The Knife’s Edge
The Heart and Mind of a Cardiac Surgeon
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The Knife’s Edge
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Narrated by:
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Gordon Griffin
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By:
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Stephen Westaby
About this listen
A TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2019
An intimate and compelling exploration into the unique psyche of the heart surgeon, by one of the profession’s most eminent figures.
Although Professor Stephen Westaby was born with the necessary coordination and manual dexterity, it was a head trauma sustained during university that gifted him the qualities of an exceptional heart surgeon: qualities that are frequently associated with psychopathy. His thirty-five-year career has been characterised by fearlessness and ruthless ambition; leaving empathy at the hospital door as thousands of patients put their lives in his hands.
For heart surgeons, the inevitable cost of failure is death and in The Knife’s Edge, Westaby reflects on the unique mindset of those who are drawn to this exhilarating and often tragic profession. We discover the pioneers who grasped opportunities and took chances to drive innovation and save lives. Often difficult, uninhibited and fearless, theirs is a field constantly threatened by the risk of public failure.
Like those before him, Westaby refuses to draw the line in his search of a lifetime solution to problems of the heart. His determination is unerring – a steadfastness underpinned by his unusual mind. But as we glimpse into the future of cardiac surgery, for all its remarkable scientific advancement, one question remains: within the confines of socialised medical healthcare systems, how can heart surgeons – individuals often hardwired with avoidance of self-doubt, a penchant for glory and a flagrant disregard for authority – truly flourish?
©2019 Stephen Westaby (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
‘Wholly believable… The book [has] an unmistakable feeling of authenticity.’ Daily Telegraph
‘What makes this memoir so readable is Westaby’s unexpected admissions of vulnerability.’ The Times, Book of the Week
Praise for Fragile Lives:
‘Raw and moving… the writing is thrilling. Fragile Lives is a frank and absorbing memoir by a man who has done about as much good to his fellow human beings as it is possible to do in one lifetime.’ – The Times, Book of the Week
‘With his battle cry of “bugger protocol” and his renaming of medical directors as “the Stasi”, Westaby comes across as the bloke you’d want on your side in the fight to stay alive.’ Guardian Books of the Year
‘The stakes could not be higher in this bloody, muscular and adrenaline-charged memoir from a pioneering heart surgeon… at points it made my own heart race dangerously. ‘Surgeons are meant to be objective,’ Westaby tells himself, ‘not human’. What makes this book so fascinating, and so moving, is the terrible tension between these necessary qualities.’ – Sunday Times
‘A full-frontal and thrilling portrayal. Each story in this fascinating book brings a new nail-biting surgical adventure… A gifted surgeon, Westaby is also a natural writer… Fragile Lives succeeds on many levels: political battle cry, chronicle of bloody feats, history of modern cardiology, tribute to patients and paean to surgery.’ – Daily Telegraph
‘The book is a cracking example of a thriving sub-genre of autobiography, the medical memoir. Anyone who enjoyed the 2014 bestseller Do No Harm by the brain surgeon Henry Marsh, a friend of Westaby’s, will relish Fragile Lives, too. Each story is gripping, written in a vivid, almost brutal way that matches the blood and gore of cardiac surgery.’ – Financial Times
What listeners say about The Knife’s Edge
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tom Hanna
- 09-10-20
An insight on the 'sharp end" of our NHS.
A "no holds barred" book written by an eminent heart surgeo. The book is written in such a style that medical terms are kept to a minimum, making the a perfect read for all. It is a book that must be read by medical practitioners, and management including those in Government. One point that he explains clearly is the beurocracy involved between staff and management which makes the system top-heavy. I can't wait to start reading another book by this great man!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S. J. Crabbe
- 25-01-21
Brilliant
Honest insightful and thought provoking memoir of a fantastic career.
listened to in only a couple of sittings.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M. Mcdermott
- 22-06-20
Superb!
One of the best books I've listened to.
Highly recommended to everyone, especially those delusional about how good the NHS really is.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Steve H
- 27-04-19
Very interesting book
Good listen, often went back a chapter as you need to have a good level of concentration.Really enjoyed it.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- silas
- 03-10-23
And again…!
All too often people write a bestseller and then quickly follow it up with a sequel that lacks the fundamental inspiration required, not Mr Westaby.
Again, compelling emotive stories balanced against philosophical reflections of a not-so-perfect man who made numerous contributions to modern healthcare and surgery.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 15-08-20
Makes you proud to be from Lincolnshire
Made me realise that as a Podiatrist I could have been a heart surgeon if I had less empathy... brilliant account and insight in to how a normal bloke can help change and improve a niche of surgery that saves so many lives nowadays from one of the worlds biggest killers. A normal bloke who used lateral thinking, courage, and a will to make a difference.. also a story of how the target and name and shame culture is strangulating progression in such an important field of surgery. A great read or listen I should say as gripping as any thriller ....
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Dina Nurzhanova
- 28-06-21
Excellent read
Loved the story line, this book is very educational and entertaining. The narrator is excellent
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- William 89
- 05-06-19
What could’ve been a good book let down by a monotone narrator
I was really looking forward to this book but sadly, I could not get into this book because the narrator was far too monotone and I fell asleep within two minutes as a result I asked for a refund.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- GMB
- 24-08-21
Mixed views
If you’re not in the business of surgery I’m sure that you’ll find this book fascinating. If you are, then the distinct lack of humility will probably annoy you immensely
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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- ChrisintheNorth
- 13-03-21
Tiring
I generally like this genre but this man’s self satisfied arrogance was really irritating. While I am sure the writer was a talented surgeon, a little more humility would have made this a more bearable read. The narrative was full of his self promoting exploits and detailed descriptions of surgery that only medically trained readers would truly appreciated.
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