Complications
by Atul Gawande · first published 2002
67% recommend33% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A surgeon's account of medicine as an imperfect science, covering trial and error, feedback loops, and error reduction. Engaging for anyone curious about medicine, including engineers who see parallels in their work.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
In gripping accounts of true cases, surgeon Atul Gawande explores the power and the limits of medicine, offering an unflinching view from the scalpel's edge. Complications lays bare a science not in its idealized form but as it actually is―uncertain, perplexing, and profoundly human.
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The book Complications, by Atul Gawande is a fantastic account of medicine as an imperfect science that I would recommend to anyone interested in the field. Things like this make me hopeful about perfecting medicine and surgery…
on “Autonomous Robot Surgeon Bests Humans” ↗…think they all address about how to at least attempt to eliminate some errors from any workflow. (Though, I may be biased with some background in the Pharmaceutical field.) I personally would recommend "Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science"[1] , mainly because I like that he briefly addresses how it's sometimes hard to quantify knowing that something will go wrong, and that you almost have to acquire…
on “The Checklist (2007)” ↗…reforming a system. Although, I'm not too sure it's necessary - I feel as though most staunch idealists get ignored when it comes time to actually make the decisions. I recommend checking out Gawande's Complications for anyone interested in more of his writing.
on “Getting There from Here - How should Obama reform health care? by Atul Gawande” ↗Atul Gawande talks about this a lot in "Complications" [1]. A great book about medical procedure, and specifically about the process of learning, trial and error and the whole feedback loop of working with disease. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Complications-Surgeons-Notes-Imperfec...
on “‘Superbug’ scourge spreads as U.S. fails to track rising human toll” ↗Complications by Atul Gawande
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗Non-fiction: * 'Better' by Atul Gawande (also his 'Complications' and of course 'The Checklist Manifesto') * 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' by Bill Bryson. Fiction: * 'Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders' by Neil Gaiman * 'The Name of the Wind' by…
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've read in the past year?” ↗+1 for the Checklist Manifesto. Gawande is an excellent writer. I liked his other books, particularly Complications (http://gawande.com/complications).
on “The Checklist (2007)” ↗Gawande's book on Checklists is excellent but I suspect more of an expansion of the NYR[1] article than a standalone work. (Offtopically, "Complications" is also worth a read.) [1] how do you abbreviate The New Yorker?
on “Using checklists for code review” ↗Yes, specialty hospital seems to be a great model. Atul Gawande talks a lot about this type of practice in his "Complications" book; a great read if you haven't seen it.
on “Man saves wife’s sight by 3D printing her brain tumor” ↗I've read most of Atul Gawande's books about the medical industry (Better, Complications, and The Checklist Manifesto) and I found the three of them extremely relevant to my career as a computer scientist. The latter book is by far his most famous, but IMHO the other two are much better.…
on “Surgeon Atul Gawande selected as CEO of new health care company from Amazon” ↗…Space Odyssey - The detailed story of the making of 2001: A Space Odyssey. If you're a fan of the movie, or of Stanley Kubrick and/or Arthur C. Clarke in general, you should read this. Atul Gawande - Complications - Fascinating look at life in the medical profession. Christina Thompson - Sea People - Detailed, well-researched history of Polynesian-Western contact and relations. As a New Zealander I was interested…
on “Ask HN: Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2019?” ↗And I'll add Atul Gawande's “Better” and “Complications” on general surgery in particular and medicine in general.
on “Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions” ↗I would also add Complications to that list. As a former life sciences researcher, I've loved everything that Atul Gawande has written.
on “Ask HN: Which book can attract anyone towards your field of study?” ↗Complications and Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. Made me appreciate modern medicine more. One other l book that shifted my thinking completely about AI and how far we are from AGI: A Brief History Of Intelligence by…
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗I read the book Complications by Atul Gawande a while back and it touched on this issue. He mentioned how a computer was more accurate at detecting heart attacks than an experience doctor. He also talked about how if the computer…
on “A.I. vs. M.D.” ↗