Better

This nonfiction book by a practicing surgeon explores the universal drive to do better and how doctors strive to close the gap between best intentions and best performance. Atul Gawande shares gripping stories from battlefield surgical tents in Iraq, to labor and delivery rooms in Boston, and even to a polio outbreak in India. He studies ethical dilemmas of doctors' participation in lethal injections and the influence of money on modern medicine. Gawande gives rare insight into the elements of success and underscores the importance of diligence and ingenuity.