Nine Pints
A Journey Through the Mysterious, Miraculous World of Blood
By Rose George
Published by Portobello Books, October 2018
This was a Christmas gift, and what an engrossing read it turned out to be.
As a UK blood donor, I thought I knew a bit about the Blood Transfusion Service, but that was very far from the case. The story about how modern blood transfusion services operate in the UK and abroad makes sobering reading; here we are so used to volunteers giving their blood freely that it seems almost distasteful
to think of donors being paid in other countries.
Blood always has and always will evoke strong emotions. From religious sects who refuse blood transfusions to cultures where menstruating women are exiled from their family homes during their "uncleanness", from the fear of blood borne diseases and the problems that life-saving transfusions of clotting factors can cause when contamination occurs, to the use of leeches in modern day medicine to counteract clotting and poor blood flow after surgery, this book contains something for every reader.
Fascinating, horrifying, gripping, terrifying in some parts and always utterly absorbing, this is well worth a read.
No comments:
Post a Comment