Life with Sudden Death

A Tale of Moral Hazard and Medical Misadventure

By: Michael Downing

Write A Review

Paperback | 1 October 2010

At a Glance

Paperback
256 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.88 x 1.27

Paperback

$40.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $10.19 with

Ships in 15 to 25 business days

The youngest of nine children, Michael Downing was three when his father died -- suddenly and inexplicably. No autopsy was performed. The family diagnosis was God's will.

As a boy, Downing rigorously trained as a spiritual athlete, preparing to vault into heaven. But eventually he escaped the religious dogma, and the family arena -- until one of his brothers died in 2003, suddenly and inexplicably. No autopsy was performed.

Alarmed, Downing pursued a diagnosis: Drawn into a world of researchers, clinicians, and manufacturers with their own arcane ethics and faith, Downing discovered he had inherited a mutant protein from his father, and the first symptom would be his sudden death.

To save his life, a defibrillator was hard-wired to his heart. Within weeks, he needed emergency surgery to remove the device and the life-threatening infection he got with it. Two months later, he was re-implanted -- only to read in his morning newspaper that the new wires anchored to his heart were prone to failure. His device might be powerless, or it might deliver a series of unwarranted, possibly fatal, shocks.

From a bedeviled boyhood in the Berkshires to a grim comedy of errors in one of Boston's best hospitals, Life with Sudden Death is a wild ride.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.