Book Review
ASA Monitor Today
Connect with your fellow anesthesiologists on critical reading material.
Saving Grace: What Patients Teach Their Doctors About Life, Death and the Balance in Between
February 3
Saving Grace: What Patients Teach Their Doctors about Life, Death, and the Balance in Between was published January 10, 2023, by David Alfery, MD, a retired cardiac anesthesiologist in Nashville, TN.
According to Dr. Alfery, this is the first book ever written by an anesthesiologist that gives a realistic depiction of the “terror, anguish and joy” of working in the OR and ICU. Part of his reason for writing the book is to detail the reality of working (many hours!) in the specialty for anesthesiologists’ families.
The book is off to a successful start, with Henry Marsh, MD, author of the famed New York Times bestseller "Do No Harm," stating, “There are many memoirs written by doctors—this is certainly one of the most notable.” Dr. Alfery was invited to speak at Grand Rounds at the University of Tennessee Department of Anesthesiology, having been told by them that “this book should be required reading for all anesthesia residents.”
Dr. Alfery was Chief of Anesthesia, President of the Tennessee State Society of Anesthesiologists, and a founding member of Anesthesia Medical Group, one of the largest anesthesia practices in the U.S. For 20 years, he served as an Oral Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology, ending his tenure as a Senior Examiner. He holds an academic appointment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as Adjunct Associate Professor of Anesthesiology. While in practice, he participated in numerous medical missions with Operation Smile.
“Saving Grace” is not his first foray in writing. Dr. Alfery has authored ten chapters in medical textbooks and 41 peer-reviewed articles in anesthesia medical journals. He has invented several anesthesia devices that are sold worldwide and for which he has been awarded 17 U.S. and international patents.
The book is available on all retail platforms (including Audible with Dr. Alfery reading) by Wipf and Stock Publishers.
