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The Sawbones Book: The Hilarious, Horrifying Road to Modern Medicine: Revised and Updated For 2020
New for 2020! Join the 750,000 listeners of the Sawbones Podcast as Dr Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin humorously discuss centuries of medical myths, mishaps and mayhem, including modern day medicine and pandemics.
Newly revised and updated for 2020, this new Paperback edition of the bestselling Sawbones Book gives you a fascinating, horrifying, funny and memorable tour through centuries of medical experimentation and practice (and sometimes malpractice). Learn about trepanation, the COVID-19 pandemic, Norovirus, Chickenpox, Diabetes, and more, all inspired by Sawbones 300+ podcast episodes.
Wondering whether eating powdered mummies might be just the thing to cure your ills? Tempted by those vintage ads suggesting you wear radioactive underpants for virility? Ever considered drilling a hole in your head to deal with those pesky headaches? Probably not! But for thousands of years, people have done things like this—and things that make radioactive underpants seem downright sensible! In their hit podcast, Sawbones, Sydnee and Justin McElroy breakdown the weird and wonderful way we got to modern healthcare . . . and some of the terrifying detours along the way.
Every week, Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin amaze, amuse, and gross out (depending on the week) hundreds of thousands of avid listeners to their podcast, Sawbones. Consistently rated a top podcast on iTunes, with over 15 million total downloads, this rollicking journey through thousands of years of medical mishaps and miracles is not only hilarious but downright educational. While you may never even consider applying boiled weasel to your forehead (once the height of sophistication when it came to headache cures), you will almost certainly face some questionable medical advice in your everyday life (we’re looking at you, raw water!) and be better able to figure out if this is a miracle cure (it’s not) or a scam.
Table of Contents:
Part 1: The Contagious
Quarantine
The Deadly Parade
Detox
The Black Plague
Pliny the Elder
The Man Who Drank Poop
Parrot Fever
Part II: The Unnvering
The Resurrection Men
Opium
An Electrifying Experience
Weight Loss
Charcoal
Erectile Dysfunction
Spontaneous Combustion
Trepanation
The Doctor Is In
Part III: The Gross
Mummy Medicine
Mercury
The Guthole Bromance
A Piece of Your Mind
The Unkillable Phineas Gage
Phrenology
Robert Liston
Urine Luck!
Radium
Humorism
The Straight Poop
The Doctor Is In
Part IV: The Weird
The Dancing Plague
Curtis Howe Springer
Smoke 'Em if You Got 'Em
A Titanic Case of Nausea
Arsenic
Paracelsus
Honey
Self-Experimentation
Homeopathy
The Doctor Is In
Part V: The Awesome
The Poison Squad
Bloodletting
Death by Chocolate
John Harvey Kellogg
Vinegar
Polio Vaccine
The Doctor Is In
Newly revised and updated for 2020, this new Paperback edition of the bestselling Sawbones Book gives you a fascinating, horrifying, funny and memorable tour through centuries of medical experimentation and practice (and sometimes malpractice). Learn about trepanation, the COVID-19 pandemic, Norovirus, Chickenpox, Diabetes, and more, all inspired by Sawbones 300+ podcast episodes.
Wondering whether eating powdered mummies might be just the thing to cure your ills? Tempted by those vintage ads suggesting you wear radioactive underpants for virility? Ever considered drilling a hole in your head to deal with those pesky headaches? Probably not! But for thousands of years, people have done things like this—and things that make radioactive underpants seem downright sensible! In their hit podcast, Sawbones, Sydnee and Justin McElroy breakdown the weird and wonderful way we got to modern healthcare . . . and some of the terrifying detours along the way.
Every week, Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin amaze, amuse, and gross out (depending on the week) hundreds of thousands of avid listeners to their podcast, Sawbones. Consistently rated a top podcast on iTunes, with over 15 million total downloads, this rollicking journey through thousands of years of medical mishaps and miracles is not only hilarious but downright educational. While you may never even consider applying boiled weasel to your forehead (once the height of sophistication when it came to headache cures), you will almost certainly face some questionable medical advice in your everyday life (we’re looking at you, raw water!) and be better able to figure out if this is a miracle cure (it’s not) or a scam.
Table of Contents:
Part 1: The Contagious
Quarantine
The Deadly Parade
Detox
The Black Plague
Pliny the Elder
The Man Who Drank Poop
Parrot Fever
Part II: The Unnvering
The Resurrection Men
Opium
An Electrifying Experience
Weight Loss
Charcoal
Erectile Dysfunction
Spontaneous Combustion
Trepanation
The Doctor Is In
Part III: The Gross
Mummy Medicine
Mercury
The Guthole Bromance
A Piece of Your Mind
The Unkillable Phineas Gage
Phrenology
Robert Liston
Urine Luck!
Radium
Humorism
The Straight Poop
The Doctor Is In
Part IV: The Weird
The Dancing Plague
Curtis Howe Springer
Smoke 'Em if You Got 'Em
A Titanic Case of Nausea
Arsenic
Paracelsus
Honey
Self-Experimentation
Homeopathy
The Doctor Is In
Part V: The Awesome
The Poison Squad
Bloodletting
Death by Chocolate
John Harvey Kellogg
Vinegar
Polio Vaccine
The Doctor Is In
232 pages, Paperback
Published December 29, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 29, 2022
The Sawbones book is an adaptation if the popular podcast of the same name. Hosts-turned-authors Dr. Sydnee and Justin McElroy bring their blend of medical knowledge and humor to the page in a familiar yet exciting way. Justin and Sydnee's personalities ring clear throughout the book, while still presenting information in interesting bite-sized chunks.
The illustrations by Teylor Smirl are excellent as well.
My only real complaint is that, in the expanded edition, the copy wasn't changed when the narrative mentions specific page numbers as reference.
I recommend this book to any Sawbones podcast fans, but also to anyone curious about medical history or anyone who wants to win a trivia contest at a bar using their weird medical knowledge.
The illustrations by Teylor Smirl are excellent as well.
My only real complaint is that, in the expanded edition, the copy wasn't changed when the narrative mentions specific page numbers as reference.
I recommend this book to any Sawbones podcast fans, but also to anyone curious about medical history or anyone who wants to win a trivia contest at a bar using their weird medical knowledge.
October 1, 2022
The Sawbones Book is exactly what it advertises: a delightful tour of medical history, the things we as a species have gotten right and the many, many wwe have gotten wrong, with humorous commentary among historical and medical facts. If you enjoy medical history and are looking to dip just a bit more deeply, or if you have a passing interest and like the occasional dumb joke, then you can't go wrong with this book.
It also contains some truly gorgeous artwork alongside historical drawings and photos, which add an extra flair to the whole thing. All in all, it's a wonderful reminder of how far we have come, and have yet to go, a funny little comedy, and a great slice of the Sawbones podcast. If nothing else, you'll learn a lot of weird, gross facts to bring up at the dinner table.
It also contains some truly gorgeous artwork alongside historical drawings and photos, which add an extra flair to the whole thing. All in all, it's a wonderful reminder of how far we have come, and have yet to go, a funny little comedy, and a great slice of the Sawbones podcast. If nothing else, you'll learn a lot of weird, gross facts to bring up at the dinner table.
January 4, 2021
My best friend Becky introduced me to the Sawbones podcast a few years ago; I've been hooked ever since on this journey to the hilarious, horrendous, and humiliating history of modern medicines. Great podcast episodes on pandemics, covid-19, and vaccines as of recent. To the book - it's entertaining, filled with chuckles, and a glimpse into the odd journey medicine/health has taken since the beginning of humans. Brilliant illustrations and conversation-worthy, fun facts embedded throughout. Will be picking up to read again this year!
April 27, 2021
Hilarious, informative, and surprisingly easy to read.
January 15, 2022
12. A non-fiction book: The Sawbones Book: The Hilarious, Horrifying Road to Modern Medicine by Justin McElroy and Dr. Sydnee McElroy
List Progress: 4/30
Going from creating in one medium to another is difficult. What comes across as relaxed and off-the-cuff in an audio medium can seem sloppy and unrefined in type. The expectations of a book are very different from those of a podcast, even a nonfiction podcast, and not every creator is going to be able to bridge that gap. Unfortunately, Justin and Sydnee McElroy are not able to thread that needle with The Sawbones Book: The Hilarious, Horrifying Road to Modern Medicine, an adaptation of their popular medical history podcast, Sawbones. The content is largely pulled from the podcast, but so is the style, so directly that there is no real modification for the new format. Pair that with the fact the book appears to have been edited with a chainsaw (even the Revised and Updated for 2020 edition), and this book just doesn’t feel ready for shelves.
The premise of Sawbones is that Dr. Sydnee Smirl McElroy, a physician, is exploring medical history with her husband Justin McElroy, a podcaster and comedian with no medical background. They find weird and gross stories, explore the ways that humans have muddled their way towards knowledge over the eons, and correct modern-day misconceptions that still persist. Justin’s natural, joking tone works well in the podcast to keep it from becoming too dark or technical, but ends up feeling forced in print, even when relegated to little pop-up bubbles. A more straight-forward approach would have served the work better, letting the humor come from the inherent absurdity of the subject matter. There is also almost no analysis of the topics. That would be fine for a book of trivia, but many of the chapters seem like they are building to a larger point, only to end in a shrug.
The editing in this book is egregious. There are maybe a dozen obvious typos and errors, and that’s in a revised edition that was released after the initial was widely criticized for being even messier. The 2020 edition also contains an opening chapter containing plague history, to relate to Covid-19, but the tone is so smug that even if you agree with every point they are making, you resent it. The latter half, which presumably had more time with an editor, fares better, but not by much.
The Sawbones book won’t offend or dissuade any fans of the podcast from continuing to listen, but they would be well-advised to stick with the McElroys in their element. They might be able to make other books in the future, but they need a lot more guidance and help to break into the world of the written world.
Would I Recommend It: Not really. Keep listening to Sawbones, but skip the book.
List Progress: 4/30
Going from creating in one medium to another is difficult. What comes across as relaxed and off-the-cuff in an audio medium can seem sloppy and unrefined in type. The expectations of a book are very different from those of a podcast, even a nonfiction podcast, and not every creator is going to be able to bridge that gap. Unfortunately, Justin and Sydnee McElroy are not able to thread that needle with The Sawbones Book: The Hilarious, Horrifying Road to Modern Medicine, an adaptation of their popular medical history podcast, Sawbones. The content is largely pulled from the podcast, but so is the style, so directly that there is no real modification for the new format. Pair that with the fact the book appears to have been edited with a chainsaw (even the Revised and Updated for 2020 edition), and this book just doesn’t feel ready for shelves.
The premise of Sawbones is that Dr. Sydnee Smirl McElroy, a physician, is exploring medical history with her husband Justin McElroy, a podcaster and comedian with no medical background. They find weird and gross stories, explore the ways that humans have muddled their way towards knowledge over the eons, and correct modern-day misconceptions that still persist. Justin’s natural, joking tone works well in the podcast to keep it from becoming too dark or technical, but ends up feeling forced in print, even when relegated to little pop-up bubbles. A more straight-forward approach would have served the work better, letting the humor come from the inherent absurdity of the subject matter. There is also almost no analysis of the topics. That would be fine for a book of trivia, but many of the chapters seem like they are building to a larger point, only to end in a shrug.
The editing in this book is egregious. There are maybe a dozen obvious typos and errors, and that’s in a revised edition that was released after the initial was widely criticized for being even messier. The 2020 edition also contains an opening chapter containing plague history, to relate to Covid-19, but the tone is so smug that even if you agree with every point they are making, you resent it. The latter half, which presumably had more time with an editor, fares better, but not by much.
The Sawbones book won’t offend or dissuade any fans of the podcast from continuing to listen, but they would be well-advised to stick with the McElroys in their element. They might be able to make other books in the future, but they need a lot more guidance and help to break into the world of the written world.
Would I Recommend It: Not really. Keep listening to Sawbones, but skip the book.
December 27, 2021
I'm a big fan of Sawbones, so I was thrilled to receive this book as a birthday gift! But I was quickly disappointed by a myriad of typo's, missing words and page references that lead to nowhere. I've since learned that the first edition of this book is apparently even worse, which makes me even more disappointed that they didn't nail all the details in the new edition.
Content wise it is quite fun and informative, exactly what you'd expect from Sawbones, but there's not much new to read if you're up to date with the podcast. I feel Justin's humor doesn't quite translate to the page either and I found myself occasionally skipping his textblocks.
Personally I was also not impressed by the illustrations. They feel somewhat stiff at times and the portraits don't always resemble Justin and Sydnee. Additionally I really missed text explanations to go with the images included in the chapters. At times a portrait would be printed, but it wasn't clear who the portrait was of, as the text described several people.
All in all, while the content is witty and informative, all the mistakes and lack of new content for the podcast fans really put a damper on things. This book might be more interesting for people who aren't familiar with the podcast, and who can look past the mistakes.
Content wise it is quite fun and informative, exactly what you'd expect from Sawbones, but there's not much new to read if you're up to date with the podcast. I feel Justin's humor doesn't quite translate to the page either and I found myself occasionally skipping his textblocks.
Personally I was also not impressed by the illustrations. They feel somewhat stiff at times and the portraits don't always resemble Justin and Sydnee. Additionally I really missed text explanations to go with the images included in the chapters. At times a portrait would be printed, but it wasn't clear who the portrait was of, as the text described several people.
All in all, while the content is witty and informative, all the mistakes and lack of new content for the podcast fans really put a damper on things. This book might be more interesting for people who aren't familiar with the podcast, and who can look past the mistakes.
June 25, 2021
How does one translate a comedic in tone, factual medical history podcast to a book? The result was not what I expected, yet much much better!
Sawbones is a medical history podcast, going over the often bizarre things we used to do to cure ourselves, or in some cases still do. The hosts are doctor and her husband, who bring a fantastic mix of fun and knowledge to each episode. When I heard they were releasing a book I was intrigued from the start, I expected a more serious take of their usual subject matters, what I got was something else entirely although no less valuable.
I got a podcast in book form, their podcast to be exact. The same style and energy was somehow put on a page. Even their quirky sidebars and tangents made it to these pages, all helped by fantastic illustrations. It made for a very fun and informative read indeed. It also helped to have a visual with some of these stories, the schematics of Phinneas Gage's skull and his railroad spike in particular drove home how bizarre his survival truly is.
I just loved this book, there is no way around that nor would I want there to be one. The dynamic between the two authors is fantastic, and right there on the page. It was really like reading an episode of this fantastic show.
If I had to find one thing to criticie it is that they clearly tried to stay away from sensitive topics for the most part, as was the case on the early days of their show. The most recent practice that is criticised is Homeopathy, and even there they do not go after contemporary practitioners as much as they could. Other topics I would love to see given this book treatment are anti vax movement, and other currently practiced psuedscientific and fake medical practices.
All that would be great for a sequel! And I for one hope they write one! (less)
flagcomment · see review
Sawbones is a medical history podcast, going over the often bizarre things we used to do to cure ourselves, or in some cases still do. The hosts are doctor and her husband, who bring a fantastic mix of fun and knowledge to each episode. When I heard they were releasing a book I was intrigued from the start, I expected a more serious take of their usual subject matters, what I got was something else entirely although no less valuable.
I got a podcast in book form, their podcast to be exact. The same style and energy was somehow put on a page. Even their quirky sidebars and tangents made it to these pages, all helped by fantastic illustrations. It made for a very fun and informative read indeed. It also helped to have a visual with some of these stories, the schematics of Phinneas Gage's skull and his railroad spike in particular drove home how bizarre his survival truly is.
I just loved this book, there is no way around that nor would I want there to be one. The dynamic between the two authors is fantastic, and right there on the page. It was really like reading an episode of this fantastic show.
If I had to find one thing to criticie it is that they clearly tried to stay away from sensitive topics for the most part, as was the case on the early days of their show. The most recent practice that is criticised is Homeopathy, and even there they do not go after contemporary practitioners as much as they could. Other topics I would love to see given this book treatment are anti vax movement, and other currently practiced psuedscientific and fake medical practices.
All that would be great for a sequel! And I for one hope they write one! (less)
flagcomment · see review
January 31, 2021
Justin and Sydnee translate their podcast to the page in this book, and it does not disappoint! I binged the whole podcast during COVID months and was delighted to order this book shortly after. Justin‘s humor translates well to the written word, and I can hear Sydnee’s reluctant half-agreements to some of his goofier ideas... plus, the illustrations are just plain delightful. A lot of stuff is pulled from the podcast, but there’s some new info as well, and if you (like me) are a visual learner, the knowledge will “stick” better if you read it.
I appreciated this edition’s extra COVID-related chapters—a very thoughtful and informative addition after issues with the first round of publication (or so I’ve heard). There are a handful of typos related to page numbers and page layouts because of these additions but in no way does that distract from the jokes and zany information being shared.
I appreciated this edition’s extra COVID-related chapters—a very thoughtful and informative addition after issues with the first round of publication (or so I’ve heard). There are a handful of typos related to page numbers and page layouts because of these additions but in no way does that distract from the jokes and zany information being shared.
January 31, 2021
I read the first hardcover edition of Sawbones (and listen to the podcast on the reg) and I love the content. Really like the additional info on pandemics for the paperback. My only quibble is that they reordered some of the material for the paperback edition without making text changes resulting in several reference to charts or images that are not there, and in (at least )one case references a page number that doesn't line up. Basically the hardcover content was rearranged for this addition without making context changes to make it make sense. You don't lose any relevant information but it can be a little confusing if you aren't familiar with the original hardcover.
December 25, 2020
I love this book! I purchased the first edition when it came out, and I was able to meet Dr Sydnee, Justin, and Teylor when they came to the B&N in NYC to do a Q&A and get their autographs in the first edition. The first edition had some issues, including some missing pages, which this edition has fixed. It also had more chapters, which I enjoyed. I really hope that they write another book!
January 25, 2021
I own the hardcover addition, and as the newer spelling and chronological errors (misplaced illustrations and page number references that didn’t get updated) can get stressful at times. That being said, this is the best medical history book I’ve read that takes a more laid back and chill look at the mishaps in history and, paired with the visuals, makes for a very engaging read
July 4, 2021
I never realized I needed a book that gives me all the random medical knowledge that I require but also gives it to me in a way that is both hilarious and fun. I knew medical history is messed up but to have the proof now feels all the more satisfying. This was a delightful read but be warned if your stomach is weak, only about 45% of the book is safe for you to read.
November 2, 2021
This was an amusing read. Nothing terribly important but some interesting medical history trivia. For me something more rigorous about how the medical profession developed over time would be more interesting. This read like a series of podcasts.
July 26, 2023
5 star McElroy content!! Listened to the audiobook of the old version and read the new version and I can’t overstate how hilariously endearing it was to hear Justin laugh reading the jokes he himself had previously written. Also, Sydnee is so much smarter than him it’s unbelievable.
January 4, 2021
Really awesome book but I will say there are a lot of typos in it, specifically words missing from sentences? It is still really good and the illustrations are great!
February 2, 2021
A fun read with great illustrations! I am a big fan of the podcast and it was a hoot to see some of the well-known stories laid out in print and such excellent graphics.
February 4, 2021
Fantastic, funny, and fascinating. This book is a great adaptation of the podcasts conversational dynamic. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
February 17, 2021
Basically the same book (which is obvious if you like...read the full title), with an expanded up-front section on plagues! ...and still some editing and layout issues in places.
February 27, 2021
A few typos and editing mistakes here and there. And meta references to what page they’re on don’t update to the paperback.
February 6, 2022
Great fun, took me right back to reading Horrible Histories (and Horrible Biology!) as a kid.
August 14, 2022
(3.5 ⭐️)
February 11, 2023
Learned a lot of fun facts! Have listened to their podcast for years.
June 28, 2023
I'm a huge fan of the podcast. This book is full of fun, informative content, but really needed one last thorough proofread.
March 11, 2023
A wonderful refresh of some of my favorite episodes from the podcast, but may not be a good idea for those who have watched all of the hits multiple times. I also feel that sawbones is just better in the podcast format, and the humor gets lost as a book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews