Immerse yourself in the history of medicine, a colorful story of skill, serendipity, mistakes, moments of genius, and dogged determination.

From ancient ideas about anatomy to today's sophisticated gene therapies and robotic surgery, A Short History of Medicine combines riveting storytelling and beautiful images, historical accounts and lucid explanations, to illuminate the story of medicine through the ages.

Packed with photographs, diagrams, and visual analyses, this book illustrates the science, equipment, trial and error, and great medical practitioners central to this extraordinary story. Witness early, bloody, anesthetic-free operations; see the first crude surgical instruments; trace the mapping of the circulatory system; follow the painstaking detective work that led to the decoding of the human genome; and understand the role that potions, cures, therapies, herbal medicines, and drugs have played in the human quest to tame and conquer disease, injury, and death.

A Short History of Medicineis an engrossing tale of drama and discovery that celebrates the milestones of medical history across generations and cultures.