Quotes
“No one is better qualified to write about what ails health care than Robert Pearl. Uncaring ought to trigger a rethinking of the professional culture of American medicine.”—Malcolm Gladwell, author of five New York Times bestsellers
“In Uncaring, Dr. Robert Pearl provides an X-ray examination of the medical profession and how it has both promoted and adversely affected American healthcare. It’s deep, insightful, and can be considered the modern version of what Francis Peabody wrote almost a century ago: ‘The secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.’ We need to get that back.”—Eric Topol, MD, professor at Scripps Research and author of Deep Medicine
“How do so many young doctors who enter medicine filled with idealism and the desire to do good end up decades later as cynical professionals, caring about money, prestige, success—everything but the patient? Dr. Robert Pearl, in this riveting examination of the physician culture, diagnoses the pathologies in the system that too often strips the ‘caring’ out of health care."—Elisabeth Rosenthal, editor in chief of Kaiser Health News and author of An American Sickness
“Uncaring is a brilliant and incisive dive into physician culture, both its seamy underbelly and the moments that inspire. Pearl’s vast experience as a physician steeped in the culture, and as leader of one of the largest healthcare systems in America, allows him to write with authority, yet in a personal and engaging way, and at the end to offer solutions. The result is a wonderful and compelling read.”—Abraham Verghese, MD, professor of medicine, Stanford University, and author of Cutting for Stone
“Uncaring lifts the veil on the deeply conditioned culture that drives American physicians and our multi-trillion-dollar health care system. To solve our biggest challenges, we can’t ignore this elephant in the room, and Dr. Robert Pearl never flinches once. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and Uncaring illuminates the shadows that many doctors themselves are reluctant to see.”—Zubin Damania, MD, host of The ZDoggMD Show, the internet’s most popular live medical show and podcast
“The history and culture of medicine has set the stage for the way our current system of care is organized and delivered. In these unprecedented times, this book offers insights into the way our system of care is both working and failing the people that it serves. Pearl spells out the case that to really understand how the health care system works you must really understand how physicians work. Through storytelling and personal reflections of a career in medical leadership with distinction, Pearl shares how physicians view their patients and themselves. This rare ‘under the covers’ view of medicine offers insights into tough issues that plague our system but also offers a path forward for improving healthcare. This personal and fascinating read shows doctors as humans and offers hope for those wanting to see empathy and compassion remain an essential part of the way we deliver care in the future. I highly recommend this book to all who seek a better understanding of health care and want to make a difference in improving the way it works.”—The Honorable David J. Shulkin, MD, ninth secretary, US Department of Veterans Affairs
“In this hard-hitting, immensely valuable book, Robert Pearl pulls back the veil from the face of the culture of medicine. He reveals the truths, both good and bad, about what drives physicians and the system of care. As an accomplished surgeon, admired executive, sophisticated policy analyst, and master storyteller, he does that with both expertise and compassion, as few others could. His recommendations—tough, clear, and right—for what needs to change provide a roadmap for all who seek better health and care.”—Donald M. Berwick, MD, president emeritus and senior fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
“Dr. Robert Pearl has peeled back the curtain and revealed major challenges facing the culture of medicine. His insights are a must-read for anyone who wants to improve our health care system, and in so doing, provide better care and save lives.”—Leana Wen, MD, public health professor at George Washington University and author of When Doctors Don't Listen
“Culture squashes innovation. And this may just be a defining truth for the practice of medicine today. Pearl takes a probing look at America’s medical practice and reveals the sacrosanct clinical hierarchy, entrenched clinical biases, financial drivers, and physician burnout. He’s pressing on the tender and sensitive spots. And while conventional medicine might suggest that this won’t hurt a bit, it will. As Pearl suggests, denial isn’t the path to recovery. Uncaring provides an honest history and physical of medicine today, with a bold vision to define and protect the very best of care.”—John Nosta, technology innovationist, Google Health Advisory Board, and World Health Organization technology expert
“Dr. Robert Pearl’s Uncaring is a deeply readable, empathic, and insightful exploration of the status of twenty-first-century American physicians—their heroism, their altruism, their limitations, and the shared culture that too often makes them less than they could and must be to heal our health care system. Health care leaders, policymakers, and physicians can all benefit from understanding the lessons Uncaring teaches.”—David Blumenthal, MD, MPP, president of the Commonwealth Fund
