Get me a writer, stat!!

Sorry, but although I enjoy Dr. Gupta on the news, an author he is not. This is yet another thin "novel" from a doctor wanna be author. While Dr. Gupta is very impressed with the medical profession, (and neurosurgery in particular), there really is no clear plot line. Instead, the book serves as a vehicle for Gupta to relive cases and other tales from medical school. Along the way he expounds on the problems with healthcare, the trouble with medical sales people, lifestyle choices, and on and on. The only problem is - they do nothing to advance or develop A PLOT. So yes, I am calling it - Dead on Arrival.

5 people found this helpful

Truth in Medicine

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I wait avidly for new medical mystery fiction. I found the realism of so many areas in medicine refreshing. I would definitely recommend this book

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Several of the plot twists hinged on the fallibility of human judgment.

Any additional comments?

As a retired anesthesiologist, I questioned where the anesthesiologist was during the anesthesia history and physical which might well have elicited a red flag for the first brain surgery. I decided they must have shared negligence. I also wondered where the entire operating room team was for the

5 people found this helpful

RN Review

If you could sum up Monday Mornings in three words, what would they be?

Enlightening, well-paced, eye-opening.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Monday Mornings?

Wrong site surgery at the end of the book.

What about Christian Rummel’s performance did you like?

Excellent interpretation. Two areas in need of improvement: a more defined pause between scenes - sometimes two distinct scenes ran into each other. I'm sure this was editing and not Mr. Rummel's performance. But the second area for improvement is Mr. Rummel's interpretation of female voices. Almost without exception, they brought to mind Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie. This was a significant annoyance for me.
However, overall, very enjoyable listening.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Too much to think about.

5 people found this helpful

Nothing like CUTTING FOR STONE

Any additional comments?

I wanted this book to be good. I gave it a good try, listening to more than 4 hours of it. I really enjoyed Cutting For Stone and had read that the two authors had some similarities. The authors may (I believe that they are both physicians), but the stories are in no way comparable. I found Monday Mornings nothing short of stupid. I wouldn't be surprised to see it made into a movie for the Lifetime Network.

3 people found this helpful

Not worth your time

This was a shockingly disappointing book in its scope, its depth, its characters, its structure and its genre. I was hoping for an informative, in depth examination of modern medicine, like "Better" by Atul Gawande, but this slow, uninteresting novel rarely discusses disease, surgery or medicine, its far more concerned with the mundane lives of its characters. That's not why I purchased this novel. If I'm honest with you, I thought by reading the description and knowing who the author is, that it was a work of non-fiction. It's not, this is a fictional character study about the lives of surgeons. Not at ALL what the description promised.

Monday Mornings follows the lives of several surgeons at a Michigan hospital and examines their personal lives, the way their careers affect them and how they handle mistakes. These plot lines rarely become exciting and rarely rise above the kind of TV drama conflict that I try to avoid in a good novel. The time spent here wastes time that could describe the business and practice of surgery, the techniques involved, the mysteries we have yet to uncover and the breakthroughs that we have made recently. I was very sad for the book this COULD have been. Move on to the next book in your Wishlist instead.

2 people found this helpful

UGH.

So far this book is just ok.

Too much technical information, too much "painting the character's background", not enough GETTING TO THE POINT.

Everytime a new chapter starts and we run down a new road I keep wondering if this is the point where the story starts.

It's not that engaging... but I will keep going. I am stubborn about giving up!

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Over half way done and it has not gotten any better. Have to downgrade to 1 star.

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Ugh, thank God it's over.

2 people found this helpful

Distracting erroneous pronunciation

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes. As a nurse, I found it to be an accurate depiction of life in a hospital, although dramatically one-sided. There were other people involved in all the controversies who would have spoken up and also taken histories.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

No, but it was entertaining.

Did Christian Rummel do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

He was a good narrator, but should have gotten some help with medical terms. The errors in pronunciation were distracting and ruined the flow. Glee-o-blastoma was mispronounced so many times it was agonizing.

Could you see Monday Mornings being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Would make a great soap opera.

2 people found this helpful

Good not great

Narrator took some getting used to - story line was a little shallow. There were so many characters that there could have been a lot of deep development but all were surface...

1 person found this helpful

Was really disappointed in this book

Is there anything you would change about this book?

There were too many characters that were underdeveloped and uninteresting. He should have developed a few characters more in depth. Also, I don't think the author brought any drama to the M&M conferences. Flat and uninspiring.

Would you ever listen to anything by Sanjay Gupta again?

I might

Which character – as performed by Christian Rummel – was your favorite?

Vinueva (sorry if spelled wrong---audio, you know)

Did Monday Mornings inspire you to do anything?

Go back to my regular favorite fiction authors

Any additional comments?

I was disappointed. This sounded like it was going to be a great book. I've worked in the medical field, and it could have been really interesting, given the topic. I've also known real neurosurgeons, and they are usually more arrogant and not so friendly to each other.
An interesting theme wasted.

1 person found this helpful

Made For TV Book

What disappointed you about Monday Mornings?

Nothing ever really got up and going in the story. I didn't get to a point where I asked, "What will happen next," but got to, "Will anything happen?" Built for an ensemble cast on a cable television network trying for credibility as a content supplier. I might be stupid, but it seemed like vignettes coupled by setting, not plot.

Has Monday Mornings turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I'm sort of a sucker for medical drama, thriller or comedy.

Would you be willing to try another one of Christian Rummel’s performances?

I'll give a long listen to the sample before I plunk down my credit for a book he narrates. His female voices sounded contrived and strained, but strangely the interior dialogue of the same character seemed genuine and was where the director should have taken him.

Any additional comments?

This served well as the treatment for TNT's "Monday Mornings". It's kind of... I don't know what... couldn't they have distributed it for free given they (Gupta and Kelly) had a deal with Turner.

1 person found this helpful