could possibly imagine. These demonstrate how medical students mature at the bedside, often in a painful way.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

• Author: Daniel Kahneman
• Buy "Thinking, Fast and Slow" on Amazon

Each of us must make countless daily choices, such as whether to consume breakfast. "Is it too soon to don my go-to cardigan once more?" "What should I do with today's leisure time?"

How do we choose when there are so many options? Daniel Kahneman , who won the  Nobel Prize (2002) in economics, presents decades of study on decision-making and heuristics in Thinking, Fast, and Slow , in an approachable and exciting manner.

What Doctors Feel

• Author: Danielle Ofri
• Year Published: 2013
• Buy "What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect The Practice Of Medicine" on Amazon

In her book, What Doctors Feel , Danielle Ofri investigates the vast array of emotions that permeate the modern doctor-patient relationship by delving deeply into the lives of doctors. 

These feelings include shame, anger, empathy, frustration, pride, optimism, love, and sometimes despair. Dr. Ofri offers an uncompromising look at the effect of emotions on health care, drawing on scientific findings, some shocking.

When Breath Becomes Air

• Author: Paul Kalanathi
• Buy "When Breath Becomes Air" on Amazon

In his book When Breath Becomes Air , Paul Kalanathi skillfully describes his experiences as a student, patient, doctor, husband, and parent.

He was finally nearing the end of his neurosurgery residency program after spending over ten years in school and training. 

Then a fatal cancer prognosis was made. How would he pass his final days of life now that the clock was clearly ticking? How did this incident, which profoundly impacted his life, alter his objectives and priorities?

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the best pre-med books you must read during medical school. We recognize that you place a high priority on your academic performance and grades. 

However, you must be able to read proficiently and, more significantly, to love reading to succeed academically.

As stated earlier, medical schools seek well-rounded applicants knowledgeable beyond basic scientific skills. 

As a future doctor, you must possess a vast understanding of your patients and your work environment. 

After reading these books, spend some time understanding more about being a pre-med and what that entails for applying to medical school. The long-term benefit comes from developing the practice of reading.

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Med School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Medical School Experience: By Students, for Students Paperback – July 25, 2006

Med School Confidential from Robert H. Miller and Daniel M. Bissell uses the same chronological format and mentor-based system that have made Law School Confidential and Business School Confidential such treasured and popular guides. It takes the reader step-by-step through the entire med school process--from thinking about, applying to, and choosing a medical school and program, through the four-year curriculum, internships, residencies, and fellowships, to choosing a specialty and finding the perfect job. With a foreword by Chair of the Admissions Committee at Dartmouth Medical School Harold M. Friedman, M.D., Med School Confidential provides what no other book currently does: a comprehensive, chronological account of the full medical school experience.

• Print length 282 pages
• Language English
• Publication date July 25, 2006
• Dimensions 5.61 x 0.82 x 8.26 inches
• ISBN-10 9780312330088
• ISBN-13 978-0312330088
• See all details

4 stars and above

Editorial Reviews

From publishers weekly, about the author.

Robert H. Miller graduated from Yale University in 1993 and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was senior editor of the Law Review, in 1998. He is presently a trial lawyer at Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he specializes in intellectual-property and commercial litigation. He is the author of the critically acclaimed grad school preparatory books Law School Confidential, Business School Confidential, and the hot new college preparatory book Campus Confidential.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0312330081
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition (July 25, 2006)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 282 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780312330088
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312330088
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.61 x 0.82 x 8.26 inches
• #288 in Nursing Reviews & Study Guides (Books)
• #306 in Medical Education & Training (Books)
• #322 in College & University Student Life (Books)

About the author

Robert h. miller.

Robert H. Miller graduated from Yale University in 1993 and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was senior editor of the Law Review, in 1998. He is presently a trial lawyer at Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he specializes in intellectual-property and commercial litigation. He is the author of the critically acclaimed grad school preparatory books Law School Confidential, Business School Confidential, and the hot new college preparatory book Campus Confidential. Dan Bissell, M.D., graduated cum laude from Middlebury College in 1993 and from the University of Colorado School of Medicine as an Adler Scholar in 2002. He recently completed his residency in emergency medicine at the Maine Medical Center. During residency, he received the Gold Foundation Award as Resident Teacher of the Year and was appointed chief resident of the emergency medicine program. He is now in practice in Portland, Oregon.

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8 Best Physiology books For Medical Students [2023 Review]

• Medical School
• June 16, 2023

Medical Physiology is one of the major core preclinical courses in medical school that serves as one of the basic foundations for your clinical years.

Having a wide knowledge of medical physiology is very crucial for all medical students that are aspiring to be doctors, Pharmacists , Physiology Psychologists , or any other medical-related professions .

One of the major reasons is that medical physiology provides you with the basic knowledge and understanding of how a normal body functions. And most importantly, as a future clinical student, giving you insights into the treatment of all abnormal states.

Therefore, you must search very carefully, to acquire sound knowledge from the best physiology booksfor medical students.

However, what determines the rate at which you understand a course in medical school, is the kind of textbook or material you are exposed to. So as a medical student, the rate at which you will be able to analyze and treat illnesses depends on the physiology textbooks you are exposed to in your preclinical years.

Table of Contents

Additional features in guyton:, additional features, 3. berne and levy physiology.

•  Additional Features
• Additional Features. What Books Should I read for Physiology?

What Are The Best Physiology Books For Medical Students?

There are almost hundreds of different types of physiology books for mbbs, but only a few are clinically oriented. And using the former may yield little returns. To avoid that, I have compiled the best medical physiology textbooks for medical students, based on their readability and how clinically oriented they are.

8 Best Physiology Books for MBBS First Year:

Guyton And Hall Textbook Of Medical Physiology

Boron and boulpaep medical physiology.

• Berne And Levy Physiology

Constanzo’s Physiology

• LL Human Physiology
• Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach
• BRS Physiology
• Ross&Wilson Anatomy And Physiology In Health Illness  

The Fact is that this medical physiology textbook has been the gold standard since its first publication in 1956. This is just one of the explanations, for why Guyton And Hall’s Textbook Of Medical Physiology is one of the best physiology books for medical students.

This physiology textbook has an in-depth and well-detailed explanation of various cellular and even bio-molecular processes involved in human physiology, which are covered in length of nearly 1200 pages.

In all, this physiology textbook has  8 chapters and 15 parts. And as a result of that, the book is heavily text-based. However, to aid fast assimilation, and not to be bored with many words, the textbook also includes high-resolution colored photos, figures, and tables

This book also has an electronic edition, free video animations, and online student consults with multiple-choice questions from each chapter and they can all be accessible after purchasing.

Although, due to the lengthy discussion on this medical physiology and some clinical correlates, this textbook might look too voluminous. But it is one of the recommended physiology books for medical students. it will help you throughout your stay in medical school.

• Gives a viewpoint that is clinically and preclinically oriented
• Focuses on fundamental concepts and how the body keeps the balance and stays healthy.
• Uses a clear, readable voice to present information, promoting learning and memory
• Increased clinical scopes that cover conditions including obesity, metabolic and cardiovascular issues.

This is also one of the recommended medical physiology books for MBBS first year that competes with Guyton. This textbook is indeed another version of the bible in medical physiology, only differs in a few features from Guyton.

Boron and Boulpaep’s medical physiology textbook also contains well-detailed explanations and illustrations on various aspects of human physiology like Guyton. But instead of using texts and pictures alone, more information and medical facts are explained using various graphs, tables, and figures.

This physiology textbook focuses majorly on explaining human physiology from the functional and structural unit, which is the cellular level. Up to the highest level of organization, until all processes can be compared and applied clinically.

Therefore, each chapter contains a clinical relevance that can be studied and applied in your clinical years, although it’s not that detailed. The textbook is divided into 10 different sections, and each section is divided into several chapters depending on the topic or organ system.

So generally, Boron And Boulpaep’s medical physiology textbook has a total of 62 chapters with above 1,350 pages. This medical physiology textbook is a perfect example of one of the best medical physiology textbooks.

• Highlights new and existing discoveries in cellular and molecular processes, to give a study approach to the human physiology
• Has an increased number of clinical relevance
• A student consults the ebook version

Here is another textbook that best explains human physiology in a concise format, to enable students to study faster especially during exams. It has 8 different sections with a total number of 44 chapters, all in 867 pages.

Each chapter gives a piece of in-depth information about one organ system using diagrams, tables, and graphs. And also highlights every possible clinical correlate.

Also, you can read the summary of every chapter at the end of every discussion to ease your memorization. And just like the others, this textbook comes with a student consult and possible review questions of USMLE.

• Every chapter begins with aims and objective
• The boxes ”In the clinic” and ”At the Molecular level” gives you a better understanding of the clinical relevance.
• As a lot of illustrations and experimental observations to ease your understanding

If you are looking for physiology books for MBBS that will give you a detailed overview of medical physiology, then I will fully recommend Constanzo’s physiology. It is one of the most thorough study guides for tests or board exams .

The ten chapters of this physiology textbook are organized into subtopics, making it thorough but concise. Meanwhile, every chapter focuses on a different organ system.

Additionally, it has practical graphics and tables, clinical laboratory examples, and sample questions to test your understanding at the end of each chapter.

And guess what? All of these are condensed with the 500 pages of this medical physiology review book. So that students won’t find it to be too much information or too bulky.

This is one of the best physiology books for medical students, searching for a thorough review of human physiology

• Information is presented in a short, focused, and simple format.
• Contains a detailed explanation(step-by-step guides and easy-to-follow illustrations)
• Quick summary boxes  for an easy overview at the end of every chapter

5. LL Human Physiology

Are you a medical student that has an unrelated pre-med major?

Or, do you consider yourself a beginner in every science-related topic, maybe as a result of your educational background?

Then you might want to try this introductory medical physiology book for beginners . The information and explanations in this medical physiology textbook are clear, simple, and well structured to ease your understanding.

This textbook also contains high-quality drawings and therapeutic applications of physiologic ideas. So when you purchase this hardcover textbook, you have access to the A&P website. Which gives visual explanations of the relations between anatomy and physiology using actual cadavers.

• Majorly for beginners
• Deep explanations of the basics of the human physiology
• An online student consult

6. Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach

This is another one of the best physiology books for medical students, who wish to start learning physiology from scratch.

Homeostasis and a bio-molecular-based explanation of human physiology are featured in this textbook. Especially for freshers in medical school, the textbook begins with fundamental cellular functions and works its way up to the intricate organ system.

• Readable and concise contents
• One of the best Physiology books for beginners

7. BRS Physiology

 The BRS physiology is another reviewed edition of physiology textbook by Linda Costanzo, this particular edition of physiology textbook contains a thorough review guide for exams.

This textbook is the best resource I will personally recommend during exams, it contains condensed information on human physiology. There are only more than 300 hundred pages in it, yet very informative. It is filled with clear, important information.

The content organization is tidy, with distinct headers and subheadings. Some texts are highlighted to make studying much simple and be able to recognize essential facts while reading. During or toward exams, I will fully recommend this as one of the best physiology books for medical students.

• For easier understanding, there are tables and illustrations and some clinical relevance.
• Contains more than 250 practice multi-choice questions.
• Contains preparatory questions for board exams.

8. Ross & Wilson Anatomy And Physiology In Health Illness

Although this is for both anatomy and physiology, using this will ease your understanding while studying.

The anatomical description and physiological functions are explained extensively in this textbook. And as a result of this, using this textbook exposes you to a lot of clinical relations between anatomy and physiology.

The textbook covers a wide coverage from the smallest unit to the most complex organ systems.

Additionally, there are several self-test multipurpose questions to test your knowledge in every section and to prepare you for professional exams.

Additional Features .

• Free animation videos
• Basic, clear, readable, and, concise
• Spot-check questions

FAQs About Physiology Textbooks

What books should i read for physiology.

Whether you are a medical student, a pharmacy student, or if you are studying any of the medical-related courses, the recommended books you should read to understand human physiology in detail are Guyton and Hall physiology and Boron And Boulpaep Medical Physiology textbooks.

These physiology textbooks were specially written and edited to explain human physiology to the core. No wonder some Professors in med school would say that someone who reads Guyton and Hall from cover to cover is as good as a person who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Physiology.

What is the Best Review Book for Physiology?

If you are preparing for a board exam or a professional medical exam in human physiology, then the best review books for physiology that will help you summarize every system in human physiology are Berne And Levy Physiology and Brevy Physiology textbooks. They explain everything you need about each chapter in concise formats with summary notes after each chapter.

Which book is best for physiology MBBS 1st year?

If you recently got into medical school and are looking for which book is best for physiology in first year, then I strongly recommend that you start with Guyton and Hall or Boron physiology textbooks. These two textbooks are great for building a strong foundation in human physiology.

However, if you are currently doing your premed major with little or no background in biological sciences, you may use a simpler textbook like LL Physiology.

Which books are used in MBBS 1st year?

The best anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry textbooks for MBBS 1st year have been discussed in a separate post on this blog. Go now and see them.

In Conclusion

Above are the recommended best physiology books for medical students. And like I said, the above physiology textbooks are listed based on their clinical and readability functions.

However, I recommend going for a full textbook and a review physiology textbook. It will help you a lot in your clinical years and most importantly, during exams. Good luck medics.

Victor Adedokun

Hello there! My name is Adedokun Victor Taiwo, and I am a paramedical student currently studying at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.

Alongside my studies, I am also an SEO content developer with a passion for creating informative and engaging content. As a medical advocate, I believe that knowledge is power, and strive to raise awareness about health-related issues.

My love for medicine drives me to learn and grow as a professional, and I am excited to see where my journey will take me.

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The 5 Books Every Pre-Med Student Should Read

January 15, 2021 8 mins The Atlantis Team

About The Atlantis Team

We offer helpful, informative content to the next generation of healthcare professionals, so that they can achieve their goals, avoid common pitfalls, and grow in their passion for healthcare.

Put down your phone, your textbooks, and your planners. Sometimes the best way to gain perspective on the best way to move forward is to pick up a good book. Here are our top pre-med book recommendations!

Why you should be reading outside of the classroom:

Last year, approximately one-quarter of Americans did not read a single book ( Pew Research Center, Survey Conducted: Jan 3-10, 2018 ). Whether you can’t recall the last book you’ve read or you have a personal library that rivals a small university, this article is for you.

Pre-med students possess a wealth of niche scientific knowledge—who else knows about the Kreb’s Cycle ? However, medical school admissions committees want to recruit well-rounded students who can demonstrate that their knowledge goes beyond the basic scientific prerequisites; medical schools are attracted to students who know “a little about a lot.” In other words, they want students who have been exposed to a range of different fields and who understand how these fields may intersect with medicine (e.g., the economics of healthcare and insurance, major ethical issues).

One of the best ways to develop this understanding, ( beyond completing a physician shadowing program ) is to read often and broadly. And no, scrolling through the headlines on Facebook doesn’t count. Fortunately, there is an abundance of sources that offer well-researched, reliable information. For current news, I recommend The New York Times , NPR , and FiveThirtyEight .  You may also consult peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Science , Nature ) for information on scientific developments. However, if your goal is to dovetail readability and depth, it is hard to beat a book.

Reading more may sound great in principle, but difficult in practice. If your immediate reaction is to protest that you don’t have the time, think of it this way. Most books written for a popular audience fall between 200-400 pages in length, with ~250-300 words per page.) The average reading speed is somewhere around 200-250 words per minute (try testing your personal reading speed) . Roughly, this translates to ~2 hours per 100 pages, or, put differently, 4-8 hours per book. Reading just 30 minutes per day means finishing a book about every two weeks; if 30 minutes sounds like a lot, consider how much idle time you spend browsing social media or stuck in a long commute (audiobooks are great for commutes; use the app Libby to connect to your local library and get access to thousands of books for free). In short, reading a few pages each day translates to reading many books in the long run.

1. When Breath Becomes Air — Paul Kalanithi

Few books have so profoundly influenced me as When Breath Becomes Air . The book is an intimate portrait of the life of Paul Kalanathi. The opening quote perfectly foreshadows the events to come:

“I flipped through the CT scan images, the diagnosis obvious: the lungs were matted with innumerable tumors, the spine deformed, a full lobe of the liver obliterated. Cancer, widely disseminated. I was a neurosurgical resident entering my final year of training. Over the last six years, I’d examined scores of such scans, on the off chance that some procedure might benefit the patient. But this scan was different: it was my own.

After well over a decade spent in school and training, Paul Kalanathi was finally approaching the conclusion of his neurosurgical residency program. Then the diagnosis came: terminal cancer. With the clock now visibly ticking, how would he spend his remaining days alive? How did his goals and priorities change when confronted with such a life-changing event? Paul Kalanathi beautifully details his experiences—as a student, patient, doctor, husband, and father—in When Breath Becomes Air , a book that you’ll likely never forget.

2.  Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman

Every day, we each make an innumerable number of decisions: Should I eat breakfast, or skip it altogether? Is it too soon to wear my favorite sweater again? How should I spend my free time today? Faced with so many choices, how do we decide? In Thinking, Fast and Slow , Daniel Kahneman, the recipient of a Nobel Prize in economics in 2002, summarizes decades of his research on decision-making and heuristics (mental shortcuts) in an accessible, engaging way. Throughout the book, you’ll find several thought experiments like the following:

Steve is very shy and withdrawn, invariably helpful but with little interest in people or in the world of reality. A meek and tidy soul, he has a need for order and structure, and a passion for detail. Is Steve more likely to be a librarian or a farmer?

If you think Steve is more likely to be a librarian, as most do, then you’ve just fallen prey to one of the many cognitive biases detailed in Kahneman’s book (specifically, the “ availability heuristic ”). Our brains are great at recognizing patterns, and since the description of Steve closely matches the stereotype of the reserved librarian (the idea is easily available ), most will jump to that intuitive conclusion. In reality, the number of male farmers far exceeds the number of male librarians (by about 20-1). Statistically, Steve is far more likely to be a farmer, even though the description may lead you to think otherwise.

It’s okay to commit a cognitive error every now and again—we all do. As you read through the book and make several yourself, you may find that simply being aware of these innate biases helps you to make better, more thoughtful decisions. The book is especially valuable for the pre-med student who is bound to make consequential decisions later in his or her career as a physician. If you don’t have the patience for such a lengthy read, you can also read an outline of the book’s highlights .

3. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End — Atul Gawande

Talking openly about death is difficult. Physicians often have intimate encounters with the dying process as they help their patients navigate end of life care. Atul Gawande is one such physician, possessing a wealth of experience with this challenging subject. He is an accomplished surgeon and scientist, and the author of other great books for pre-meds, including Better and Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science .

In his latest book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End , he presents a collection of stories which cast light on oft-overlooked aspects of medicine: geriatrics (medical care of the elderly) and hospice (medical care for the terminally ill).

As a pre-med student, I had the opportunity to volunteer in a hospice facility for a few months. I learned a great deal from this experience, most notably that end of life care involves many tough decisions. If you’re considering volunteering in hospice yourself, or are already involved, this book would be an ideal companion. Atul Gawande offers a very human perspective on the medical profession and the experiences patients face as they age.

4. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer — Siddhartha Mukherjee

Siddhartha Mukherjee’s engaging style of writing has won numerous awards, establishing his wide recognition and notable success as a physician-author. As a cancer physician and researcher, he is uniquely qualified to present the fascinating history of cancer and the stories of those intimately familiar with the disease: patients and their families, physicians, researchers, and several other exceptional individuals in a tale that spans many centuries.

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer strikes the delicate balance between depth and accessibility—you’ll be inundated with information about cancer and its treatment, but the captivating stories detailed by the author ensure that you will stick with the book until the end. To paraphrase one review, “The book reads like a literary thriller with cancer as the protagonist.”

5. An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back — Elisabeth Rosenthal

Healthcare in the U.S. has many issues . Over the last two decades, the U.S. has stood out from other developed countries for two consistent, albeit unfortunate, achievements: the U.S. spends the greatest amount of money on healthcare (as a fraction of GDP) and, somewhat unexpectedly, also has the lowest performing healthcare system among high-income nations (Schneider et al., 2017).

Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal is on a mission to fix the system. Treating the U.S. healthcare system as one of her patients, she identifies the issues, makes a diagnosis, and offers a prescription. Beginning with a “History of the Present Illness and Review of Systems,” she walks the reader through the intricacies of the U.S. healthcare system and what caused it to fall apart. After the “chief complaints” have been identified, she details several concrete recommendations in a section called “Diagnosis and Treatment: Prescriptions for Taking Back Our Healthcare.” This book is an excellent read for those interested in the economics of healthcare or for those preparing to answer interview questions on the subject.

Curating this list of books was a real challenge, as there are countless more meriting equal recognition that I could also recommend. Consider these five as a starting point. Making reading a habit will help you in the long run. During medical school interviews, you may even be asked to talk about the most recent book you read (which happened to me more than once!)

If you’re looking to grow your personal library even further, I’ve outlined some additional books below which I have also found worthwhile.

Other Book Recommendations:

Shrinks: The Untold History of Psychiatry — Jeffery A. Lieberman & Ogi Ogas

A Surgeon in the Village: An American Doctor Teaches Brain Surgery in Africa — Tony Bartelme

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales — Oliver Sacks

Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst — Robert M. Sapolsky

Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery — Henry Marsh

Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity — Ronald Epstein

What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear — Danielle Ofri

Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance — Atul Gawande

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly: A Physician’s First Year — Matt McCarthy

The House of God — Samuel Shem

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President and Founder of Stanford Undergraduate Hospice and Palliative Care, Volunteer for Pacific Free Clinic, Research Assistant in Wernig Pathology Lab, President of Hong Kong Student Association, violin performance

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Eye-opening. Spontaneous. Exhilarating.

Why did you choose Atlantis?

I chose the Atlantis program because it combines opportunities to shadow physicians and travel abroad, both of which I had little prior exposure to.

What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?

My favorite experience as an Atlantis participant came in the stories exchanged over meals or excursions and the breadth of conversation that reflected the diversity of backgrounds within our cohort and site managers.

What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?

I appreciated the chance to speak with physicians in Budapest and hear their personal motivations for pursuing medicine because it really helped better contextualize and validate my own interest in medicine. The physicians were also just really welcoming, relatable, and down-to-earth people.

How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?

The Atlantis program has equipped me with a better understanding of what a career in medicine looks like, which I think is an invaluable gift considering the long road ahead of those who aspire to be a physician.

How has Atlantis equipped you for active leadership in the medical field?

The ability to interact and empathize with patients of diverse backgrounds and communities is a necessity to be a leader in the medical field. I think the Atlantis program, through my interactions with mentors and their patients, has helped me take my first steps toward attaining the cultural vocabulary and literacy required of a physician.

Megan Branson

• Atlantis '18
• U. of Montana '19
• U. of Washington MD '24

Sarah Emerick

• Atlantis '19
• Eckerd College '20
• Indiana U. MD '25

Snow Nwankwo

• Catholic U. of America '21
• Georgetown U. MD '26

• Atlantis '16
• U. of Maryland '17
• U. of Michigan MD '22

Tereul, Spain ’16 || U Michigan Medical School

Teruel, Spain – Summer 2016

University of Maryland class of 2017

Admitted medical student at:

University of Michigan Medical School

Neurobiology

Honors Integrated Life Sciences Program, Banneker/Key Scholarship

Extracurricular Activities:

American Medical Student Association Co-President & Advocacy Day Liaison, Alternative Breaks Experience Leader, Health Professions Advising Office Student Advisory Board, Biology Teach Assistant, Health Leads, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, NIH Research Intern, Physicians for Social Responsibility Environment & Health Intern

Describe Atlantis in Three Words:

Educational. Eye-opening. Exhilarating.

I wanted to expand my horizons and understand a culture of health different from the ones I am accustomed to. I had shadowed doctors in the United States and Taiwan prior to my Atlantis program experience, and being able to see first-hand the healthcare system in Spain allowed me to draw comparisons between the different complex healthcare systems.

Bonding with the other participants and celebrating our time together along with the doctors we shadowed. We would discuss our interests, passions, and motivation for medicine, and it was an incredible experience to learn from and alongside them.

What was your experience with the doctors you were shadowing?

Because of the pre-established relationships with the hospitals in which we shadowed, all the doctors were very welcoming and accommodating. They were willing to translate for us and explain in detail all of their medical decisions. My doctors and I had wonderful conversations about the differences between life in Spain vs. the United States.

I was excited to scrub in on surgeries and watch as the doctor explained what he was doing throughout the operation. Before and after surgeries, as well as in my other rotations, I observed how the doctors reassured and communicated with their patients. I was able to glean insight into differences between the experience of health in Spain versus the United States through observation as well as conversations with the doctors.

Besides the wealth of medical knowledge I gained from shadowing the doctors, I challenged myself to step outside of my cultural comfort zone and explore more than I thought I was capable of. Atlantis allowed me to make connections with people from all around the United States and abroad, and the friendships I gained helped me learn so much more than I would have on my own.

• Louisiana Tech '20
• U. of Arkansas MD '24

Libson, Portugal ’18 || Louisiana Tech

Completed Atlantis Program Location(s):

Lisbon, Portugal

Year of most recent program:

Fall ’17 – Summer ’18

Season of most recent program:

Extremely helpful

It exposed me to shadowing that was hard to come by in the states. It also gave me a chance to see other systems of healthcare.

Specifically, did you talk about Atlantis in your interviews? If so, how much relative to other topics?

Yes – they wanted to know about my experience, and specifically how the healthcare I saw in another country compared to what I had seen in the USA.

Kayla Riegler

• U. of Kentucky '20
• U. of Kentucky MD '24

About Atlantis

Atlantis is the leader in pre-health shadowing and clinical experience, offering short-term programs (1-10 weeks) over academic breaks for U.S. pre-health undergraduates. Medical schools want 3 things: (1)healthcare exposure, (2)GPA/MCAT, and (3)certain competencies. Atlantis gives you a great version of (1), frees you to focus on (2), and cultivates/ shows (3) to medical school admissions committees.

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Top 10 Best Microbiology Books For Medical Students

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Microbiology is an essential course in medical school, so you might want to take a look at some of the best microbiology books for medical students to excel in the subject.

Many students say that the second year is the most challenging in medical school due to the in-depth learning of various systems such as Respiratory, Hematology, Cardiovascular, and more. It is also when students like you are expected to think more like a doctor when dealing with details and application-based questions.

In this post, I’m going to show the best books that will help you master Microbiology. Whether you are a beginner learner or just want to advance your course knowledge, this article is for you, so read on!

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Table Of Contents

Microbiology: An Introduction

If you are looking for a textbook packed with in-depth details about DNA Replication , Protein Synthesis , and more, you might want to check out Microbiology: An Introduction . This book, written by Tortora, Funke, and Case, presents the complex processes of the course in a well-written and understandable manner.

We all know how complicated and challenging Microbiology can be. This book did an excellent job of showing a careful balance of more accessible concepts to understand, especially for new learners. It consists of updated research on how microbes influence human health and other exciting topics like vertical transmission , hygiene hypothesis , bioterrorism , and vaccine-preventable diseases .

Microbiology: An Introduction is praised for its clear presentations of several tough topics like immunology , microbial genetics , and microbial metabolism . The book’s engaging progression partnered with accompanying resources provides a more thorough understanding of Microbiology in terms of treatment, disease diagnosis, and prevention.

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Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple

Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple offers a new approach to mastering Microbiology. The book provides mnemonics , illustrations , summary charts , and humorous takes on many topics the course covers.

You will also learn more about several viruses like Ebola, hantavirus, AIDS, mad cow disease, anthrax, botulism, smallpox, and more. Get to know the flesh-eating bacteria in a brief and precise yet engaging discussion .  

Authored by Mark Gladwin, the edition 6 book is perhaps one of the best books you will ever purchase when you enter medical school.

The typical day of a medical student includes a lot of studying and preparation. The major classes and late nights are stressful enough, so why not add some spice to your studies?

Digesting large quantities of ideas can be tricky, but this book will keep you sane throughout the subject. The book focuses on microbiology pathogens and drugs that the students will encounter on their preclinical Microbiology and board exam .

It breaks down memorable portions of each topic paired with silly drawings that are hard to keep off one’s mind. Through this, remembering important details will be much easier, even if you are not a big fan of memorization.

With the numerous bacteria names and infections you will encounter in Microbiology, it is vital to come up with an effective technique to remember them all. Fortunately, Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple is on rescue for its fresh take on learning.

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Microbiology: laboratory theory & application.

This book is a perfect laboratory manual for anyone who needs an introduction to the microbiology lab course . It helps pre-health professionals , pre-med students , microbiology majors , and enthusiasts understand the basics and important components of the subject.

Leboffe and Pierce added new features such as enhanced photographs and a new art program to this edition. There are 24 exercises, and the majority are located in sections about applied microbiology.

The authors also made sure that the content has increased readability to help the students get the results and success in studying microbiology. Unlike other books, this manual emphasized the skills and content recommended by the American Society for Microbiology’s Laboratory core Curriculum.

It also includes lab experiments to provide experiences in different areas of the course, allowing students to develop a comprehensive insight into its processes and application . Aside from those, the book also presents what the students can expect on lab procedures, biochemical reactions, materials, and medium recipes.

In this book, you will also see step-by-step instructions for conducting lab experiments . It encourages each student to be aware of the safety precautions through the inclusion of biosafety levels .

• Theory and application to help students understand the general principles and purposes of labs
• Table of results to help students organize the results of the experiments
• Datasheets where you can record the data
• More than 500 colored photographs, illustrations, and micrographs for visual-accurate representations
• Procedural diagrams that outline the correct steps for lab experiments
• Directional arrows on photographs for the proper usage of techniques
• Informative and written captions
• Contains new 38 exercises:
• Microscopic Examination of Pond Water
• Reduction Potential
• Clinical Biofilms
• Winogradsky Column
• Nitrogen Fixation
• Soil Slide Culture
• Restriction Digest
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Phage Typing of E. coli Strains
• Quantitative Indirect ELISA

Talaro’s Foundations in Microbiology

With its taxonomic approach, Talaro’s Foundations in Microbiology provides general information for non-science major students . Talaro and Chess ensured that the books have an accessible and engaging writing style such as through analogies and case studies to explain complex microbiology concepts thoroughly.

The book has a solid learning program that focuses on learning activitie s to help students manage their learning and assessments. You can also measure your progress with the included report and learning measures on each topic as a student.

Microbiology: Principles and Explorations

Microbiology: Principles and Explorations is a book written by Black and Black and is one of the best-selling textbooks in the course . Its engaging writing style allows the subject to shine along with the narrative.

The texts are also student-friendly so that the learners will have an excellent introduction to the basics of Microbiology . Non-major learners and allied health students, as well as agriculture and food sciences majors, will find this book beneficial as well.

• Concept Compass : Provided with key concepts and highlights the location of animations
• Students will also be able to easily navigate through the key sections that require practice and review and find related study tools for the topic
• Updated narrative paired with artworks and micrographs throughout the text

Nester’s Microbiology: A Human Perspective

Nester’s Microbiology: A Human Perspective provides a solid introduction to the foundations in microbiology to medical students, non-major, and allied health learners. The fundamental concepts are carefully explained partnered with graphic instructional art  that will keep students looking back at the book over and over again.

The authors Anderson, Salm, Allen, and Nester wrote the book in concise and readable styles while covering the most current concepts of the course. The body systems approach, which is used to cover diseases, allows the students to get the knowledge and mastery needed to understand future advances further.

• Nesters Microbiology: A Human Perspective 10th Edition by Denise G. Anderson, Sarah Salm, Mira Beins, Eugene W. Nes

Microbiology: A Systems Approach

Suppose you are planning to enter a health care profession anywhere near the future. In that case, this book will hand you a solid background in the basics and general information of microorganisms without the overwhelming complexities.

Microbiology: A System’s Approach targets students with little to no prerequisite knowledge in chemistry and biology . The book focuses on active learning with an engaging writing style and instructional art programs for better comprehension.

Author Majorie Kelly Cowan included a unique organization in the disease chapters that presents students with the essential information they will encounter in a clinical setting instead of a taxonomy approach.

Students can also utilize successful digital programs like LearnSmart , SmartBook , and Connect for a more accessible learning experience. This is a proven effective adaptive learning resource that you can find in the market these days.

Brock Biology of Microorganisms

Brock Biology of Microorganisms continues to set a high-quality standard when it comes to accuracy , impeccable scholarship , and outstanding photos and illustrations . The book seeks to balance the essential concepts required to understand microbiology, including evolution, metabolism, and ecology .

The authors ensure that this book will help students who are yet to discover the wonders of Microbiology. The 14th edition integrates the current sciences and updated research findings , paying more attention to molecular biology and the progression of a genomic revolution.

The book’s modern organization has consistent details and an updated art program , visually compelling enough to help students retain more information. This allows students to master the concepts of the course quicker in and outside of the classroom.

This book includes MasteringMicrobiology® , where the learners can participate in online homework, assessment, and tutorials to improve results

• Personalized learning where the students can master the most challenging topics in Microbiology with MasteringMicrobiology. These tools allow the students to practice, visualize, and further understand the complexities in the field
• Case studies, research-based studies, and engaging activities that help students improve their ability in problem-solving and see the connections among concepts
• Mixing tough topics with art and animations to enable an in-depth understanding of the complex concepts and processes

Bailey & Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology

Bailey & Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology , 13th edition, is a reliable reference for practicing microbiologists and students in clinical laboratory science programs. As a medical student, you will also be able to refine your skills in laboratory testing with the help of this manual.

The book includes in-depth information about the several topics discussed, with detailed instructions on performing procedures . There are also 20 new chapters with updated materials on the most recent advances in clinical microbiology.

• Hands-on procedures with step-by-step instructions to guide you through the laboratory procedures. The book also includes expected results and full-colored visuals to improve accuracy
• Case studies where you can apply your skills when it comes to diagnostic scenarios . It will also enhance your critical thinking and decision-making skills regarding real-life scenarios
• Genera and Species boxes that highlight the organisms to be discussed in the chapter with their current and previous names
• Includes student resources on Evolve for enhanced learning with the help of review questions and procedures
• Easy-to-read tables that summarize key information and concept visualization
• Full-colored and detailed illustrations to encourage better comprehension
• Glossary of terms at the back for quick reference
• Learning objectives before each chapter for you to achieve after the lesson
• Reader-friendly chapters that cover related organisms
• Updated and thoroughly reviewed chapters with the latest information
• Lab manual improvements for an excellent learning resource
• Ten extra case studies on the Evolve website so you can advance your critical thinking skills further

Color Atlas and Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology

Koneman’s 7th edition of Color Atlas and Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology presents a collection of principles and practices that will guide the students in all aspects of the field with striking full-colored visualizations. The writing style is easy to comprehend without compromising the essential details of bacteriology, parasitology, virology, and mycology.

You will enjoy every lesson because of the high-quality images included in each chapter that explains each topic in a more detailed way. The new edition also has an enhanced collection of new pedagogy, illustrations, student resources, and clinical scenarios.

The authors ensured that the new edition would be clinically relevant evaluations of specimens , including abbreviated identification schemes. Each chapter covers the essential areas of molecular and immunologic diagnosis .

Additional features:

• Updated and extensive collection of all areas in clinical microbiology
• Expanded color plate with over 600 colored figures
• Thoroughly explained principles of biochemical tests with illustrations to build a connection between theory and practice
• Enhanced drawing, tables, photographs for a better understanding of complex concepts
• Includes bibliographic documentation for you to explore
• Organized by microorganisms to prevent duplication of information
• Highlight essential details on microbes
• Techniques and procedure charts are placed on back pages for easier accessibility
• Includes an index prepared with great details and subtopics that references specific information from the book

Microbiology is a challenging course for all, major and non-major students alike. However, books, manuals, and resources are there to help you turn up with a good grade.

Just because you are a medical student doesn’t mean you have to put all your time and energy into studying. Sure, it is fine, but you still need to have some time for your other needs such as socialization, family, and hobbies.

There’s  a more efficient way to study in med school  to encounter less stress but better results. In your Microbiology course, finding the best book will help you stick to your goals !

Upon choosing which one to rent or purchase, be sure to go with the book that you will enjoy while learning . You can check out the Microbiology books we listed above, and hopefully, they will be helpful in your studies.

Whenever you’re ready, there are 4 ways I can help you:

1.   The Med School Handbook :   Join thousands of other students who have taken advantage of the hundreds of FREE tips & strategies I wish I were given on the first day of medical school to crush it with less stress. 

2. The Med School Blueprint :  Join the hundreds of students who have used our A-Z blueprint and playbook for EVERY   phase of the medical journey so you can start to see grades like these. 

3.   ​ Med Ignite Study Program :  Get personalized help to create the perfect study system for yourself so you can see better grades ASAP on your medical journey & see results like these. 

4. Learn the one study strategy that saved my  grades in medical school here (viewed by more than a million students like you). 

If you enjoyed reading this post, you would find these articles entertaining and informative as well:

• Best Resource For Anatomy In Medical School [Full Breakdown]
• How To Study In Medical School [Ultimate Guide]
• How To Create Amazing Assessment And Plans In Medical School [Step-By-Step]
• How To Study For Shelf Exams For Your Rotations Effectively [How To Get Honors]
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• Top 10 Best Pharmacology Books For Medical Students
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• How To Study Pharmacology Effectively [Full Breakdown]
• How To Study Sketchy Micro

Thank you for reaching the end of the article! I hope my recommendations will help you excel in med school.

Until the next one my friend…

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Book Review B.Ed Project Work [Book Review Format with Free PDF]

Book Review B.Ed Project Work In this article, we have provided Book Review B.Ed Project work . You can refer the book review and can download the pdf from our Telegram channel.

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The Home of TU Professional Writing Majors of Past, Present, and Future

20 Questions to Ask When Writing a Book Review

By Megan Alms, a professional writing student at Taylor University

You’ve just read a book, and you want to tell the world what you thought of it. Your mind is swirling with ideas and emotions. But as soon as you sit down to write your review, you forget everything you’ve just read.

So, what needs to go in a review?

All of the information needs to be relevant. Every word needs to count when you have such a limited space. Here are 20 things worth considering when you’re writing your book review.

1. What audience am I writing for?

Consider where your review will be published. Who will be reading it, and what will they want to know about a book before buying it?

2. What audience is the author writing for?

Put yourself in the perspective of the intended audience, even if you are not a part of it.

3. What genres/subgenres does this fit into?

Define the primary genre, then find elements of other subgenres that may not have been immediately identifiable.

4. Was I confused at any point while reading?

If the writing was unclear, note this. If you didn’t understand it, other readers probably won’t either.

5. Did I care about the characters?

If the characters weren’t compelling in the slightest, the story likely fell flat. If you noticed this, include it in your review. (This is primarily a consideration in fiction and memoir.)

6. Did it have a compelling plot?

Without a compelling plot, any work involving a storyline will lose the reader’s attention. If you got bored, make it clear in your review.

7. Was the dialogue believable?

If it was difficult to believe anyone would talk like the characters in the book, the characters themselves were probably difficult to imagine.

8. Were the events believable?

At its core, a book (unless purely informational) is a story. If a story fails to be credible, the book cannot succeed at being a book.

9. Did any quotes strike me?

Was anything said that you found interesting, thought-provoking, or tear-jerking? Note these strong moments in your review! (If this quote spoils a surprise moment in the book, include a warning at the beginning of your review.)

10. Was there any information I thought to be inaccurate?

Credibility is important an any genre. If one piece of false information is presented, readers will lose trust in the entire book.

11. Are the illustrations engaging?

If it includes illustrations, note if they are eye-catching or bland. Pay special attention to this if you are reviewing a children’s book.

12. Is there any questionable/profane/graphic content?

Many readers want to be aware of this kind of content before picking up a book. Even if it doesn’t bother you, note anything that may be questionable to other readers.

13. What is the author’s voice like?

Describe how the author approaches the reader. Is the tone comedic, conversational, professional, or aloof?

14. What is the author’s purpose?

Consider why this book was written and what the author intends to convey to the audience.

15. Is the author’s purpose accomplished?

Now consider how the answer above came across. Was it clear, or did you have to “dig” for it?

16. What are the author’s credentials?

What makes this author the only person who could write this book? Do they have a certain education or experience that makes them unique?

17. Is there an index or bibliography?

This extra material, though not necessary, is good to know about before picking up the book.

18. What other books are similar to this one?

What other titles have the same style as this one? Compare it to other books to give your audience a better idea of what it is like.

19. What did I learn while reading?

Did this book make you think more deeply about any academic or moral topics?

20. Who would I recommend this book to?

What specific audience would enjoy this book? Is it worth the time for others to read it?

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

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This is a thoughtful article that should help a reviewer keep on task. It occurs to me that a writer could direct these questions to his own work before he publishes. Thanks for the list.

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Glad you found it helpful!

I certaintly agree with Annette, this is very helpful to witer as well.

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Writing a Book Review

View in pdf format.

A critical book review is a thoughtful discussion of a text’s contents, strengths, and limitations. A book review should reflect your capacity to read critically and to evaluate an author’s arguments and evidence. Compose your review as you would any essay, with an argument supported by evidence, and a clear, logical structure.  

Initial Steps

• Read the book carefully, taking notes on material that you think may be relevant or quotable and on your impressions of the author's ideas and arguments.
• Determine the author’s principal argument, the chief themes of the text, the kinds of evidence used, and the way in which the author uses them.

Organizing the Review

• All reviews begin with bibliographic information: the author’s name, the book’s full title, place of publication, publisher, edition, date, pagination, and cost, if known.
• In no more than two paragraphs, introduce the book. Give your initial appraisal of the work, including your key observation on the text. This key observation will be your thesis. Try not to begin with a flat statement such as “This book is interesting.” Begin with an anecdote, a challenging quotation, or a key observation.
• clearly set out the author’s purpose in writing the book, and whether or not you think the author has succeeded.
• describe the author’s arguments and the themes of the book, and give your appraisal of their validity and effectiveness.
• describe the sources and evidence the author uses to prove his case, and evaluate their appropriateness and sufficiency. What are the author's sources? Should the author have used more, or different, sources?
• Comment on the author's organization and writing style.
• Conclude. Here you may make more general remarks about the text and the ideas presented in it. If you have not already done so, indicate whether you feel the book is worthwhile, and for what audience. Is the book outstanding? Will it make a lasting contribution to its field, or is it less satisfactory?  

Questions to Consider

Although you should not use the following questions as some sort of laundry list of “things to include” (dull for us all), you may wish to consider them as you prepare and write your review.  

Analysis of Content

• What is the author’s principal argument? What are her/his conclusions?
• What does the author choose to emphasize?
• Does the author’s presentation contradict or refute alternative interpretations?
• What methods of analysis does the author employ?
• What sorts of evidence does the author employ?
• Who is the author? Is he/she qualified to write this work?
• When was the work written? How relevant is it today?  

Evaluation of Content

• Is the book convincing in style and substance? Why or why not?
• Does the author accomplish her/his purpose?
• Is the author fair to his/her subjects, or is the author overly biased? Is the book accurate or misleading?
• Does the author describe but not analyze?
• Does the author treat all available data equally well?
• Are all arguments in the book equally well supported? Is the book marred by generalizations or speculations?
• Is the author's use of evidence adequate and convincing?
• Does the author omit possible alternative interpretations? Is the author's approach flexible, or is it dogmatic?
• Is the book well-organized? Are all parts of the book equally well reasoned and developed?
• Is the book well written, or is it in some way repetitive, obscure, or confusing?
• To whom would the book appeal? What audience did the author intend?

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How to Write a Book Review: A Comprehensive Tutorial With Examples

You don’t need to be a literary expert to craft captivating book reviews. With one in every three readers selecting books based on insightful reviews, your opinions can guide fellow bibliophiles toward their next literary adventure.

Learning how to write a book review will not only help you excel at your assigned tasks, but you’ll also contribute valuable insights to the book-loving community and turn your passion into a professional pursuit.

In this comprehensive guide,  PaperPerk  will walk you through a few simple steps to master the art of writing book reviews so you can confidently embark on this rewarding journey.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, offering insights into its content, quality, and impact. It helps readers make informed decisions about whether to read the book.

Writing a book review as an assignment benefits students in multiple ways. Firstly, it teaches them how to write a book review by developing their analytical skills as they evaluate the content, themes, and writing style .

Secondly, it enhances their ability to express opinions and provide constructive criticism. Additionally, book review assignments expose students to various publications and genres, broadening their knowledge.

Furthermore, these tasks foster essential skills for academic success, like critical thinking and the ability to synthesize information. By now, we’re sure you want to learn how to write a book review, so let’s look at the book review template first.

Table of Contents

Book Review Template

How to Write a Book Review- A Step-by-Step Guide

Check out these 5 straightforward steps for composing the best book review.

Step 1: Planning Your Book Review – The Art of Getting Started

You’ve decided to take the plunge and share your thoughts on a book that has captivated (or perhaps disappointed) you. Before you start book reviewing, let’s take a step back and plan your approach. Knowing how to write a book review that’s both informative and engaging is an art in itself.

Choosing Your Literature

First things first, pick the book you want to review. This might seem like a no-brainer, but selecting a book that genuinely interests you will make the review process more enjoyable and your insights more authentic.

Crafting the Master Plan

Next, create an  outline  that covers all the essential points you want to discuss in your review. This will serve as the roadmap for your writing journey.

The Devil is in the Details

As you read, note any information that stands out, whether it overwhelms, underwhelms, or simply intrigues you. Pay attention to:

• The characters and their development
• The plot and its intricacies
• Any themes, symbols, or motifs you find noteworthy

Remember to reserve a body paragraph for each point you want to discuss.

The Key Questions to Ponder

When planning your book review, consider the following questions:

• What’s the plot (if any)? Understanding the driving force behind the book will help you craft a more effective review.
• Is the plot interesting? Did the book hold your attention and keep you turning the pages?
• Are the writing techniques effective? Does the author’s style captivate you, making you want to read (or reread) the text?
• Are the characters or the information believable? Do the characters/plot/information feel real, and can you relate to them?
• Would you recommend the book to anyone? Consider if the book is worthy of being recommended, whether to impress someone or to support a point in a literature class.
• What could be improved? Always keep an eye out for areas that could be improved. Providing constructive criticism can enhance the quality of literature.

Step 2 – Crafting the Perfect Introduction to Write a Book Review

In this second step of “how to write a book review,” we’re focusing on the art of creating a powerful opening that will hook your audience and set the stage for your analysis.

Identify Your Book and Author

Begin by mentioning the book you’ve chosen, including its  title  and the author’s name. This informs your readers and establishes the subject of your review.

Ponder the Title

Next, discuss the mental images or emotions the book’s title evokes in your mind . This helps your readers understand your initial feelings and expectations before diving into the book.

Judge the Book by Its Cover (Just a Little)

Take a moment to talk about the book’s cover. Did it intrigue you? Did it hint at what to expect from the story or the author’s writing style? Sharing your thoughts on the cover can offer a unique perspective on how the book presents itself to potential readers.

Present Your Thesis

Now it’s time to introduce your thesis. This statement should be a concise and insightful summary of your opinion of the book. For example:

“Normal People” by Sally Rooney is a captivating portrayal of the complexities of human relationships, exploring themes of love, class, and self-discovery with exceptional depth and authenticity.

Ensure that your thesis is relevant to the points or quotes you plan to discuss throughout your review.

Incorporating these elements into your introduction will create a strong foundation for your book review. Your readers will be eager to learn more about your thoughts and insights on the book, setting the stage for a compelling and thought-provoking analysis.

How to Write a Book Review: Step 3 – Building Brilliant Body Paragraphs

You’ve planned your review and written an attention-grabbing introduction. Now it’s time for the main event: crafting the body paragraphs of your book review. In this step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the art of constructing engaging and insightful body paragraphs that will keep your readers hooked.

Summarize Without Spoilers

Begin by summarizing a specific section of the book, not revealing any major plot twists or spoilers. Your goal is to give your readers a taste of the story without ruining surprises.

Support Your Viewpoint with Quotes

Next, choose three quotes from the book that support your viewpoint or opinion. These quotes should be relevant to the section you’re summarizing and help illustrate your thoughts on the book.

Analyze the Quotes

Write a summary of each quote in your own words, explaining how it made you feel or what it led you to think about the book or the author’s writing. This analysis should provide insight into your perspective and demonstrate your understanding of the text.

Structure Your Body Paragraphs

Dedicate one body paragraph to each quote, ensuring your writing is well-connected, coherent, and easy to understand.

For example:

• In  Jane Eyre , Charlotte Brontë writes, “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me.” This powerful statement highlights Jane’s fierce independence and refusal to be trapped by societal expectations.
• In  Normal People , Sally Rooney explores the complexities of love and friendship when she writes, “It was culture as class performance, literature fetishized for its ability to take educated people on false emotional journeys.” This quote reveals the author’s astute observations on the role of culture and class in shaping personal relationships.
• In  Wuthering Heights , Emily Brontë captures the tumultuous nature of love with the quote, “He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” This poignant line emphasizes the deep, unbreakable bond between the story’s central characters.

By following these guidelines, you’ll create body paragraphs that are both captivating and insightful, enhancing your book review and providing your readers with a deeper understanding of the literary work. 

How to Write a Book Review: Step 4 – Crafting a Captivating Conclusion

You’ve navigated through planning, introductions, and body paragraphs with finesse. Now it’s time to wrap up your book review with a  conclusion that leaves a lasting impression . In this final step of “How to write a Book Review,” we’ll explore the art of writing a memorable and persuasive conclusion.

Summarize Your Analysis

Begin by summarizing the key points you’ve presented in the body paragraphs. This helps to remind your readers of the insights and arguments you’ve shared throughout your review.

Offer Your Final Conclusion

Next, provide a conclusion that reflects your overall feelings about the book. This is your chance to leave a lasting impression and persuade your readers to consider your perspective.

Address the Book’s Appeal

Now, answer the question: Is this book worth reading? Be clear about who would enjoy the book and who might not. Discuss the taste preferences and circumstances that make the book more appealing to some readers than others.

For example:  The Alchemist is a book that can enchant a young teen, but those who are already well-versed in classic literature might find it less engaging.

Be Subtle and Balanced

Avoid simply stating whether you “liked” or “disliked” the book. Instead, use nuanced language to convey your message. Highlight the pros and cons of reading the type of literature you’ve reviewed, offering a balanced perspective.

Bringing It All Together

By following these guidelines, you’ll craft a conclusion that leaves your readers with a clear understanding of your thoughts and opinions on the book. Your review will be a valuable resource for those considering whether to pick up the book, and your witty and insightful analysis will make your review a pleasure to read. So conquer the world of book reviews, one captivating conclusion at a time!

How to Write a Book Review: Step 5 – Rating the Book (Optional)

You’ve masterfully crafted your book review, from the introduction to the conclusion. But wait, there’s one more step you might consider before calling it a day: rating the book. In this optional step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the benefits and methods of assigning a rating to the book you’ve reviewed.

Why Rate the Book?

Sometimes, when writing a professional book review, it may not be appropriate to state whether you liked or disliked the book. In such cases, assigning a rating can be an effective way to get your message across without explicitly sharing your personal opinion.

How to Rate the Book

There are various rating systems you can use to evaluate the book, such as:

• A star rating (e.g., 1 to 5 stars)
• A numerical score (e.g., 1 to 10)
• A letter grade (e.g., A+ to F)

Choose a rating system that best suits your style and the format of your review. Be consistent in your rating criteria, considering writing quality, character development, plot, and overall enjoyment.

Tips for Rating the Book

Here are some tips for rating the book effectively:

• Be honest: Your rating should reflect your true feelings about the book. Don’t inflate or deflate your rating based on external factors, such as the book’s popularity or the author’s reputation.
• Be fair: Consider the book’s merits and shortcomings when rating. Even if you didn’t enjoy the book, recognize its strengths and acknowledge them in your rating.
• Be clear: Explain the rationale behind your rating so your readers understand the factors that influenced your evaluation.

Wrapping Up

By including a rating in your book review, you provide your readers with additional insight into your thoughts on the book. While this step is optional, it can be a valuable tool for conveying your message subtly yet effectively. So, rate those books confidently, adding a touch of wit and wisdom to your book reviews.

Additional Tips on How to Write a Book Review: A Guide

In this segment, we’ll explore additional tips on how to write a book review. Get ready to captivate your readers and make your review a memorable one!

Hook ’em with an Intriguing Introduction

Keep your introduction precise and to the point. Readers have the attention span of a goldfish these days, so don’t let them swim away in boredom. Start with a bang and keep them hooked!

Embrace the World of Fiction

When learning how to write a book review, remember that reviewing fiction is often more engaging and effective. If your professor hasn’t assigned you a specific book, dive into the realm of fiction and select a novel that piques your interest.

Opinionated with Gusto

Don’t shy away from adding your own opinion to your review. A good book review always features the writer’s viewpoint and constructive criticism. After all, your readers want to know what  you  think!

Express Your Love (or Lack Thereof)

If you adored the book, let your readers know! Use phrases like “I’ll definitely return to this book again” to convey your enthusiasm. Conversely, be honest but respectful even if the book wasn’t your cup of tea.

Templates and Examples and Expert Help: Your Trusty Sidekicks

Feeling lost? You can always get help from formats, book review examples or online  college paper writing service  platforms. These trusty sidekicks will help you navigate the world of book reviews with ease. 

Be a Champion for New Writers and Literature

Remember to uplift new writers and pieces of literature. If you want to suggest improvements, do so kindly and constructively. There’s no need to be mean about anyone’s books – we’re all in this literary adventure together!

Criticize with Clarity, Not Cruelty

When adding criticism to your review, be clear but not mean. Remember, there’s a fine line between constructive criticism and cruelty. Tread lightly and keep your reader’s feelings in mind.

Avoid the Comparison Trap

Resist the urge to compare one writer’s book with another. Every book holds its worth, and comparing them will only confuse your reader. Stick to discussing the book at hand, and let it shine in its own light.

Top 7 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Writing a book review can be a delightful and rewarding experience, especially when you balance analysis, wit, and personal insights. However, some common mistakes can kill the brilliance of your review. 

In this section of “How to write a book review,” we’ll explore the top 7 blunders writers commit and how to steer clear of them, with a dash of  modernist literature  examples and tips for students writing book reviews as assignments.

Succumbing to the Lure of Plot Summaries

Mistake: Diving headfirst into a plot summary instead of dissecting the book’s themes, characters, and writing style.

Example: “The Bell Jar chronicles the life of a young woman who experiences a mental breakdown.”

How to Avoid: Delve into the book’s deeper aspects, such as its portrayal of mental health, societal expectations, and the author’s distinctive narrative voice. Offer thoughtful insights and reflections, making your review a treasure trove of analysis.

Unleashing the Spoiler Kraken

Mistake: Spilling major plot twists or the ending without providing a spoiler warning, effectively ruining the reading experience for potential readers.

Example: “In Metamorphosis, the protagonist’s transformation into a monstrous insect leads to…”

How to Avoid: Tread carefully when discussing significant plot developments, and consider using spoiler warnings. Focus on the impact of these plot points on the overall narrative, character growth, or thematic resonance.

Riding the Personal Bias Express

Mistake: Allowing personal bias to hijack the review without providing sufficient evidence or reasoning to support opinions.

Example: “I detest books about existential crises, so The Sun Also Rises was a snoozefest.”

How to Avoid: While personal opinions are valid, it’s crucial to back them up with specific examples from the book. Discuss aspects like writing style, character development, or pacing to support your evaluation and provide a more balanced perspective.

Wielding the Vague Language Saber

Mistake: Resorting to generic, vague language that fails to capture the nuances of the book and can come across as clichéd.

Example: “This book was mind-blowing. It’s a must-read for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Use precise and descriptive language to express your thoughts. Employ specific examples and quotations to highlight memorable scenes, the author’s unique writing style, or the impact of the book’s themes on readers.

Ignoring the Contextualization Compass

Mistake: Neglecting to provide context about the author, genre, or cultural relevance of the book, leaving readers without a proper frame of reference.

Example: “This book is dull and unoriginal.”

How to Avoid: Offer readers a broader understanding by discussing the author’s background, the genre conventions the book adheres to or subverts, and any societal or historical contexts that inform the narrative. This helps readers appreciate the book’s uniqueness and relevance.

Overindulging in Personal Preferences

Mistake: Letting personal preferences overshadow an objective assessment of the book’s merits.

Example: “I don’t like stream-of-consciousness writing, so this book is automatically bad.”

How to Avoid: Acknowledge personal preferences but strive to evaluate the book objectively. Focus on the book’s strengths and weaknesses, considering how well it achieves its goals within its genre or intended audience.

Forgetting the Target Audience Telescope

Mistake: Failing to mention the book’s target audience or who might enjoy it, leading to confusion for potential readers.

Example: “This book is great for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Contemplate the book’s intended audience, genre, and themes. Mention who might particularly enjoy the book based on these factors, whether it’s fans of a specific genre, readers interested in character-driven stories, or those seeking thought-provoking narratives.

By dodging these common pitfalls, writers can craft insightful, balanced, and engaging book reviews that help readers make informed decisions about their reading choices.

These tips are particularly beneficial for students writing book reviews as assignments, as they ensure a well-rounded and thoughtful analysis.!

Many students requested us to cover how to write a book review. This thorough guide is sure to help you. At Paperperk, professionals are dedicated to helping students find their balance. We understand the importance of good grades, so we offer the finest writing service , ensuring students stay ahead of the curve. So seek expert help because only Paperperk is your perfect solution!

What is the difference between a book review and a report?

Who is the target audience for book reviews and book reports, how do book reviews and reports differ in length and content, can i write professional book reviews, what are the key aspects of writing professional book reviews, how can i enhance my book-reviewing skills to write professional reviews, what should be included in a good book review.

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Blog – Posted on Friday, Mar 29

17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

• A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
• A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
• A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

How much of a book nerd are you, really?

Find out here, once and for all. Takes 30 seconds!

Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

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M.Ed 1st Semester Set Of 5 Books (Relevance of Teacher Education/Psychology of learning & Development /Communication & expository /Fundamental & educational Research/Historical&political) Raj Series Paperback – 1 January 2020

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• Language Hindi
• Publisher Raj Series Jai Publication
• Publication date 1 January 2020
• Dimensions 12 x 5 x 9 cm
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Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08BTW6JV3
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Raj Series Jai Publication (1 January 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ Hindi
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 300 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12 x 5 x 9 cm
• Net Quantity ‏ : ‎ 1.00 count
• #27,395 in CBSE (Books)

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• Book Review Festival / Book Reviews / MiddleWeb

A Festival of Book Reviews

by John Norton · Published 10/04/2012 · Updated 07/19/2023

Since this collection of book reviews was published in 2012, MiddleWeb had created several more festivals. You can visit them here: 2012 (Pt2) , 2013 , 2018 , 2022 and 2023 . Enjoy!

Our collection of reviews covers a wide range of topics: teaching tips and strategies, visual & media literacy, intelligent test preparation, Common Core issues, academic icebreakers, RTI & special education, social studies, math teaching and achievement, teacher research, ESL/ELL strategies, and student motivation.

Look over all the offerings here and follow our links to the reviews that interest you most. You can always read our latest reviews, browse the growing collection, and learn about writing reviews yourself by visiting our Book Reviews area of the website. (Special thanks to Janice Norton for managing our book review program!)

Helping Students Motivate Themselves

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Larry Ferlazzo effectively ties student motivation to relationship-building, classroom culture and metacognition, says book reviewer and intermediate grades teacher Becky Bair. It’s the go-to book when we’re looking for good ways to respond to that sad, familiar comment: “These kids just don’t want to learn!”

How to Teach Thinking Skills Within the Common Core

This book may be too structurally complex to be a valuable everyday resource to the classroom educator. But there’s still plenty to admire, says teacher-reviewer Kevin Hodgson,  including its stance that rote learning and memorization do “not produce the kind of thinking, problem-solving citizens that the world will need.”

Interactive Modeling: A Powerful Technique for Teaching Children

This Responsive Classroom guide for PK-8 educators can improve teaching of essential academics, social skills, routines and behaviors, says reviewer Linda Biondi. The author’s practical advice “builds upon best practices that teachers may already apply in their classrooms, and introduces us to the highly useful Interactive Modeling concept.”

I See What You Mean: Visual Literacy K-8

Visual literacy is a vital skill for iGeneration students, says our reviewer Patricia Thomas-Jeanig. In this second edition of a book first published in the 1990s, Steve Moline explores many kinds of visual texts and includes great teaching ideas, all in the context of today’s pervasive social media.

Kick-Start Your Class: Academic Icebreakers to Engage Students

Imagine, 125 icebreakers and 40 closure activities all in one book! It’s a teacher’s dream come true, says our reviewer Anne Anderson. The rich collection of activities, she says, will help teachers in many grades and subjects engage students while meeting the high demands of Common Core State Standards.

The Line Between Us: Teaching about the Border and Mexican Immigration

Bill Bigelow’s teacher-friendly book offers concrete strategies to help students understand immigration and globalization issues, says teacher educator Kelly Moser. Firsthand accounts and other resources provide students with a glimpse into how other peoples live, the challenges they face, and the reasons they come to the United States.

Living the Questions: A Guide for Teacher Researchers

This teacher research guide can help educators analyze, reflect upon and improve their practice, says reviewer Amanda Wall. The authors “clearly value and respect the work of teachers and include short essays, tips, and examples submitted by teacher researchers themselves.”

Math in Plain English: Literacy Strategies for the Mathematics Classroom

Finally, says reviewer Shelly Sims, there’s a book combining literacy strategies with what we know about math thinking and problem-solving. Author Amy Benjamin “challenges the teacher-reader to incorporate both receptive and productive math instruction.”

  Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom

Reviewer Jamey Cates says this ISTE guide by consultant Frank W. Baker is an excellent resource for cultivating media literacy skills in today’s iGeneration students, with well-thought-out and ready-to-serve lessons correlated to standards.

Minding the Achievement Gap One Classroom at a Time

ESL teacher Julie Dermody found this book to be a great resource for implementing Classroom Instruction That Works strategies for second-language learners, although she says its vague title almost caused her to overlook it.

Small Steps, Big Changes: Eight Essential Practices for Transforming Schools Through Mathematics

Reviewer and math teacher Michelle Schwartz admired the authors’ eight essential elements for schoolwide math success but wondered how they might be accomplished in schools without a math coach or “on-board” principal.

Teach Like a Champion Field Guide

This field guide to 49 teaching techniques developed for the Uncommon Schools charter organization provides new ideas and useful information “to refresh my classroom teaching,” says reviewer Susan Shaver.

The Energetic Brain: Understanding and Managing ADHD

Special education teacher Laura Von Staden, a mother of two children with ADHD, found this book authoritative and a good source of research-based information about ADHD but thought it lacked the detail teachers need about specific interventions.

What Every Middle School Teacher Needs to Know about Reading Tests

Sick of test prep that required her students to read boring texts and fill out worksheets, our reviewer Rebecca Crockett was excited to discover a book offering practical advice about reading tests and engaging test-prep activities that integrate well into the content she teaches.

What Every School Leader Needs to Know about RTI

This book for school leaders “provides the steps and framework necessary to seamlessly apply the RTI approach within our schools,” says Linda Biondi. “It’s an important book for all school-based and district-level administrators to read.”

You can access all of our book reviews with one click. Watch for them here! If you’re a publisher interested in providing books for review, contact John Norton at MiddleWeb .

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John Norton

John Croft Norton is an education writer and editor. He's the founder and co-editor of MiddleWeb. John also co-founded the national Teacher Leaders Network and enjoys developing and supporting virtual communities of educators and promoting teacher voices. He lives in Little Switzerland NC, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and once lived in Atlanta, where he was vice president for information at the Southern Regional Education Board.

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