Reviews
Would you like to review an app or book which may be of interest to Emphasis readers? Please contact media@phauk.org
This issue we review two very different books, which are both powerful in their own ways. This is going to hurt
By Adam Kay
This non-fiction book is a collection of diary entries written by Adam duri ng his medical training between 2004 and 2010. It’s absolute ly superb. I never imagined I would find anything other than a novel to be a page-turner, but this was exactly that. I thought about this book a lot and looked forward to going to bed so I could read it. Kay manages to mix heart-breaking memoirs from his time in obstetrics and gynaecology with laugh-out-loud humour and a wit that doesn’t get tiresome. He describes in intense deta il the horrors of childbirth, which is the only reason I didn’t give it a full five out of five. Personally, I found that a little off-putting! This is an important read for anyone with any kind of stake in the NHS – whether you’re a patient, an employee, or simply someone who makes National Insuranc e contributions. It shows the human side of a service that we simply could not live without. Kay is now a comedian, about as far from the NHS as you can get, and after reading this book it’s easy to see how he got there. His razor-sh arp humour offers light relief from the despair of some of the situations he describes, producing a truly unique book that is very hard to put down. Everyone shou ld read it.
Reviewed by Mary Ferguson
MARKS OUT OF 5?
4 .5
elp : F**k Anxiety Hardcore Self H
yone’s taste, ight not be to ever m It . ay yw an r ve nt co g men. And ok. Well, not its fro ch is basically youn bo hi is w ; th at re ed no m ig t ai n’ is ce it You ca ental health se from the audien h to talk about m on ac sp re re to a t es es rd ok ov ha e pr but it can be th es came round (one g when young men n two male relativ he w t en that is no bad thin cid t personal ac by e e coffee tabl ar ted talking abou st th d on an it up ft le it I’d ed s. ck any good issue both pi en talking. But is it rly 30s), and they m ea ts r ge he it ot e at th th s, c) 20 late scientifi which means ords on the spine, (although not very w f oo no e pr ar s; e ue er iss th y y et anxi restingl chapters are easy to read. The e front cover? (Inte ry th ve st is pa It t ly. ge al u tu yo once normalises ell, yes ac ns concepts well. It the bookshelf.) W ai pl on ex it it de d hi an d , ul to co you to relate s that can get onse to challenge are clear and easy sp es re l pl ca am gi ex lo e io th ys t, shor ts of useful l and ph riate psychologica ychobabble, but lo ps op pr no ap is e an er as Th y . et at with young anxi ith th students and also s at how to deal w ith ok w lo g d in tt an , se nd ty ha rsi of out a unive this book is websites. I work in ok. But be warned: to bo ks is lin th d ng an di es en cis m exer com don’t mind the tice, and I will be re r. However, if you ac ve pr co te nt iva fro pr e in th e le peop bold insid aling with anxiety. it even says that in a useful tool for de be d not for ever yone, ul co it n tio Americanisa apist expletives and the and Outdoor Ther
By Robert Duff
r Thélier, Counsello Reviewed by Elaine
AUTUMN 2019 emphasis 48
? MARKS OUT OF 5
4
AUTUMN 2019 emphasis 31 15
