COMPLICATIONS: A SURGEON'S NOTES ON AN IMPERFECT SCIENCE (2002)

Gawande, a former Rhodes scholar, star surgical resident, father of three children, and a staff writer at The New Yorker, isn't content just to be an overachiever: He's also, as seen here, extraordinarily compassionate and thoughtful. In this collection of essays, some of which have previously appeared in periodicals, Gawande turns his curious eye on medicine, examining subjects as far-ranging as autopsies, stomach-bypass surgery, and the art of diagnosis. Whatever the topic, Gawande infuses his writing with poetry and a reverence for humanity. As he notes in his essay about a patient's right to choose, a doctor's ''real task is to preserve kindness.'' Gawande does more than his share.

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