What a truly fascinating story! Hard to imagine what happened in the past that has brought us to the present we now live in. Entertaining and sometimes a goose bump raising experience the author, Paul Craddock has provided the reader with a view that dates back to the sixteenth century.

Definitely an eye opening read for those of us who think advances in medicine only happened in current times.

Thanks to Paul Craddock, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this awe inspiring story.

This one ended up taking me ages to get through and I don't know why, because I was so interested in the subject. It just did not flow well for me and a lot fo the facts seemed buried beneath unnecessary words.

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this!

This was an interesting look at the origins of transplants, with a nod to the ethics of such procedures. Broken down by body part, each section talks about the earliest attempts at transplant as well as the early successes. This was easy to follow and had a lot of information I wasn’t aware of.

It was easy at times to get lost in the details but the story of how transplantation techniques progressed was a fascinating bit of medical history that I did not know. I was particularly fascinated by the ways cultures and institutions (like the church) reacted to and changed how these techniques were viewed and used.

Had no idea there were skin grafts being done in the 1500s, and I'm guessing you didn't either. That's just one of the surprising facts you'll read about in this fascinating book.

I didn't expect much from this honestly, but it was super interesting! It kept my attention easily. Even though it is about medical history, it isn't hard for a person who has no medical background to understand. My second grade read some of it, and it ended up sparking a big interest in human anatomy. Slightly disturbing practices in the past as we all know, but all around a really neat read!

A well organized and detailed time line of the history of transplants, beginning with skin and teeth and going up to modern technology with 3D printing as well as stem cells. Craddock uses illustrations as well throughout the book. Not only is the information presented interesting from a scientific and historical standpoint, but it also presents several social issues related to transplants and health care in general. This includes human trafficking, black market organ trade, and health care inequality. An extremely interesting read!

I've always enjoyed medical history type books, so this one was right up my alley. It's amazing to learn just how wild and creative humans have been throughout the ages in the name of saving lives. The medical practices and operations we think are so modern really have their roots in our distant past, created by our ancestors. I recommend checking this book out.

Oh, my stomach. Help me, I'm queasy. Much of the book was cringe-inducing, and I had to skip over the details of experimentation on animals, The poor creatures no doubt suffered immensely. Bravo to the author for the extensive research done for the book. And who knew an accomplished seamstress could play such a role in teaching a surgeon the truly fine art of suturing??? A cohesive and informative presentation of unique subject matter. My thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Paul, and St. Martin's for an advance copy of Spare Parts.

I admittedly did not finish this one. It was not for lack of anything other than I simply did not have the time to dedicate myself fully to this book. It was so informative and very interesting, however it just really isn't for me. The info dump was massive and while I did enjoy what I learned, I found myself really struggling to get through chapters. I believe that anyone with a mild medical interest would find this book absolutely fascinating. It's clear that Paul has done his homework and written a very informative book. It just wasn't for me at this particular time.

That said, I've never not finished a book and given it a rating above 2 stars and I'm giving Spare Parts 3 stars, strictly because I know that this book in the right hands is going to be a stunner.

While organ transplants have been a common medical procedure for the past few decades, the road leading up to the successes we now know was a longer and more interesting one than many of us likely are aware of. Paul Craddock explores a history of more recent developments that led to the implantation of hearts and kidneys today. But he also shares a lengthier history of attempts made to switch around people’s (and animals’) parts going back to the 16th century.

The book starts with skin. I was surprised to learn about how much medical practitioners (a loose term) were able to move skin from one area of a body to another. Craddock shares lots of examples of people in various parts of the world creating new noses for those who had lost them. While they weren’t as complete as modern medicine can craft them, both the process and the results were pretty impressive for the times.

Next, the book spends a good chunk of time on blood transfusions, as people experimented freely with moving blood between animals and then from animals to humans. I had already read a whole book about the history of blood transfusions (Blood Work, by Holly Tucker). On top of that, having two out of six chapters in this book focused on blood seemed a bit disproportionate. I would have preferred less of an emphasis on that and more on organs.

Teeth take up a whole chapter. Craddock talks about the earliest surgeons who removed people’s rotten teeth and replaced them with teeth from animals and from other humans. Generally the poorest people ended up with emptier mouths because they could sell (or were forced to sell) their teeth to benefit the rich.

There were some fun and odd anecdotes in this nonfiction science book about what people tried to do in these chapters, but I was more interested in reading the last two chapters. Those bring us into the 20th century, with the brief history of kidney and heart transplantation.

Spare Parts is overall engaging reading but not quite the mix I was hoping for, though most readers probably wouldn’t quibble with it.

Spare Parts: The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant by Paul Craddock, a history much longer than I had ever imagined. The book begins with skin grafts. The first historical accounts of transplants were skin grafts in ancient India. The technique then arose In Europe in the 16th c with nose grafts - apparently it was not uncommon for knights to lose their noses to sword fights or disease. The book then looks at the evolution of medicine through blood transfusions, teeth transplants, and organ transplants including kidneys and hearts.Along the way, Craddock introduces the readers to the heroic and, in many cases, the not so heroic figures behind the failures and successes that led to today. He also looks at the possibilities of advances in the future of transplants including 3D printing of body parts.

Spare Parts is a well-written and compelling account of the history and evolution of transplants and medicine over the centuries. It is a fascinating read even for someone like me with no medical background and very little knowledge of medical history. I’m not sure I would call it enjoyable - there was a certain yuck factor and I have a greater appreciation for the suffering of animals in the search for medical advances - but it was a fascinating read and I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone interested in history or medicine or both.

<i>I’d like to thank Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

This title caught my interest because of the subject matter. The medical area of transplant surgery has interested me since my sister's heart and double lung transplant in 2001.. Little did I know that the research into this area went so far back in our history. While learning how some of the research was done is sad and heartbreaking looking at the time periods it was done you understand it. This book did cover a lot of the research and history but I wish that the author would have also included more on the blood and tissue compatablity of transplant surgery. Over all this book was very interesting and informative. For anyone interested in the medical field and also transplant surgery this is a good book to start with.

This nonfiction is well-written and researched. However, it is not for the squeamish. The author focuses on animal experimentation in great, gory detail in the early chapters of this book. Of course, much experimentation has been done on animals in various disciplines and is still done. However, reading about it was very unpleasant. This is my perspective as an animal lover and is not a reflection on the factual content presented by the author. I found it so disturbing, that I almost gave up on the book. The later chapters focus on research that was not based as often on animals.
It's a good book, but maybe not for the casual reader.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'll admit that the history of medical procedures has never been a subject high on my reading list, but the synopsis for Spare Parts hooked me, and I'm so glad it did! Paul Craddock deftly combines extensive research with engaging text, giving us a look at the early experiments and practices that paved the way to modern medical care. There were a couple of times I felt an info-dump overload, but Craddock's writing (and humor) kept me hooked. Fair warning: there is some shudder-inducing gross descriptions, but hey, medieval medicine wasn't exactly a pristine profession. Highly recommend.

Being a big Greys Anatomy fan, I was super excited to read Spare Parts to learn more about the history of surgery.

While a good amount was interesting, it didn't always hold my attention. I often had a difficult time making different people straight, which made it more difficult to follow. I don't think this was the fault of the author though. It is clear that they did an incredible amount of research to create this book, and that's very appreciated. I think ultimately, though I do really like Nonfiction, this was not the book for me. Perhaps my opinion would be different if I had listened to it on audio, versus reading it on my kindle.

Spare Parts is an entertaining and highly informative overview of the history of man’s search for the ability to fix human bodies through transplanting healthy or man made parts for ones either lost or damaged. Surprisingly, to me, “medical” thinkers have been musing on this for millennia, since the days of the Greeks.

Craddock is a skilled writer, combining medical history, history, knowledge of medicine, and some good awareness of psychology along with a sharp wit in telling the tale, covering especially the past five centuries of transplant “thoughts” among the medical folk or those who were the nearest at the time, i.e. barbers. Among the facts that struck me: among the major needs of some men of the 17th century were replacements or substitutes for noses and ears lost in duels. There was a segment of society that could not easily appear in public because of their disfiguring injuries though they were still healthy.

But at the time the notions of what could be done to or for the human body were still caught up up in bloodletting. Those with imagination began to experiment in strange ways with animals. Then there were the many decades of teeth transplants! Craddock takes the story up to the present, with a sneak peak at what the future may hold. Along the way, he has also discussed the philosophical and religious implications of all of these developments.

Definitely a recommended book. It is an accessible read…you do not need advanced degrees to follow the story. There are useful illustrations, footnotes and full bibliography.


A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Spare Parts: The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant Surgery by Paul Craddock is a very interesting look at the history of transplant surgery. Anyone with an inquisitive mind will love picking up this book and learning more. Honestly, a great read from start to finish. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Spare Parts by Paul Craddock

9781250280329

316 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: May 10, 2022

Nonfiction, Health, Transplants, Organ Transplants, Historical, Reference

The book is divided into the following chapters:

Chapter 1: Skin (1550 – 1597)
Chapter 2: Blood, Animals to Animals (1624 – 1665)
Chapter 3: Blood, Animals to Humans (1666 – 1670)
Chapter 4: Teeth (1685 – 1803)
Chapter 5: Organs, Kidney (1901 – 1954)
Chapter 6: Organs, Heart (1967 --)
Chapter 7: Transplant Future

This book was very informative. I was unaware of the history of transplants especially teeth. Each chapter provides information on the scientist, doctor, and/or surgeon responsible for the discovery.

I was surprised to learn about Charles Lindbergh’s contribution on the organ pump. I knew about his involvement with Nazism but not that he was an honored guest of Hermann Goring. I was stunned to read about Alexis Carrel’s his book Man, the Unknown in which he comments about eugenics and mankind. He suggests killing the weak and keeping the best as done with dog breeding. If he felt that way, why did he invent a device to save patients’ lives with organ transplants. This is an excellent reference for anyone interested in the history of organ transplants.