May 2004 Recommended Reading:
The following is the first of a series of recommended reading articles to appear in BWH Nurse. This month’s entry was submitted by Sheila Driscoll, RN, nurse manager, 9AB. Email bwhnurse@partners.org with your recommendations.
“Anatomy of Hope, How People Prevail in the Face of Illness” by Jerome Groopman, MD
This is a book I would recommend for your "summer" reading list. Although the title sounds daunting, it reads very easily. Many may know Jerome Groopman, MD for his medical science articles in The New Yorker magazine or as author of "The Measure of Our Days" and "Second Opinions," which inspired the television series Gideon's Crossing. In this his most recent book, Groopman takes us on a very personal journey of discovery in the power of hope and its impact on healing.
Each chapter builds on the last from describing his early days as a young observer of patients and doctors, to his present day practice incorporating hope into treatment plans. Groopman answers many questions about believing and nourishing the hope of patients and changing the course of illness and physical well being.
What I especially enjoyed reading were the real patient stories and how this physician struggled in search for the essence of hope in each person. Groopman's deep and compelling committment to help patients is encouraging and educational. I hope those who read this book are as inspired as I was. There are many wonderful statements in the book about hope. Some I took the time to write on a small index card. One of which includes: "To hope under the most extreme circumstances is an act of defiance that permits a person to live her life on her own terms. It is the part of the human spirit to endure and give a miracle a chance to happen."
-Sheila Driscoll