- The Story of Medicine is a revelatory work of popular social and medical history by one of the finest medical historians in the world. With its humanist appeal and core of scientific knowledge, it is an essential volume (and the perfect gift) for anyone interested in the human condition. Medicine, both as a science and as an art, encompasses some of the greatest of all human achievements. The development of medicine and medical practices - the story of which stretches from ancient times up to the present and includes cultures spread around the globe - is a reflection of our noblest qualities. In a series of accessible, informative essays, medical historian Mary Dobson charts the ways in which we have grappled with, and in many cases overcome, disease and injury over several millennia. Richly illustrated with dazzling art, illustrations, and photographs and written in the most accessible possible language, this volume is filled with numerous sidebars that detail amazing episodes in medical history, landmark events and their legacy, poignant accounts of some of the most harrowing cases, astonishing curiosities, and much more.