Reviews
"Dr. Chen, a surgeon specializing in liver transplants, is her own patient in Final Exam, a series of thoughtful, moving essays on the troubled relationship between modern medical practice and the emotional events surrounding death. . . . Dr. Chen vividly conveys the fears and anxieties of medical training, as well as its pleasures. . . . Her most hopeful argument is herself: a doctor open to confronting her own fears and doubts, and willing to prepare her patients for the final exam." -The New York Times "Chen writes with immaculately honed prose and moral passion as she recounts her quest to overcome 'lessons in denial and depersonalization,' vividly evoking the paradoxes of end-of-life care in an age of life-preserving treatments." -Publishers Weekly "Chen has a clear and unwavering eye for exposing the reality behind the mythology of medical training. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." -San Francisco Chronicle "By sharing stories of her own maturation into a healer as well as a technically skilled doctor, Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels." -Los Angeles Times "Final Exam is a revealing and heartfelt book. Pauline Chen takes us where few do-inside the feeling of practicing surgery, with its doubts, failures, and triumphs. Her tales are also uncommonly moving, most especially when contemplating death and our difficulties as doctors and patients in coming to grips with it." -Atul Gawande, author of Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science "Chen has a clear and unwavering eye. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." -San Francisco Chronicle "Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels. . . . [She] deserves high kudos for candor and compassion." -Los Angeles Times Book Review "Chen . . . uses words with a sugeon's precision, courageously confonting difficult subject matter with stunning results. She aces this 'Final Exam.'" -New York Post "Restrained but impassioned prose." -Elle "[A] compassionate, compelling memoir." -People "Truly engaging." -Time Out Chicago "A graceful, precise, and empathetic writer enthralled by her work, Chen imparts much about medical schooling and surgery, too." Booklist "This well-written, thoughtful, and engaging books is highly recommended." Library Journal "Chen writes with tenderness and clarity, as if sharing her most intimate thoughts and concerns with a close friend or sister. . . . Chen's deep compassion and humanity shine in this narrative. Her devotion to patients as well as her honesty about life and death issues makes this a compelling read." -Rocky Mountain News "This is an affecting, convincing look at the questions of death from a physician's point of viewpresented with honesty." -Desert Morning News "Remarkable . . . a strongly written memoir filled with emotion." -Columbus Dispatch "A fascinating, compelling work." -Journal Inquirer From the Hardcover edition., "Dr. Chen, a surgeon specializing in liver transplants, is her own patient inFinal Exam, a series of thoughtful, moving essays on the troubled relationship between modern medical practice and the emotional events surrounding death. . . . Dr. Chen vividly conveys the fears and anxieties of medical training, as well as its pleasures. . . . Her most hopeful argument is herself: a doctor open to confronting her own fears and doubts, and willing to prepare her patients for the final exam." -The New York Times "Chen writes with immaculately honed prose and moral passion as she recounts her quest to overcome 'lessons in denial and depersonalization,' vividly evoking the paradoxes of end-of-life care in an age of life-preserving treatments." -Publishers Weekly "Chen has a clear and unwavering eye for exposing the reality behind the mythology of medical training. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." -San Francisco Chronicle "By sharing stories of her own maturation into a healer as well as a technically skilled doctor, Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels." -Los Angeles Times "Final Examis a revealing and heartfelt book. Pauline Chen takes us where few do-inside the feeling of practicing surgery, with its doubts, failures, and triumphs. Her tales are also uncommonly moving, most especially when contemplating death and our difficulties as doctors and patients in coming to grips with it." -Atul Gawande, author ofComplications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science "Chen has a clear and unwavering eye. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." -San Francisco Chronicle "Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels. . . . [She] deserves high kudos for candor and compassion." -Los Angeles Times Book Review "Chen . . . uses words with a sugeon's precision, courageously confonting difficult subject matter with stunning results. She aces this 'Final Exam.'" -New York Post "Restrained but impassioned prose." -Elle "[A] compassionate, compelling memoir." -People "Truly engaging." -Time Out Chicago "A graceful, precise, and empathetic writer enthralled by her work, Chen imparts much about medical schooling and surgery, too." Booklist "This well-written, thoughtful, and engaging books is highly recommended." Library Journal "Chen writes with tenderness and clarity, as if sharing her most intimate thoughts and concerns with a close friend or sister. . . . Chen's deep compassion and humanity shine in this narrative. Her devotion to patients as well as her honesty about life and death issues makes this a compelling read." -Rocky Mountain News "This is an affecting, convincing look at the questions of death from a physician's point of viewpresented with honesty." -Desert Morning News "Remarkable . . . a strongly written memoir filled with emotion." -Columbus Dispatch "A fascinating, compelling work." -Journal Inquirer, "Dr. Chen, a surgeon specializing in liver transplants, is her own patient in Final Exam , a series of thoughtful, moving essays on the troubled relationship between modern medical practice and the emotional events surrounding death. . . . Dr. Chen vividly conveys the fears and anxieties of medical training, as well as its pleasures. . . . Her most hopeful argument is herself: a doctor open to confronting her own fears and doubts, and willing to prepare her patients for the final exam." - The New York Times "Chen writes with immaculately honed prose and moral passion as she recounts her quest to overcome 'lessons in denial and depersonalization,' vividly evoking the paradoxes of end-of-life care in an age of life-preserving treatments." - Publishers Weekly "Chen has a clear and unwavering eye for exposing the reality behind the mythology of medical training. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." - San Francisco Chronicle "By sharing stories of her own maturation into a healer as well as a technically skilled doctor, Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels." - Los Angeles Times " Final Exam is a revealing and heartfelt book. Pauline Chen takes us where few do-inside the feeling of practicing surgery, with its doubts, failures, and triumphs. Her tales are also uncommonly moving, most especially when contemplating death and our difficulties as doctors and patients in coming to grips with it." -Atul Gawande, author of Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science "Chen has a clear and unwavering eye. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." - San Francisco Chronicle "Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels. . . . [She] deserves high kudos for candor and compassion." - Los Angeles Times Book Review "Chen . . . uses words with a sugeon's precision, courageously confonting difficult subject matter with stunning results. She aces this 'Final Exam.'" - New York Post "Restrained but impassioned prose." - Elle "[A] compassionate, compelling memoir." - People "Truly engaging." - Time Out Chicago "A graceful, precise, and empathetic writer enthralled by her work, Chen imparts much about medical schooling and surgery, too." Booklist "This well-written, thoughtful, and engaging books is highly recommended." Library Journal "Chen writes with tenderness and clarity, as if sharing her most intimate thoughts and concerns with a close friend or sister. . . . Chen's deep compassion and humanity shine in this narrative. Her devotion to patients as well as her honesty about life and death issues makes this a compelling read." - Rocky Mountain News "This is an affecting, convincing look at the questions of death from a physician's point of viewpresented with honesty." - Desert Morning News "Remarkable . . . a strongly written memoir filled with emotion." - Columbus Dispatch "A fascinating, compelling work." - Journal Inquirer, "Dr. Chen, a surgeon specializing in liver transplants, is her own patient in "Final Exam", a series of thoughtful, moving essays on the troubled relationship between modern medical practice and the emotional events surrounding death. . . . Dr. Chen vividly conveys the fears and anxieties of medical training, as well as its pleasures. . . . Her most hopeful argument is herself: a doctor open to confronting her own fears and doubts, and willing to prepare her patients for the final exam." --"The New York Times ""Chen writes with immaculately honed prose and moral passion as she recounts her quest to overcome 'lessons in denial and depersonalization, ' vividly evoking the paradoxes of end-of-life care in an age of life-preserving treatments." --"Publishers Weekly " "Chen has a clear and unwavering eye for exposing the reality behind the mythology of medical training. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." --"San Francisco Chronicle " "By sharing stories of her own maturation into a healer as well as a technically skilled doctor, Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels." --"Los Angeles Times " ""Final Exam "is a revealing and heartfelt book. Pauline Chen takes us where few do--inside the feeling of practicing surgery, with its doubts, failures, and triumphs. Her tales are alsouncommonly moving, most especially when contemplating death and our difficulties as doctors and patients in coming to grips with it." --Atul Gawande, author of "Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science" "Chen has a clear and unwavering eye. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." --"San Francisco Chronicle " "Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels. . . . [She] deserves high kudos for candor and compassion." --"Los Angeles Times Book Review ""Chen . . . uses words with a sugeon's precision, courageously confonting difficult subject matter with stunning results. She aces this 'Final Exam.'" --"New York Post " "Restrained but impassioned prose." --"Elle " "[A] compassionate, compelling memoir." --"People " "Truly engaging." --"Time Out Chicago ""A graceful, precise, and empathetic writer enthralled by her work, Chen imparts much about medical schooling and surgery, too." -"Booklist " "This well-written, thoughtful, and engaging books is highly recommended." -"LibraryJournal " "Chen writes with tenderness and clarity, as if sharing her most intimate thoughts and concerns with a close friend or sister. . . . Chen's deep compassion and humanity shine in this narrative. Her devotion to patients as well as her honesty about life and death issues makes this a compelling read." --"Rocky Mountain News " "This is an affecting, convincing look at the questions of death from a physician's point of view-presented with honesty." --"Desert Morning News ""Remarkable . . . a strongly written memoir filled with emotion." --"Columbus Dispatch " "A fascinating, compelling work." --"Journal Inquirer ", " Dr. Chen, a surgeon specializing in liver transplants, is her own patient in "Final Exam," a series of thoughtful, moving essays on the troubled relationship between modern medical practice and the emotional events surrounding death. . . . Dr. Chen vividly conveys the fears and anxieties of medical training, as well as its pleasures. . . . Her most hopeful argument is herself: a doctor open to confronting her own fears and doubts, and willing to prepare her patients for the final exam." -- "The New York Times "" Chen writes with immaculately honed prose and moral passion as she recounts her quest to overcome ' lessons in denial and depersonalization, ' vividly evoking the paradoxes of end-of-life care in an age of life-preserving treatments." -- "Publishers Weekly " " Chen has a clear and unwavering eye for exposing the reality behind the mythology of medical training. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." -- "San Francisco Chronicle " " By sharing stories of her own maturation into a healer as well as a technically skilled doctor, Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels." -- "Los Angeles Times " " "Final Exam "is a revealing and heartfelt book. Pauline Chen takes us where few do-- inside the feeling of practicing surgery, with its doubts, failures, and triumphs. Her tales are also uncommonly moving, most especially when contemplating death and our difficulties as doctors and patients in coming to grips with it." -- Atul Gawande, author of "Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on anImperfect Science" " Chen has a clear and unwavering eye. . . . We would all do well to listen to what she has to say." -- "San Francisco Chronicle " " Chen in this fresh and honest memoir engages and educates on many levels. . . . [She] deserves high kudos for candor and compassion." -- "Los Angeles Times Book Review "" Chen . . . uses words with a sugeon's precision, courageously confonting difficult subject matter with stunning results. She aces this ' Final Exam.' " -- "New York Post " " Restrained but impassioned prose." -- "Elle " " [A] compassionate, compelling memoir." -- "People " " Truly engaging." -- "Time Out Chicago "" A graceful, precise, and empathetic writer enthralled by her work, Chen imparts much about medical schooling and surgery, too." - "Booklist " " This well-written, thoughtful, and engaging books is highly recommended." - "Library Journal " " Chen writes with tenderness and clarity, as if sharing her most intimate thoughts and concerns with a close friend or sister. . . . Chen's deep compassion and humanity shine in this narrative. Her devotion to patients as well as her honesty about life and death issues makes this a compelling read." -- "Rocky Mountain News " " This is an affecting, convincing look at the questions of death from a physician's point of view- presented with honesty." -- "Desert Morning News "" Remarkable . . . a strongly writtenmemoir filled with emotion." -- "Columbus Dispatch " " A fascinating, compelling work." -- "Journal Inquirer ", " FINAL EXAM is a revealing and heartfelt book. Pauline Chen takes us where few do- inside the feeling of practicing surgery, with its doubts, failures, and triumphs. Her tales are also uncommonly moving, most especially when contemplating death and our difficulties as doctors and patients in coming to grips with it." --Atul Gawande, "FINAL EXAM is a revealing and heartfelt book. Pauline Chen takes us where few do-inside the feeling of practicing surgery, with its doubts, failures, and triumphs. Her tales are also uncommonly moving, most especially when contemplating death and our difficulties as doctors and patients in coming to grips with it." --Atul Gawande
