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Dr. Mutter's Marvels
Dr. Mutter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine | Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
44 posts | 48 read | 69 to read
A mesmerizing biography of the brilliant and eccentric medical innovator who revolutionized American surgery and founded the countrys most famous museum of medical oddities Imagine undergoing an operation without anesthesia performed by a surgeon who refuses to sterilize his toolsor even wash his hands. This was the world of medicine when Thomas Dent Mtter began his trailblazing career as a plastic surgeon in Philadelphia during the middle of the nineteenth century. Although he died at just forty-eight, Mtter was an audacious medical innovator who pioneered the use of ether as anesthesia, the sterilization of surgical tools, and a compassion-based vision for helping the severely deformed, which clashed spectacularly with the sentiments of his time. Brilliant, outspoken, and brazenly handsome, Mtter was flamboyant in every aspect of his life. He wore pink silk suits to perform surgery, added an umlaut to his last name just because he could, and amassed an immense collection of medical oddities that would later form the basis of Philadelphias Mtter Museum. Award-winning writer Cristin OKeefe Aptowicz vividly chronicles how Mtters efforts helped establish Philadelphia as a global mecca for medical innovationdespite intense resistance from his numerous rivals. (Foremost among them: Charles D. Meigs, an influential obstetrician who loathed Mtters "overly" modern medical opinions.) In the narrative spirit of The Devil in the White City, Dr. Mtters Marvels interweaves an eye-opening portrait of nineteenth-century medicine with the riveting biography of a man once described as the "P. T. Barnum of the surgery room."
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TieDyeDude
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The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia is absolutely fascinating. One of their featured exhibits is a wall of human skulls. The tagged book is a excellent story of not only Dr. Mutter, but warring physicians at the dawn of modern medicine, the formation of the American medical college, and so much more.

#wickedwhispers @eggs @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

AmyG Oddly amazing. My grandfather was a dentist and he had a skull. We always wondered who it was. There is a Stephen King book in there somewhere. 3w
TieDyeDude @amyg Grandma is always watching 😉 3w
AmyG Ha! 3w
Eggs Fascinating 🖤💀🧡 3w
Doppoetry I've visited the museum before (it's a lot smaller than I anticipated) and it's such an interesting place. It has a reputation to be spooky and macabre but I found it educational and unique 😆 human bodies truly are fascinating. 3w
41 likes5 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

This book was fascinating and I‘m glad I read it. I was surprised at how much it focused on Mütter‘s medical career (which was far more accomplished than I had known!) over his collection of medical oddities, which is what I knew him for. At the beginning there‘s a focus on one, and then near the end the author explains that he‘s been collecting them all his life, but that hadn‘t really been shown. What had been shown is the evolution of…

Clare-Dragonfly …medical science during Mütter‘s too-short lifetime, which I found fascinating. Sadly, there‘s far more about his medical friends and rivals than about his wife, which I‘m sure is due to a lack of research material, but is still disappointing. The book is large but goes by quickly due to all the period illustrations! Warning: there are graphic images and descriptions of surgeries—nothing I didn‘t expect from my familiarity with the Mütter Museum. 2y
TieDyeDude I actually met the author's father at a beer fest in Philly. He obviously recommended this book when he found out I ran a book club. Excellent book, so well written! We took our wedding party to the museum as part of our city tour with them (FYI: She is married to Ernest Cline) 2y
Clare-Dragonfly @TieDyeDude That‘s so cool! My husband and I considered having our wedding at the museum but it didn‘t seem like we could get married in the museum itself. She mentioned Ernie Cline in the acknowledgments—I wondered if that was the author! 2y
23 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Victoriahoperose
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Pickpick

Not quite what I expected but very informative. Living in Philly makes this more interesting since we have such easy access to the Mutter Museum and can visualize the areas that are discussed. Well researched but very dry. It really talks about Dr. Mutter‘s contribution to the surgical/medical world. Fascinating stuff but definitely read like a history book.

ShelleyBooksie Adorable cats! 2y
30 likes2 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Look what my wonderful husband found at the #littlefreelibrary! He made sure to grab it for me! 😍☠️

Amiable I really enjoyed this one! 4y
Patchshank Wow! Good find! 4y
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starlight97
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Day 2 of #7days7covers #covercrush

Tagging anyone who wants to play!

26 likes1 stack add
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TieDyeDude
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Pickpick

This book examines the struggles of warring physicians at the dawn of modern medicine, innovations in medicine and the resulting backlashes, the creation of medical college in the US, and so much more. The main focus, however, is on Mutter himself. Intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, and principled, he could have been considered ahead of his time had he not been so instrumental in changing the world to fit his vision.

TieDyeDude *Fun side note: I learned of this book when I met the author's father at a beer festival in Philadelphia. We stick up a conversation that turned to books, when he mentioned he was Ernest Cline's father-in-law. As the conversation progressed, I talked about a recent trip to the Mutter Museum (quite the experience!), and he said his daughter was a writer and recommended this book. Crazy! 5y
AmyG Ha. Life can be funny, sometimes. 5y
phatsallylee Mutter museum ❤! Love the story of how you ended up reading this book. 5y
29 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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daniwithtea
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If you love medical history and the strange and wonderful things the human body does, I definitely recommend a trip to the Mutter museum in Philly. (The book is good so far as well!)

thereadingowlvina I loved this one as well! It was eye-opening for me! 5y
daniwithtea @thereadingowlvina have you been to the museum? It‘s SO COOL. 5y
thereadingowlvina @daniwithtea Oh no. Hopefully one day! But I enjoy the book. It was rather morbid but such a great book! 😁 5y
19 likes3 comments
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bookwrm526
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Pickpick

A very interesting book if you have any interest in medical history. Sometimes it felt like the author was attempting to oversell the virtues of the good doctor, but it was interesting to learn more about the figure behind the creepy museum! This was my book chosen for the cover for #MMDchallenge. I needed a book published in 2014 for a different challenge so I found a list and picked this one because the cover was fun.

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Dorianna
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After a long boiling hot week it‘s nice to come home and see some #bookmail waiting for you.

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DoonTheGoon
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Just opened my #HometownSwap box from @Captivatedbybooks and all I can say is "wow"! The mug is GORGEOUS, I've already enjoyed one of the yummy treats, and the books are both super intriguing! I can't believe there's another book coming? You've spoiled me!

Also a shout out to @MicrobeMom and @readinginthedark for making this swap happen! Thank you all so much!

MicrobeMom Oh you got krimpets! Tasty kakes are so Philly!! And delicious! I also gave the same book to my swap! I am from the Philly area. 6y
readinginthedark Wonderful collection! And Laurie Halse Anderson is amazing! 6y
Captivatedbybooks So happy you liked everything!!! The book on its way is a true crime one! 6y
16 likes3 comments
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Bookish_B
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Pickpick

I thought this was a very readable (which is to say, not dry) and interesting book. A super harrowing, disturbing and fascinating history of surgery. I kinda loved Dr. Mütter, he seemed like a man way ahead of his time so I was actually sad to see him go when I came to the end of the book. I had wanted to go to the museum before but I want to even more now! (Also, I really like this cover)

RaimeyGallant Nice review. 6y
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EmilyChristine
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I got another Mutter postcard! Two of my friends visited Philly and the museum and they both sent me a postcard! Perfect bookmarks for my book. 😁

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EmilyChristine
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So my friend in DC went on a trip to Philly and sent me a postcard from a place she visited there. So now I have a postcard to go with my book!

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tracy.anne8
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I forgot to post my #bookhaul from the weekend. It has been quite a few months since I bought any books (excluding kindle) that didn't have to do with pregnancy or childbirth. I suddenly had the urge to go book shopping so we stopped at the local used bookstore. I bought the bottom 4 from there and the top 2 from Amazon.

Chelleo Library At Mt Char 😱 would love to hear your thoughts on this one! 7y
tracy.anne8 @Chelleo It's a little further down on my to-read pile but I was so excited to find it yesterday! 7y
46 likes2 comments
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ralexist
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Pickpick

3 months in and I'm still keeping to my 1NF/mo rule. Building off of plagues and 19th century surgical history, this one follows early surgeon and professor, Thomas Mütter. Renowned in his day for performing difficult surgeries successfully, his legacy is the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia which houses his collection of roughly 2000 anatomical specimens which helped countless doctors learn more about both the human condition and its matter.

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kaitthegreat

“And he lived in a time when the concept of medical sterilization was so unrecognized that the appearance of pus in an infected postoperative wound was ‘welcomed as harbinger of a successful surgical outcome.‘” my how far we‘ve come! 😷 struggling with this book but determined to make it through.

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BiblioBimbo
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Pickpick

A super interesting read! Equal parts memoir and history of early American medicine. A topic not for the squeamish! I found myself wishing to know more about Mutter himself (his wife is mention 3 times in the whole book) and it seemed the author sometimes brought up interesting topics--female doctors for example--without tying them to Mutter or his experiences. But overall an interesting look at a fascinating historical figure!

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Pogue
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this as an audio book. My partner at several places in the book went “eww” or winced! I liked it.

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StaceyKondla
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Pickpick

An engagingly written history of medicine and plastic surgery centred on the life of Thomas Dent Mütter and the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it and eternally grateful for modern medicine and pain relief - living in the 1800's must have been dreadful.

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StaceyKondla
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Spent some time reading with my parrot, Gryphon, today. He is very glad that medicine has advanced so much since the 1800's - especially avian veterinary medicine 😉

Tanzy13 🐦 7y
57 likes1 comment
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StaceyKondla
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I decided to finally plunge into this one that I had bought a while back. Only 12 pages in and captivated already 😊

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kaitthegreat
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changing things up a bit - slow to start but the medical history is what‘s keeping me going.

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AMVP
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#catchingup on #septembowie #day27 - #amazing

Always split on these books that have two Litsy entries, with & without subtitle. The full title feels more accurate, but it looks kind of tacky on the "Currently Reading" status.

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muchadoaboutnothing
Pickpick

This was a fun, quick read. Charming and remarkably engaging. I can imagine a Hamilton/Burr-like relationship between Mütter and Meigs. I would highly recommend if you're not too squeamish.

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rjsthumbelina
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Bailedbailed

Eh, it was kind of interesting, but one of those that I was dreading going back to. DNF at 22%. Life is too short to read books that you aren't enjoying!

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Bookish_B
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My Book Outlet haul. I REALLY have to read faster! 😳

shawnmooney I had one significant problem with Father's Day – but as for the rest of it, I absolutely loved it! The audio is amazing! 7y
Hooked_on_books The tagged book is really interesting. I liked it a lot! 7y
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Bookish_B @shawnmooney hmmm! Now I'm curious! Not sure when I'll get to it but we shall see how it goes 😊 7y
Bookish_B @Hooked_on_books I've had my eye on it for a while. I love stuff liked that; Really looking forward to it! 7y
queerbookreader Marlene is my darling 💚💚💚💚 is that the new biography, or something different? I love her so much omg 7y
Bookish_B @lemonlime799 No, it's not a bio it's fiction. 😊 7y
50 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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AMVP
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#rockinmay day 31 - #creep

After I finish The Invention of Nature, I'll need another #nonfiction read, and this one's been on my shelf for a while.

CouronneDhiver Sounds like the kind of book I would enjoy - stacked! 7y
10 likes1 stack add1 comment
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StaceyKondla
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I ended my work week feeling tired a bit stressed, so I treated myself to three glorious hours of book shopping today. These are my non-fiction buys from Chapters. (Book Haul post #1)

EvieBee Nicely done! I've been wanting to read both of these! 7y
Clare-Dragonfly Ooh, great pairing! 7y
LeahBergen Unmentionable is a ton of fun 7y
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Megabooks Unmentionable is so fun! 7y
StaceyKondla @Clare-Dragonfly and @EvieBee84 - Thank you 😊 @LeahBergen and @Booksandcooks - I read the first few pages in the book store and it cracked me up! Just couldn't resist 😊 7y
Hobbinol He wore pink suits to surgery...? 😊 7y
55 likes1 stack add6 comments
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StaceyKondla
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I have just added this book to my wishlist. It sounds amazing and I may head out on a quest to get me a copy on Saturday!

Bklover Sounds fascinating! 7y
julesG Sounds intriguing! And this cover 😍 7y
54 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Amiable
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I am thoroughly mesmerized by this book.

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Amiable
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Really, REALLY glad to live in the era of medicine today. Yikes.

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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled
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Best endpapers ever! #readJanuary #endpapers This museum is the coolest.

Lacythebookworm Awesome! ❤ 8y
LindsayReads Do you follow the Mütter Museum on any social media? They never cease to delight! 8y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled @LindsayReads No, but I will now! Thanks for the heads up!! 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I live about 90 minutes from this Museum and haven't been. Yet! 8y
68 likes5 comments
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rjsthumbelina
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Late lunch date out of the house! (We've been iced in ❄) gotta love red robin! Starting a book thats been on my #tbr a long time

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MicheleinPhilly
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#ReadJanuary #SetInMyCity Those of you familiar w/ the Mutter Museum know that it is home to some truly spectacular medical oddities. But this riveting biography taught me so much about Dr. Mutter and his pioneering medical techniques. And this is my dearly departed baby boy relaxing w/ his plush mega colon from the museum gift shop. 😋

britt_brooke ☺🐶💚 8y
LectricSheep The mutter museum is so fun! But also very creepy. 😬 8y
DivineDiana This looks interesting! Don't think I have the stomach for the museum. Maybe if I read this, I will change my mind! 8y
See All 10 Comments
shelf-improvement Love the Mutter Museum!!! 8y
RanaElizabeth True Story: my grad school graduation celebration was at the Mutter as a private event...and the power went out. Imagine being in there in the dark! 8y
MicheleinPhilly @RanaElizabeth 😱 They do an annual sleepover event! No thank you! 8y
LeahBergen Awww, he's sweet! My departed boy would have loved that colon, too. 8y
samalot One of my favorite places in the world 👻 8y
Hooked_on_books Great book, awesome museum, and I love the megacolon! (Envious, actually.) I tell people I saw Benjamin Franklin's bladder stones and homemade urinary catheter there and they don't believe me. 😬 8y
MicheleinPhilly @Hooked_on_books When we bought it for him, I used to put it around my neck and joke that I was going to use it as a travel pillow. 8y
68 likes1 stack add10 comments
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thereadingowlvina
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Pickpick

A wonderful #biography on Dr. Mütter. It was informative and made me so thankful for modern #medicine. I enjoyed #listening this on #audiobook.

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DianeDeMasi
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Pickpick

It's fascinating to read how far we've come in the surgery field.

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DianeDeMasi
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So thankful for modern medicine.

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DianeDeMasi
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Just started this book while waiting for kids at band practice. It's already grabbed my attention, can't wait to get more reading time tomorrow.

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Bettiekrueger
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This is preparation for going to the mutter museum this summer. So excited.

ShelfSpaceLimited I love this book!! 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage On my hold list at the library! 8y
15 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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AlexandraGriffin
Pickpick

A fascinating look at how Mütter helped shape and change the medical profession. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2.

9 likes1 stack add
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AlexandraGriffin
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Yeah, I already need a break from The Witches audiobook.

KateTheBookworm Is Witches pretty dense? I checked it out from the library but it was MASSIVE so it ended up just sitting on my coffee table until it was due back. 8y
AlexandraGriffin @KateTheBookworm it is, and listening to it, I find myself spacing out and then not being able to follow what's going on when I tune back in. Plus, sometimes overdrive glitches and starts the same part over instead of going to the next, and I couldn't tell if it did that or not... (1/2) 8y
AlexandraGriffin @KateTheBookworm (2/2) because parts sounded really familiar but it also got a little repetitive earlier on. I may not continue on with it, I'm not sure yet. 8y
11 likes3 comments
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whitney_archer
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Pickpick

Bailed on two awful books this weekend before finally loving this one. It's snappily written, but still deftly goes into the history and societal context of Dr. Mutter's work as a surgeon (he was among the first to see patients as people, not cases).

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callunakeep
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I LOVE getting books in the mail!!

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TiffReadsAndRuns
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Pickpick

From the beginning, this book hooked me in and didn't let go. A harrowing, intriguing history of Dr. Thomas Dent Mutter written (truly) like a novel. Highly recommend to history and biography lovers.

MyBookLife This sounds great!! Is also sounds a little like The Knick. Have you seen that? 8y
TiffReadsAndRuns @MyBookLife I haven't! I'll have to check it out 8y
callunakeep Ooh! I've heard of him, there is museum named after him! Definitely adding this to my TBR! 8y
TiffReadsAndRuns @callunakeep The author worked with the museum to write this book 8y
35 likes13 stack adds4 comments