“Dr. Goodman is a fabulous guide to the strange world of surgery—where the intensity of combat medicine meets the realities of extensive paperwork. His book is as good as the greatest ER episodes ever, except every account is true.”
—Tom Rollins, founder of The Great Courses and former Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel, US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
“Tony Goodman discovers the joys, horrors, triumphs, and profound disappointments of ‘learning his trade.’ An amazing journey to witness for those of us who put our lives and the lives of our loved ones in the hands of healers. We are alongside Tony as we learn the laws of medicine with him—and he’s funny in telling his story! Even if you’re squeamish, you’ll love it.”
—Sid Ganis, film producer and former President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
“Dr. Goodman writes with the precision of a skilled surgeon and the insight of a compassionate teacher. With humility, candor, and pluck, he illuminates the ethical and emotional dimensions of clinical practice that so often go unspoken. A compelling and deeply thoughtful read, Dr. Goodman’s narrative honors both the triumphs and challenges of a life devoted to healing.”
—Laura Goodell, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine
“Dr. Goodman’s memoir shines a light on what happens behind operating room doors and gives us a deep look inside medical education. He invites readers into a world most of us know little about. He clarifies, with heart and soul, what should matter most in medicine: healing combined with kindness and compassion.”
—Steve Kay, former Board Chair, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Trustee, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
“Goodman gives us an engaging, if not stunning, insider’s view of the struggles and joys of a life devoted to service. He lays bare the psychology of the surgeon who must perform under extraordinary pressures and expectations, revealing how this affects the human who lives inside that white coat.”
—William Peters, MA, MEd, founder of Shared Crossing Project and author of At Heaven’s Door
“An exceptional surgeon has written a remarkable memoir. I smiled at his victories, laughed at his foibles, and teared up at his disappointments. Dr. Goodman’s ease with storytelling captivated this reader as he imprinted himself on the page and in my heart.”
—Rosemary C. Williams, founder and Executive Director, Women’s Perspective, and author of The Woman’s Book of Money and Spiritual Vision
“We should all hope to have someone like Tony Goodman as our general surgeon should we need one. This well-written memoir takes the reader through the joys and frustrations of medical training and medical practice. I found it hard not to feel sad that Tony is no longer in the operating room with his hand outstretched for the right instrument.”
—Joseph P. Newhouse, PhD, John D. MacArthur Research Professor of Health Policy and Management, Harvard University
“Dr. Goodman provides the reader with a highly articulate, thoughtful, sensitive, and insightful perspective of his personal history, his role models, and his journey to reach the pinnacle of his profession. Through numerous surgical adversities, he maintained his professionalism and humility and demonstrated his warm, engaging personality.”
—Marvin L. Corman, MD, Professor of Surgery, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
“Goodman confides in us about the rigors of medical training, its toll on personal lives, and the business side of medical practice. We witness the earnest striving, remarkable successes, and tragic losses endured by this talented and dedicated surgeon. Not least, we see the arc of a career, from an eager student blessed by caring and knowledgeable teachers and mentors to an accomplished professional teaching and guiding the next generations.”
—Gary D. Robbins, Senior Foreign Service Officer (Ret.), US Department of State
“Goodman offers a series of vivid anecdotes that chronicle the experiences of a dedicated and innovative medical professional throughout a long and fulfilling career. Each story is presented with energy and flair, creating a compelling narrative that allows you to share in the joys, sorrows, anxieties, fears, triumphs, and failures faced at the coalface of life and death. It also paints a broader picture of a profession undergoing intense development and change and candidly addresses the personal and professional toll these challenges impose. An engaging, insightful, and heartwarming read.”
—Brian Pauling, ONZM, PhD, Research Fellow Emeritus, Canterbury Ara Institute of Technology, and author of Sharing the Mic
“An exciting and accessible view of days and nights filled with the challenges and privilege of practicing medicine in a wide range of places and circumstances in the late 20th century. In contrast to medicine of the early 21st century, Dr. Goodman’s memoir reflects the ideals articulated by one of the founding fathers of modern medicine, William Osler: ‘The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head.’”
—Monica Williams, MD, coauthor of It’s OK to Die
“An invaluable legacy to anyone who cares about our struggling healthcare system. Goodman is modest and funny; he does not spare himself, admitting his frequent early mistakes. Nor does he spare the system, noting unreasonable systemic pressures on doctors that can deprive patients of the kindness and understanding they need. What carried him through the challenges were his core values of kindness, compassion, integrity, and the medical maxim ‘above all, do no harm.’”
—Margaret L. Newhouse, PhD, founder of Life Planning Network and author of Legacies of the Heart
“This is not a story of heroism or drama or courage. It is a quiet, straightforward remembering of one man’s journey, from the day he picked up a dead bird and brought it to science class to becoming a doctor. Read this book. You will never regard your doctor in the same way again.”
—Peter Glick, President, Management Search & Consulting
“Dr. Anthony Goodman takes us on a remarkably honest and intimate journey into the reality of a life of saving lives. He shares not only his actions but also his thoughts and feelings, so we get to be with him from the inside as he lives and works. Great Saves and Terrible Losses was, for me, a singularly mesmerizing and inspiring experience.”
—Spencer Sherman, PhD, clinical psychologist, instructor of psychology, and author of Be the Sky, Not the Clouds
“The strength of this book lies in the author’s courage to lay open his feelings. He shares his frustrations, mistakes, gallows humor, soul-sucking obstacles in a broken medical system, astronomical malpractice insurance, red tape, the blood, fear of AIDS, knifings, exhaustion, a failed marriage, coparenting, and a new family. What we are left with is a real person. Triumphs. Losses. Resilience. A surgeon.”
—Cathie Keenan, MSW, author of Bats
“A riveting read from a knowledgeable and kind doctor who has treated thousands and saved many.”
—Jodi Wright, author of Eat and Get Gas and How to Grow an Addict