Medicine has come along way since the caveman days according to Stephanie Bearce. Her book chronicles the history and science of medicine all the way back to when people would get hit on the head with a rock for anesthesia, rub animal poop in their cuts, barbers performed surgeries, and doctors prescribed drinking urine to cure the plague! From the desserts of Egypt to the crowded streets of Europe explore the cures still used today and the pseudoscience that was debunked long ago. ( )

this book. Be prepared to read some disgusting facts that will have you wondering what people were thinking. Also learn about the scientists who risked their lives in order to save the lives of others. ( )

Jam-packed with fascinating facts you won’t find in science textbooks, Stephanie Bearce’s “Twisted True Tales from Science” series is informative and entertaining for kids and adults. The book is broken into three sections: “Ancient Days,” “Medieval Maladies,” and “Modern Marvels.” Each section includes short, easily digestible chapters and hands-on activities (“Medical Practice”). Before antibiotics and sterile surgical facilities, healers did the best they could, utilizing everything from herbs and leeches to garlic and dung. Readers will learn about early attempts at immunization, “mold juice” (penicillin), and King Louis XIV’s rather unfortunate malady. Squeamish readers beware: dissection, blood, pus, poop, and snot abound. Ms. Bearce also offers an excellent reference section for those who wish to delve deeper into a subject. This is an excellent addition to any home or school library!
I received this book as part of LibraryThing's Early reviewer program in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This volume was a truly entertaining collection of stories, factoids, and obscure anecdotes that I found very difficult to put down. It was remarkably well-written and had enough variety in its content to make every page engaging. Highly recommended! ( )

This book touches on a wide variety of medical beliefs and treatments starting with caveman shamans to more current topics such as the Salk polio vaccine. There are three sections: Ancient Days, Medieval Maladies, and Modern Marvels with multiple topics in each section. The topics are discussed over three to six pages and each section ends with activities. The bibliography is large for those wanting to do more research. I enjoyed the book and learned a few things about the history of medicine and treatments that did more harm than good. This would be a good book for pre-teens and older.