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Spare Parts: The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant Surgery
Why did eighteenth-century dentists buy the live teeth of poor children?
And what role did a sausage skin and an enamel bath play in making kidney transplants a reality?
We think of transplant surgery as one of the medical wonders of the modern world. But transplant surgery is as ancient as the pyramids, with a history more surprising than we might expect. Paul Craddock takes us on a journey - from sixteenth-century skin grafting to contemporary stem cell transplants - uncovering stories of operations performed by unexpected people in unexpected places. Bringing together philosophy, science and cultural history, Spare Parts explores how transplant surgery constantly tested the boundaries between human, animal and machine, and continues to do so today.
Witty, entertaining and at times delightfully macabre, Spare Parts shows us that the history - and future - of transplant surgery is tied up with questions about not only who we are, but also what we are, and what we might become. . .
And what role did a sausage skin and an enamel bath play in making kidney transplants a reality?
We think of transplant surgery as one of the medical wonders of the modern world. But transplant surgery is as ancient as the pyramids, with a history more surprising than we might expect. Paul Craddock takes us on a journey - from sixteenth-century skin grafting to contemporary stem cell transplants - uncovering stories of operations performed by unexpected people in unexpected places. Bringing together philosophy, science and cultural history, Spare Parts explores how transplant surgery constantly tested the boundaries between human, animal and machine, and continues to do so today.
Witty, entertaining and at times delightfully macabre, Spare Parts shows us that the history - and future - of transplant surgery is tied up with questions about not only who we are, but also what we are, and what we might become. . .
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 26, 2021
About the author
Paul Craddock
6 books25 followersPAUL CRADDOCK is Honorary Senior Research Associate in the Division of Surgery and Interventional Sciences at UCL Medical School in London. His PhD explored how transplants have for centuries invited reflection on human identity, a subject on which he has also lectured internationally. Spare Parts is his first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
March 28, 2023
Eröffnet mitten in der operation, als ein spenderorgan (diese leblose graue Masse, wie Craddock es beschreibt) eingenäht wird. Klammern gelöst, die neue niere wird lebendig oder scheint es zu sein. Vor meinen augen entfernte der chirurg diese geräte und innerhalb von Sekunden verfärbte sich die Niere von grau zu rosa und dann fast rot“, schreibt Craddock.
Es schien, als wäre das Leben selbst vom körper eines mannes in den eines anderen übergegangen. Die operation wird als hochmodern beschrieben, doch Craddock, ein leitender wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter in der abteilung für chirurgie und interventionswissenschaften an der medizinischen Fakultät des University (London), macht sich daran, die alten wurzeln der transplantation aufzuzeigen.
Die transplantationschirurgie ist weit davon entfernt, ein ausschließlich modernes phänomen zu sein“, schreibt er, "mit einer überraschend langen und reichen Geschichte, die bis zu den Pyramiden zurückreicht.Und so begeben wir uns auf eine aufregende und oft erschreckende Reise durch die Transplantation und die theorien und techniken, die sie möglich gemacht haben. Es beginnt im Italien der Renaissance, wo der Vorstoß zur nasenkorrektur nicht von königen kam, sondern von der allgemeinen bevölkerung, die hauttransplantationen lange vor der europäischen Ärzteschaft perfektioniert hatte – so wie sie war.
(Dieushruta Samhita“, ein Sanskrit-Text aus dem Jahr 500 v. Chr., den Craddock zitiert, beschrieb hauttransplantationen neben hunderten anderer operationen.) Craddocks verlockende eingangsbehauptung lautet, dass die Spezialisten des späten 16 lernte einen weg, haut von einem arm auf eine nase zu transplantieren, um nasenbrückeneinbrüche zu maskieren, die durch syphilis oder verstümmelungen durch duelle verursacht wurden, beides üblich. In Italien hatte sich die hauttransplantation zu einem bäuerlichen betrieb entwickelt, der kulturell und technisch mit dem bäuerlichen verfahren der pflanzenveredelung verbunden war. Alles ist dunkel, aber interessant. Gewöhnlich für kreig.
---
Opened mid-surgery when a donor organ (that lifeless gray mass, as Craddock describes it) is sewn in. Clamps released, a new kidney comes alive---or appears to be alive. In front of my eyes, the surgeon removed these devices and within seconds the kidney transformed from gray to pink and then almost bright red, writes Craddock.
It seemed as if life itself had passed from one man's body to another. The operation is described as cutting edge, but Craddock---a senior research fellow in the Department of Surgery andInterventional Sciences at the University of Medicine---uncovers the ancient roots of transplantation.
Transplant surgery is is historically broad (Dieushruta Samhita," a 500 BCE Sanskrit text" cited by Craddock, described skin grafting among hundreds of other operations.) And so we start together on this often frightening journey through transplantation and the theories and techniques making it feasible. It begins in Renaissance Italy, where the push for rhinoplasty came not from royalty, but from the general populace, who had perfected skin grafts long before the European medical profession—as they were.
Craddock's tantalizing opening claim is that the late 16th-century specialists learned a way of removing skin from an arm transplanting a nose to mask nasal bridge collapses caused by syphilis or mutilations from dueling, both common. In Italy, skin grafting had developed into a peasant practice, culturally and technically linked to the (peasant) practice of plant grafting. Everything is dark but interesting. Many afflictions---requiring surgery--- plaguing a vulnerable population mostly unaware of the actions taken that were/are fatally damaging to the body, mind and spirit.
Es schien, als wäre das Leben selbst vom körper eines mannes in den eines anderen übergegangen. Die operation wird als hochmodern beschrieben, doch Craddock, ein leitender wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter in der abteilung für chirurgie und interventionswissenschaften an der medizinischen Fakultät des University (London), macht sich daran, die alten wurzeln der transplantation aufzuzeigen.
Die transplantationschirurgie ist weit davon entfernt, ein ausschließlich modernes phänomen zu sein“, schreibt er, "mit einer überraschend langen und reichen Geschichte, die bis zu den Pyramiden zurückreicht.Und so begeben wir uns auf eine aufregende und oft erschreckende Reise durch die Transplantation und die theorien und techniken, die sie möglich gemacht haben. Es beginnt im Italien der Renaissance, wo der Vorstoß zur nasenkorrektur nicht von königen kam, sondern von der allgemeinen bevölkerung, die hauttransplantationen lange vor der europäischen Ärzteschaft perfektioniert hatte – so wie sie war.
(Dieushruta Samhita“, ein Sanskrit-Text aus dem Jahr 500 v. Chr., den Craddock zitiert, beschrieb hauttransplantationen neben hunderten anderer operationen.) Craddocks verlockende eingangsbehauptung lautet, dass die Spezialisten des späten 16 lernte einen weg, haut von einem arm auf eine nase zu transplantieren, um nasenbrückeneinbrüche zu maskieren, die durch syphilis oder verstümmelungen durch duelle verursacht wurden, beides üblich. In Italien hatte sich die hauttransplantation zu einem bäuerlichen betrieb entwickelt, der kulturell und technisch mit dem bäuerlichen verfahren der pflanzenveredelung verbunden war. Alles ist dunkel, aber interessant. Gewöhnlich für kreig.
---
Opened mid-surgery when a donor organ (that lifeless gray mass, as Craddock describes it) is sewn in. Clamps released, a new kidney comes alive---or appears to be alive. In front of my eyes, the surgeon removed these devices and within seconds the kidney transformed from gray to pink and then almost bright red, writes Craddock.
It seemed as if life itself had passed from one man's body to another. The operation is described as cutting edge, but Craddock---a senior research fellow in the Department of Surgery andInterventional Sciences at the University of Medicine---uncovers the ancient roots of transplantation.
Transplant surgery is is historically broad (Dieushruta Samhita," a 500 BCE Sanskrit text" cited by Craddock, described skin grafting among hundreds of other operations.) And so we start together on this often frightening journey through transplantation and the theories and techniques making it feasible. It begins in Renaissance Italy, where the push for rhinoplasty came not from royalty, but from the general populace, who had perfected skin grafts long before the European medical profession—as they were.
Craddock's tantalizing opening claim is that the late 16th-century specialists learned a way of removing skin from an arm transplanting a nose to mask nasal bridge collapses caused by syphilis or mutilations from dueling, both common. In Italy, skin grafting had developed into a peasant practice, culturally and technically linked to the (peasant) practice of plant grafting. Everything is dark but interesting. Many afflictions---requiring surgery--- plaguing a vulnerable population mostly unaware of the actions taken that were/are fatally damaging to the body, mind and spirit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2022
I didn't expect much from this honestly, but it was super interesting! It kept my attention easily. Even though it is about medical history, it isn't hard for a person who has no medical background to understand. My second grade read some of it, and it ended up sparking a big interest in human anatomy. Slightly disturbing practices in the past as we all know, but all around a really neat read!
June 11, 2022
Spare Parts is an entertaining and highly informative overview of the history of man’s search for the ability to fix human bodies through transplanting healthy or man made parts for ones either lost or damaged. Surprisingly, to me, “medical” thinkers have been musing on this for millennia, since the days of the Greeks.
Craddock is a skilled writer, combining medical history, history, knowledge of medicine, and some good awareness of psychology along with a sharp wit in telling the tale, covering especially the past five centuries of transplant “thoughts” among the medical folk or those who were the nearest at the time, i.e. barbers. Among the facts that struck me: among the major needs of some men of the 17th century were replacements or substitutes for noses and ears lost in duels. There was a segment of society that could not easily appear in public because of their disfiguring injuries though they were still healthy.
But at the time the notions of what could be done to or for the human body were still caught up up in bloodletting. Those with imagination began to experiment in strange ways with animals. Then there were the many decades of teeth transplants! Craddock takes the story up to the present, with a sneak peak at what the future may hold. Along the way, he has also discussed the philosophical and religious implications of all of these developments.
Definitely a recommended book. It is an accessible read…you do not need advanced degrees to follow the story. There are useful illustrations, footnotes and full bibliography.
A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Craddock is a skilled writer, combining medical history, history, knowledge of medicine, and some good awareness of psychology along with a sharp wit in telling the tale, covering especially the past five centuries of transplant “thoughts” among the medical folk or those who were the nearest at the time, i.e. barbers. Among the facts that struck me: among the major needs of some men of the 17th century were replacements or substitutes for noses and ears lost in duels. There was a segment of society that could not easily appear in public because of their disfiguring injuries though they were still healthy.
But at the time the notions of what could be done to or for the human body were still caught up up in bloodletting. Those with imagination began to experiment in strange ways with animals. Then there were the many decades of teeth transplants! Craddock takes the story up to the present, with a sneak peak at what the future may hold. Along the way, he has also discussed the philosophical and religious implications of all of these developments.
Definitely a recommended book. It is an accessible read…you do not need advanced degrees to follow the story. There are useful illustrations, footnotes and full bibliography.
A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
November 7, 2021
Really informative, interesting and engrossing history of transplants, from early attempts at blood transfusion and skin grafts to recent face transplants and what might be possible in the futre. I learnt so much, not just about transplants, but about the ways humans have regarded bodies through the years. Plus, it was very useful research for the novel I'm currently writing.
August 15, 2022
By turns delightful and disturbing, even the most seasoned of medical history buffs will be astonished by Spare Parts. A thoroughly engrossing read that I couldn't put down. If you like my books, you'll love this one.
May 4, 2022
Incredible and engaging history of transplants.
May 11, 2022
Do you know about transplant surgeries of the past? And how and where it all started? And have you heard about Waterloo teeth, skin grafts for the nose and the birth of blood transfusions and dialysis. If not, then you’re in for a treat. And did I mention the unique photos?!
I love the cover and loved the history of transplants. The subject matter held my attention and I learned a few things, not all good.
Things to look up about:
• Barber Poles
• Tooth worms
• Vitalism
This just scratched the surface on this fascinating topic but throughly entertaining. I highly recommend it.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.
I love the cover and loved the history of transplants. The subject matter held my attention and I learned a few things, not all good.
Things to look up about:
• Barber Poles
• Tooth worms
• Vitalism
This just scratched the surface on this fascinating topic but throughly entertaining. I highly recommend it.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.
June 13, 2022
Rating 4
“Paul Craddock's Spare Parts offers an original look at the history of medicine itself through the rich, compelling, and delightfully macabre story of transplant surgery from ancient times to the present day.”
Woah, this nonfiction book was so incredibly interesting! It was well written and extremely informative without being dry and uninteresting. While reading I had to constantly remind myself that it was nonfiction because it was written like a story. It held my interest throughout and I loved the addition of the photographs. I am a visual learner and that helped keep me engaged throughout the book. I love finishing a book and being happy knowing that I learned new things. As soon as I finished I immediately went to go share or maybe show off my new knowledge to my fiance. He found it interesting and he is now going to read it!
I highly recommend this one if you're looking for something informative while still being entertaining.
Thank you so much @stmartinspress for the #gifted arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
“Paul Craddock's Spare Parts offers an original look at the history of medicine itself through the rich, compelling, and delightfully macabre story of transplant surgery from ancient times to the present day.”
Woah, this nonfiction book was so incredibly interesting! It was well written and extremely informative without being dry and uninteresting. While reading I had to constantly remind myself that it was nonfiction because it was written like a story. It held my interest throughout and I loved the addition of the photographs. I am a visual learner and that helped keep me engaged throughout the book. I love finishing a book and being happy knowing that I learned new things. As soon as I finished I immediately went to go share or maybe show off my new knowledge to my fiance. He found it interesting and he is now going to read it!
I highly recommend this one if you're looking for something informative while still being entertaining.
Thank you so much @stmartinspress for the #gifted arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 13, 2022
I didn’t think I would really like this book as much as I did, it even made me cry. Just thinking that if it wasn’t for Willem Johan Kolff who started dialysis for kidney and artificial heart, I wouldn’t have known my grandad. Paul Craddock, the author, wrote that even the Layman could understand it. He even narrates his own book which I loved. I have learned a lot about transplants then I knew that was out there. Spare Parts has me wanting to read more about
medical history and where it started.
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for letting me review this book.
medical history and where it started.
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for letting me review this book.
February 1, 2024
This was not what I expected. And I don't mean that in a good way.
I thought Spare Parts was going to be about how far transplant surgery has come since medieval times or however long ago it started.
I was prepared to read about creepy, gruesome surgeries and hack jobs and whatnot.
Instead, this was mostly a narrative based on warring doctors and scientists; rivals with opposing religious and political ideologies; Galen obsessed men bumping chests against men not obsessed with Galen.
That's not to say I didn't learn a few things; most important, in my opinion, was how one surgeon perfected his stitching skills with a needle and thread thanks to a woman of immense talent, a master weaver, so to speak.
Naturally, her name and contribution to transplant surgery is forgotten and unknown.
The narrative was short, but dry, dense and boring as heck so it felt like a much looonnnnggger read.
This read like a textbook and I read for fun.
This was not a fun read.
I thought Spare Parts was going to be about how far transplant surgery has come since medieval times or however long ago it started.
I was prepared to read about creepy, gruesome surgeries and hack jobs and whatnot.
Instead, this was mostly a narrative based on warring doctors and scientists; rivals with opposing religious and political ideologies; Galen obsessed men bumping chests against men not obsessed with Galen.
That's not to say I didn't learn a few things; most important, in my opinion, was how one surgeon perfected his stitching skills with a needle and thread thanks to a woman of immense talent, a master weaver, so to speak.
Naturally, her name and contribution to transplant surgery is forgotten and unknown.
The narrative was short, but dry, dense and boring as heck so it felt like a much looonnnnggger read.
This read like a textbook and I read for fun.
This was not a fun read.
April 13, 2022
This is a fascinating history of transplants and their possible future, grown to order. It is interesting that it starts with skin transplants, moving a persons skin to repair a nose or ear lost to war or dueling. This history includes Russian two-headed dogs, illegal kidney transplants, and the awkward progress toward understanding the realities of blood transfusion and immune system response including twins, heterogenous transplants from other species, and a surprisingly small pool of 20th Century actors such as:
* perfusion innovator and aviator Charles Lindbergh
* Nobel Prize winning scientist Alexis Carrel
* Willem Kolff: pioneer of hemodialysis, artificial heart, as well as in the entire field of artificial organs
* perfusion innovator and aviator Charles Lindbergh
* Nobel Prize winning scientist Alexis Carrel
* Willem Kolff: pioneer of hemodialysis, artificial heart, as well as in the entire field of artificial organs
April 29, 2022
I really enjoyed this book that walks us through the past of early medicine to transplants as they are today. I often was reminded of Sawbones. We believed a lot of weird things! This is written expertly, but it also has a lot of humor. I really enjoyed the figures thrown in. One of my favorites has to be the one with the descriptor "Two men attempting to resuscitates a drowned woman by blowing into her anus."
I am in the medical field, but I really don't think you have to have any background in medicine to enjoy this book. Very little of this was part of any training I had. I certainly never learned about transfusions between different animals, for example.
This is definitely a 5 star read for me, and also a very quick read. Thank you netgalley and St. Martin's press for giving me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am in the medical field, but I really don't think you have to have any background in medicine to enjoy this book. Very little of this was part of any training I had. I certainly never learned about transfusions between different animals, for example.
This is definitely a 5 star read for me, and also a very quick read. Thank you netgalley and St. Martin's press for giving me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2022
An enjoyable book, if not quite what I was hoping for.
The subtitle of this book, "The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant Surgery," is a little ambitious and ultimately the reason I was a little let down. The book starts with very early skin grafts, spends a good amount of time following the improvement in the technique from the 1500s to the 1700s, briefly detours into tooth "transplants," before finally and all-too-briefly discussing the origins of kidney and heart transplants.
There was a strong focus on the scientific and religious philosophies underlying the experiments and the sense of self. While I found them interesting, and can certainly see how they shaped medical experimentation, there was a much bigger focus on them and a smaller focus on actual transplant surgeries than I expected.
Many of the critical breakthroughs in the history of surgery in general, and transplant surgery in particular, were glossed over. Anesthesia and antiseptic technique get half a sentence each (I recommend Lindsey Fitzharris' The Butchering Art for a deeper dive into the latter). The discovery and naming of cyclosporine was fascinating, but what about the other immunosuppressants commonly used? Heart-lung bypass machines are described, but there is no mention of modern uses or ECMO. The only whole organs discussed are kidneys and lungs - what about liver, pancreas, small intestine, lungs, uterus, corneas, hematopoietic stem cells? For that matter, fecal transplants (if teeth got their own chapter, this could've gotten a passing mention as something that's actually curative). Dialysis and mechanical hearts are discussed, but not MARS or artificial pancreases or other examples of attempting to replicate an organ's function.
The last section on future directions includes some promising areas - 3D printing, decellularization, etc. but misses so many others - those listed above, along with xenotransplantation which was just done successfully (...temporarily) for the first time and holds great promise.
Overall, I did enjoy reading the book, and I learned some things I didn't already know. But the subtitle seems to promise one thing while the book itself is something else entirely, leading to my disappointed expectations. Had I known it was a history of various schools of thought, rather than of transplant surgery itself, I might have felt differently.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
The subtitle of this book, "The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant Surgery," is a little ambitious and ultimately the reason I was a little let down. The book starts with very early skin grafts, spends a good amount of time following the improvement in the technique from the 1500s to the 1700s, briefly detours into tooth "transplants," before finally and all-too-briefly discussing the origins of kidney and heart transplants.
There was a strong focus on the scientific and religious philosophies underlying the experiments and the sense of self. While I found them interesting, and can certainly see how they shaped medical experimentation, there was a much bigger focus on them and a smaller focus on actual transplant surgeries than I expected.
Many of the critical breakthroughs in the history of surgery in general, and transplant surgery in particular, were glossed over. Anesthesia and antiseptic technique get half a sentence each (I recommend Lindsey Fitzharris' The Butchering Art for a deeper dive into the latter). The discovery and naming of cyclosporine was fascinating, but what about the other immunosuppressants commonly used? Heart-lung bypass machines are described, but there is no mention of modern uses or ECMO. The only whole organs discussed are kidneys and lungs - what about liver, pancreas, small intestine, lungs, uterus, corneas, hematopoietic stem cells? For that matter, fecal transplants (if teeth got their own chapter, this could've gotten a passing mention as something that's actually curative). Dialysis and mechanical hearts are discussed, but not MARS or artificial pancreases or other examples of attempting to replicate an organ's function.
The last section on future directions includes some promising areas - 3D printing, decellularization, etc. but misses so many others - those listed above, along with xenotransplantation which was just done successfully (...temporarily) for the first time and holds great promise.
Overall, I did enjoy reading the book, and I learned some things I didn't already know. But the subtitle seems to promise one thing while the book itself is something else entirely, leading to my disappointed expectations. Had I known it was a history of various schools of thought, rather than of transplant surgery itself, I might have felt differently.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
March 21, 2022
A wonderful book with much of the history of medicine. An account of the weird and wonderful. Includes the city where no-one has a nose, Sir Christopher Wren gets some dogs high, the marvel of the mechanical defaecating duck, a saint who worries about scratching his itches in heaven and the company that asks employees to bring some soil back from their holidays.
March 15, 2022
This was a fascinating read. You don't have to have a medical background to enjoy this book. The history and progression is intriguing. Believe it or not some of the book will make you laugh. I have always enjoyed books on medicine and this one fit the bill. Some of the descriptions are graphic in nature and will certainly make you glad you weren't born then. It's really a good read. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the book to read and review.
May 11, 2022
In all seriousness this book was fascinating! It answers such questions as:
“How did an architect help pioneer blood transfusion in the 1660's?
Why did eighteenth-century dentists buy the live teeth of poor children?
And what role did a sausage skin and an enamel bath play in making kidney transplants a reality?”
An impressive amount of research went into this book. Craddock delves into the science, sociology and religion behind medicine and transplants. You don’t need any sort of medical background to enjoy and understand this book. Craddock makes the information accessible for everyone without feeling like anything is watered down.
It amazed me how far we have come since the middle ages, with most of the advances happening in the not so distant past. There is a good deal of humor injected into the text, which makes sense considering some of the absurd beliefs that were held regarding the human body. For example, attempting to resuscitate a drowned person by blowing air or smoke into his/her anus in hopes that this would animate his/her “vital principle”.
One of the most interesting sections is the future of transplantation, which includes a 3D-printed material known as bioglass that can be used to encourage bone growth. Scientists have even seeded a spinach leaf with human heart cells through a process called decellularization. The scaffolding of plant vascular systems are remarkably similar to our own. How amazing!
The toughest part about the book is all of the animal experimentation and vivisection that is discussed. None of it was a surprise to me, especially since I briefly worked in lab animal research, but it may upset some readers.
“How did an architect help pioneer blood transfusion in the 1660's?
Why did eighteenth-century dentists buy the live teeth of poor children?
And what role did a sausage skin and an enamel bath play in making kidney transplants a reality?”
An impressive amount of research went into this book. Craddock delves into the science, sociology and religion behind medicine and transplants. You don’t need any sort of medical background to enjoy and understand this book. Craddock makes the information accessible for everyone without feeling like anything is watered down.
It amazed me how far we have come since the middle ages, with most of the advances happening in the not so distant past. There is a good deal of humor injected into the text, which makes sense considering some of the absurd beliefs that were held regarding the human body. For example, attempting to resuscitate a drowned person by blowing air or smoke into his/her anus in hopes that this would animate his/her “vital principle”.
One of the most interesting sections is the future of transplantation, which includes a 3D-printed material known as bioglass that can be used to encourage bone growth. Scientists have even seeded a spinach leaf with human heart cells through a process called decellularization. The scaffolding of plant vascular systems are remarkably similar to our own. How amazing!
The toughest part about the book is all of the animal experimentation and vivisection that is discussed. None of it was a surprise to me, especially since I briefly worked in lab animal research, but it may upset some readers.
May 6, 2022
I have to admit, I was wary about this book. I normally don't make it very far into books on science before my eyes glazing over and I feel like I'm back in freshman year bio.
Well, I was dead wrong. I loved this book. Paul Craddock's Spare Parts is more than just a history of medicine. It's also part sociology, a little bit of religion, and not a small amount of comedy. The story chronicles all of the parts of science and medicine as they come together to finally bring us to present day (and possible future) transplants.
I can't stress how many tones Craddock balances throughout the book. He gives you just enough science to understand what is happening without overdoing it. He praises many of his characters without shying away from the fact that some of them were really bad people otherwise. (Doctors could be narcissists? Who knew?!) Craddock plays it right down the middle and it makes for an easy and very entertaining experience.
Oh, and the poor animals. If you are squeamish...well you might been in for a rough time. In the end, it's worth it, though.
Well, I was dead wrong. I loved this book. Paul Craddock's Spare Parts is more than just a history of medicine. It's also part sociology, a little bit of religion, and not a small amount of comedy. The story chronicles all of the parts of science and medicine as they come together to finally bring us to present day (and possible future) transplants.
I can't stress how many tones Craddock balances throughout the book. He gives you just enough science to understand what is happening without overdoing it. He praises many of his characters without shying away from the fact that some of them were really bad people otherwise. (Doctors could be narcissists? Who knew?!) Craddock plays it right down the middle and it makes for an easy and very entertaining experience.
Oh, and the poor animals. If you are squeamish...well you might been in for a rough time. In the end, it's worth it, though.
December 29, 2022
More of a general history of medicine in Europe that brings up transplant surgery every once in a while, rather the micro-history that I wanted on the topic. Granted, it focused much more on transplant surgery once we hit the 20th century and organ transplants, but the first part of the book was too meandering for my tastes.
Also, this focused almost exclusively on Europe with only a mention of Indian and Chinese sources at the very beginning of the book, and Japan being mentioned very briefly later on. I get that you want to focus your research on one area and that Western records on the topic are likely more plentiful and easier to access, I just wish that the author was more transparent about that fact.
Also, this focused almost exclusively on Europe with only a mention of Indian and Chinese sources at the very beginning of the book, and Japan being mentioned very briefly later on. I get that you want to focus your research on one area and that Western records on the topic are likely more plentiful and easier to access, I just wish that the author was more transparent about that fact.
January 22, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this!
This was an interesting look at the origins of transplants, with a nod to the ethics of such procedures. Broken down by body part, each section talks about the earliest attempts at transplant as well as the early successes. This was easy to follow and had a lot of information I wasn’t aware of.
This was an interesting look at the origins of transplants, with a nod to the ethics of such procedures. Broken down by body part, each section talks about the earliest attempts at transplant as well as the early successes. This was easy to follow and had a lot of information I wasn’t aware of.
March 16, 2023
Bless my morbid curiosity. This was a fun and interesting read.
March 7, 2024
I'm so glad I just happened to stumble upon this because it was fascinating and very accessible. I will say though that I was much more interested in the history in the pre 1900 sections than anything else.
June 21, 2024
A well written walk through the history of transplant, with important insight into the uncomfortable science of the past that led to the organ and tissue banking industry of today. A recommended read for anyone in the field.
January 14, 2023
I received and advanced copy of Spare Parts from the Publisher, St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review.
Spare Parts goes into the specifics of transplantation from a historical perspective. It provides incredible analysis and research on how transplant surgery has evolved over the past 500+ years. I am impressed with how detailed and organized this book is, and it was smart to break down the chapters both by time period and specific organ/body part, to show the progression over time. I found the beginning chapters a little slow and at times hard to follow, but once I got to the chapter on Teeth, I was hooked. I especially enjoyed the perspective on future transplantation innovations and the political/social implications of scientific revolutions.
Spare Parts goes into the specifics of transplantation from a historical perspective. It provides incredible analysis and research on how transplant surgery has evolved over the past 500+ years. I am impressed with how detailed and organized this book is, and it was smart to break down the chapters both by time period and specific organ/body part, to show the progression over time. I found the beginning chapters a little slow and at times hard to follow, but once I got to the chapter on Teeth, I was hooked. I especially enjoyed the perspective on future transplantation innovations and the political/social implications of scientific revolutions.
December 26, 2023
i didn’t love it, not because of the content itself, but because of the excess context that bogged down the actual material. once i got to the transplant histories themselves, it was fantastic. just a tough read for me personally due to the writing style and extra explanations for kind of tangential stuff
February 13, 2022
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very interesting read. Through the telling of the history of transplantation, it also provides a more general overview of medical history and views on the nature of health and illness through time and across cultures. This history is full of fascinating, and often flawed, figures making some questionable, and some inspired leaps in observation and creativity.
Understanding this history makes it possible to appreciate just how remarkable a technological achievement it is to be able to prolong life through organ and tissue transplantation.
The writing is accessible to readers without a strong background in biology or natural science, without feeling like it's "dumbed down." Overall, the tone is lively and conversational. Recommended for those interested in the topic.
This was a very interesting read. Through the telling of the history of transplantation, it also provides a more general overview of medical history and views on the nature of health and illness through time and across cultures. This history is full of fascinating, and often flawed, figures making some questionable, and some inspired leaps in observation and creativity.
Understanding this history makes it possible to appreciate just how remarkable a technological achievement it is to be able to prolong life through organ and tissue transplantation.
The writing is accessible to readers without a strong background in biology or natural science, without feeling like it's "dumbed down." Overall, the tone is lively and conversational. Recommended for those interested in the topic.
September 26, 2021
What a fascinating book. . . . it appeals to the layman as well as the professional fraternity and is erudite and, in some places, is very amusing and highly entertaining. The amount of research to back up and support this account over the centuries of transplant surgery, is impressive indeed.
July 29, 2023
This book takes a longitudinal, primarily though not exclusively Western-centric look at the history of talking things from one body and sticking them on or into another body. Which is pretty cool actually, because I hadn’t hitherto appreciated the line from skin grafts to tooth transplants to full organ transplants. There’s also some interesting looks at how Western philosophy and religion approaches these things—I definitely wouldn’t have imagined there was a period of time in which reputable people believed that a skin graft could muck up your chances of getting into heaven.
That said, there are two significant omissions in this book.
The first one, from a biological perspective, is that HLA groups aren’t even mentioned once. One of the reasons we can do transplants between people who aren’t related—and sometimes can’t between people who are—is the compatibility of the major histocompatibility complex, which basically boils down to “are your cells’ self-indicators similar enough to the donor’s that your immune system will be like 🤷 when the new tissue is introduced.” Obviously rejection is a risk and immunosuppressants are still necessary, but this is an important step of the process.
The other one, which is particularly concerning given what I’ve heard about omissions in British education, is that even though the book does call out instances of racism both in the Renaissance period and then in modern times, and classism in the Victorian era, and references to eugenics in the 20th century, slavery and colonialism are almost entirely absent. Dentures were not only made from animal teeth—there are two separate chapters where this is omitted—and then colonialism, which I find impossible to believe didn’t influence some of the thinkers in the 1850s, just shows up once in a reference to how the Dutch were impoverished postwar because also they lost their colonies. Since the author found the time to call out the above examples, and I’ve heard that British education glosses over these things (although they might emphasize how good they were for ending slavery on home soil without mentioning how they upheld it elsewhere, can’t recall), this stuck out to me.
Final thing, I skimmed and I don’t believe there are bonus tidbits in the notes.
That said, there are two significant omissions in this book.
The first one, from a biological perspective, is that HLA groups aren’t even mentioned once. One of the reasons we can do transplants between people who aren’t related—and sometimes can’t between people who are—is the compatibility of the major histocompatibility complex, which basically boils down to “are your cells’ self-indicators similar enough to the donor’s that your immune system will be like 🤷 when the new tissue is introduced.” Obviously rejection is a risk and immunosuppressants are still necessary, but this is an important step of the process.
The other one, which is particularly concerning given what I’ve heard about omissions in British education, is that even though the book does call out instances of racism both in the Renaissance period and then in modern times, and classism in the Victorian era, and references to eugenics in the 20th century, slavery and colonialism are almost entirely absent. Dentures were not only made from animal teeth—there are two separate chapters where this is omitted—and then colonialism, which I find impossible to believe didn’t influence some of the thinkers in the 1850s, just shows up once in a reference to how the Dutch were impoverished postwar because also they lost their colonies. Since the author found the time to call out the above examples, and I’ve heard that British education glosses over these things (although they might emphasize how good they were for ending slavery on home soil without mentioning how they upheld it elsewhere, can’t recall), this stuck out to me.
Final thing, I skimmed and I don’t believe there are bonus tidbits in the notes.
June 21, 2022
I loved following the evolution of medicine through the history of transplant surgery with author Paul Craddock. This book, the result of a phenomenal amount of research, presents the various types of transplants performed throughout time (skin, nose, blood, teeth, kidneys, heart, and lungs) but also the scientific context of the era and the many researchers associated with these medical advances. Although the text is somewhat dense, the author introduces humoristic anecdotes lightening the content.
From the anatomy lessons using criminal cadavers to the role of barbers in medicine (bloodletting combined with beard/hair cutting), to animal experimentation and differential treatments in relation to social classes, this book is not simply a relay of scientific facts: it reflects the societal conditions in which these research/advances took place. Surgery transplantation is a race against time to save a patient but also a race between researchers in order to be the first to make history.
A high-level scholarly read that is particularly well popularized for a reader who is not in the field of pure science. Triple bravo!
A special thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Goodreads giveaways for an advance readers’ copy. I am submitting here my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
From the anatomy lessons using criminal cadavers to the role of barbers in medicine (bloodletting combined with beard/hair cutting), to animal experimentation and differential treatments in relation to social classes, this book is not simply a relay of scientific facts: it reflects the societal conditions in which these research/advances took place. Surgery transplantation is a race against time to save a patient but also a race between researchers in order to be the first to make history.
A high-level scholarly read that is particularly well popularized for a reader who is not in the field of pure science. Triple bravo!
A special thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Goodreads giveaways for an advance readers’ copy. I am submitting here my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
June 21, 2024
"On May 25th 1968 Richard Lower performed his first transplant in Richmond,Va. The donor was a 56-year-old working class black man Bruce Tucker who'd been drinking with friends after his shift at an egg packing plant. He'd fallen over and split his head open on the pavement. When Tucker's brother came to claim their siblings body it was only then found that his heart and kidneys had been harvested as well as not bothering to seek consent, Lower had also illegally relied on the diagnosis of brain death. The Tucker Family tried to persecute the surgeon arguing that the transplant team engaged in a systematic and a furious scheme to use Tucker's heart and hastened his death by shutting off the mechanical support system... They found Lower not liable for hastening Tucker's death" p241
"Our body parts are at least in principle interchangeable and if we are all the same there's no reason for us to consider one person inherently superior to another" p257
"Our body parts are at least in principle interchangeable and if we are all the same there's no reason for us to consider one person inherently superior to another" p257
July 15, 2022
At the beginning I was incredibly bored. It was both information I knew and information I did not care about. But around the time the section on skin grafts was done it did a 180 for me. I went from dreading picking up the headphones, I listened to this book, to wanting to cozy up to that super relaxing voice that was telling me a super interesting story about people being silly with blood transfusions and dog heads.
So, if you find yourself incredibly bored at the start and think of dropping the book, stick to it until at least after the skin grafting and see if you still feel like not continuing.
Overall, I found the book to be very informative despite me knowing a lot of history behind what we know as medicine today. It was also really well delivered. It was not dry and filled with terms that were unfamiliar and confusing and yet it wasn't drama and personal anecdotes that I could not imagine myself being interested in. It was simply the perfect mix of technical and personal delivered in a pleasant manner by a pleasant voice. Well worth checking out.
So, if you find yourself incredibly bored at the start and think of dropping the book, stick to it until at least after the skin grafting and see if you still feel like not continuing.
Overall, I found the book to be very informative despite me knowing a lot of history behind what we know as medicine today. It was also really well delivered. It was not dry and filled with terms that were unfamiliar and confusing and yet it wasn't drama and personal anecdotes that I could not imagine myself being interested in. It was simply the perfect mix of technical and personal delivered in a pleasant manner by a pleasant voice. Well worth checking out.
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