The Best Surgery eBooks of All Time

Discover the most influential surgery ebooks, recommended by leaders, experts, and readers worldwide

We may earn commissions for purchases made via this page.
Recommendations by Tim Cook, Bill Gates, Jeremy Vine, Isabel Hardman and 64 others

Not sure what to read? Our AI can suggest the most recommended Surgery books!

1
Book Cover of Paul Kalanithi, Abraham Verghese - When Breath Becomes Air

By Paul Kalanithi – Neurosurgeon and New York Times bestselling author (you?) and 1 more 

4.94
| 2016 | 228 Pages
Recommended for: 
Medical professionals and general readers. Ages 12 to Adults.
You will:
  • Learn what makes life meaningful in the face of death and adversity.
  • Discover the relationship between doctor and patient through personal experience.
  • Understand the importance of confronting mortality with honesty and courage.
  • Explore the intersection of medicine, literature, and human experience.
  • Reflect on the complexities of life and the inevitability of death.
  • Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete.
  • Science may provide the most useful way to organize empirical, reproducible data, but its power to do so is predicated on its inability to grasp the most central aspects of human life: hope, fear, love, hate, beauty, envy, honor, weakness, striving, suffering, virtue.
  • 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.
Reviews:
Profound Insights
Eloquent Writing
Thought-Provoking
Heartfelt Story
Honest Perspective
Heartbreaking
Heavy Themes
  • #910 Amazon Best Seller
  • #2 Best Seller in Medical Professional Biographies on Amazon
  • New York Times Bestseller
  • Editors' pick Best Biographies & Memoirs
  • Shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize 2017
Recommended by Tim Cook, Bill Gates, Bethany S. Mandel and 17 others
Bethany S. MandelMore Shabbat reading recommendations: This book was breathtaking and such a powerful advertisement for the joy of parenthood
Luis GaricanoAn unforgettable book, the best I have read on death and illness, written by a stunningly accomplished, wonderful person with a fascinating life. Congratulations for your part in the story and in bringing it to us all, rocketgirlmd. I hope your daughter is very well
Sunil ChhetriSo this is book 1 of 4 that I'm picking from what is an unbelievable list of suggestions from all you fantastic people! I feel we take a lot of life for granted which is why I'm going with this one. Thanks, Tanvi
Show 8 more reviews and 10 ratings |Read Amazon reviews |Rate or write a review
2
Book Cover of David Nott - War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line

By David Nott – General and vascular surgeon with extensive war zone experience (you?) 

4.93
| 2019 | 304 Pages
Recommended for: 
Medical professionals and humanitarian workers. Ages 18 to Adults.
You will:
  • Learn about the challenges faced by medical professionals in war zones.
  • Discover the emotional toll of working in conflict areas.
  • Understand the importance of training local doctors in trauma care.
  • Explore the author's personal journey and motivations for his work.
  • Gain insights into the realities of surgery under extreme conditions.
Reviews:
Emotional Content
Readable
Well-Written
Engaging Stories
Heroic Efforts
Graphic Descriptions
Slow Build-Up
  • New York Times Bestseller
  • Rated Amazon Best Book of the Year
Recommended by Isabel Hardman, Pan Macmillan, Pam Ayres and 3 others
Isabel HardmanBit rubbish at recommending books but have recently finished a few which are worth your while.
1. War Doctor by David Nott NottFoundation. My god this book will move you and teach you. I find the medical world fascinating and loved the accounts of surgical procedures..
Pan Macmillan✨ Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month for January 2020 ✨
NottFoundation's War Doctor is a powerful account of his time spent performing life-saving operations in the most challenging conditions
Pam AyresI am currently reading this book by David Nott and finding it a jaw-dropping, inspiring read. It is fascinating insight into an unknown world. Also, having scrutinised and absorbed the medical detail, I now feel ready to tackle any surgical procedure large or small
Show 3 more reviews |Read Amazon reviews |Rate or write a review
Surgery Book made by AI

By TailoredRead – AI that creates personalized books for you 

4.98
| 2025 | 30-300 pages
Learn Surgery faster with a book created specifically for you by state-of-the-art AI. Our AI has vast knowledge of Surgery, and will craft a custom-tailored book for you in just 10 minutes. This tailored book addresses YOUR unique interests, goals, knowledge level, and background. Available for online reading, PDF download, and Kindle, your custom book will provide personalized insights to help you learn faster, expand your horizons, and accomplish your goals. Embark on your Surgery learning journey with a personalized book - made exclusively for you.
Recommended for: 
All readers across all knowledge levels.
You will:
  • Get a Surgery book tailored to your interests, goals, and background
  • Receive a book precisely matching your background and level of knowledge
  • Select which topics you want to learn, exclude the topics you don't
  • Define your learning goals and let your book guide you to accomplish them
  • Get all the knowledge you need consolidated into a single focused book
Reviews:
Insightful
Focused
Highly Personalized
Easy to Read
Engaging
Actionable
Up-to-Date
3
Book Cover of Henry Marsh - Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery

By Henry Marsh – Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (you?) 

4.86
| 2015 | 288 Pages
Recommended for: 
Medical professionals and general readers. Ages 12 to Adults.
You will:
  • Learn about the emotional toll of being a neurosurgeon and its impact on life decisions.
  • Discover the complexities of brain surgery and the risks involved in operations.
  • Understand the importance of compassion in patient care and the doctor-patient relationship.
  • Explore the balance between hope and reality in medical practice and patient outcomes.
  • Gain insight into the personal stories behind medical cases and the human experience in healthcare.
Reviews:
Insightful
Compassionate
Engaging
Honest
Educational
Depressing
Repetitive
  • #34 Best Seller in Thoracic & Vascular Surgery on Amazon
  • New York Times Bestseller
  • Winner of the PEN Ackerley Prize
  • Shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Prize
  • Longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction
Recommended by Jeremy Vine, Daniel Levitin, Ian McEwan and 14 others
Jeremy VineLots of people asking about the terminally-ill brain surgeon I just interviewed. He’s Henry Marsh, a hero of mine (and many others), who pioneered operating inside the patient’s skull while they are conscious! This is Henry’s great book. We BBCRadio2 wish him well
Daniel LevitinMarsh, one of our leading neurosurgeons, is an eloquent and poetic writer. Do No Harm offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the most mysterious part of human life. His descriptions of neurosurgery are at once fascinating and illuminating; a gripping memoir of an extraordinary career
Ian McEwanNeurosurgery has met its Boswell in Henry Marsh. Painfully honest about the mistakes that can 'wreck' a brain, exquisitely attuned to the tense and transient bond between doctor and patient, and hilariously impatient of hospital management, Marsh draws us deep into medicine's most difficult art and lifts our spirits. It's a superb achievement
Show 14 more reviews |Read Amazon reviews |Rate or write a review
Loading
Category:
Choose a different view: