The challenge: to read a book about a current social or political issue. Living and Dying doesn't just cover one issue, it covers a multitude of issues that primarily affect the patients in Beth Israel Hospital in inner-city Newark, New Jersey.
What makes this book unique is that it's not just a book of facts. The author, Sampson Davis, was born and raised in the neighbourhood then specifically chose to work at this particular hospital, so he's able to provide an insider knowledge that not just anyone could. He provides real-life examples of patients' circumstances from an emergency doctor's perspective, but he also ties these issues and illnesses back to how they have personally affected him via his and his family's, friends' and acquaintances' experiences and he provides solutions and reference information for help at the end of each chapter.
Social issues that he discusses are subjects like gangs, abuse, pregnancy, diseases, suicide and depression. While these affect people all over the world, he really drills down and focuses on how they specifically affect inner city residents and, often, the African American community. He comes across as empathetic, never preachy, and he reflects back on his earlier career days when he was learning the ropes and how he might change certain things he said or did as a result of the outcomes.
This book provides a fascinating glimpse into the everyday hectic life of an emergency room doctor and the constant split-second decisions that can help, harm or save a life. What sets Dr. Davis apart is how he was determined to not just remain in his community, but how important it is to him to provide outreach and educate, uplift and inspire younger kids who don't always have the same options and opportunities as those from more economically advantaged communities. He's very honest about how, when he was growing up, he nearly slid into a life of crime and jail time and it was only by a very lucky break that he was able to turn his life around. He witnessed drugs, guns, health issues and abuse within his own family and he's very cognizant of how he was only a few steps away from having had a completely different life. He worked very hard all of his adult life to not fall into the traps that others do when they don't have the resources, knowledge or money to turn away from crime just to fit in or survive. As a result of his experience and decisions, both he and his community benefit from each other. His life story is a perfect example of how just one person can make a really big difference.
Judge the cover: 3/5
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