Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC! The subtitle of this book is: The story of medicine through the history of transplant surgery. There is minimal gore (there are a few exceptions) and a great deal of history. The first chapter starts in the 1500’s and starts out with “Skin” and ends in the 1960’s with “Organs” and “Transplant Future”. The book also includes illustrations that add another dimension to the written word.
I always love when a book piques my interest so much that I Google the subject to learn more. SPARE PARTS does just that. One of the more…interesting… items was an old YouTube video of disembodied parts living outside the body of deceased dogs. The film was made in 1940 and is found under the title of “Experiments in the Revival of Organisms”. The highlight (?) of this film is a disembodied dog head reacting to stimuli as it is kept “alive” by an artificial heart and lungs. Not for the faint of heart.
I was totally unaware of the history behind transplants, so reading this book was quite intriguing. Apparently tooth transplants were all the rage in the late 1600’s, with poor children selling their teeth to be transplanted into the mouths of the wealthy. It was poignant to think that the only items of value that those poor children had were their teeth. The book makes note that they were quite eager to sell their dentition in order to make money so they could eat. I am not sure how satisfying meals were, having to consume their food with minimal or no teeth in their mouth.
The book also discusses blood transfusions between humans and animals, and kidney/heart/organ transplants. There is a great deal of history along with the author’s thoughts on the subjects. SPARE PARTS is written well, in a way that a reader with no medical background will understand. Those with a medical background will enjoy it as well, as the history aspect may add another layer to their knowledge.
I enjoyed reading SPARE PARTS so much, as it taught me more of the historical aspect of transplants and how the practice has evolved over the years. It is always amazing to read about how physicians practiced hundred of years ago, and what they thought about the workings of the human body.
If you are interested in learning more about the unusual history of transplant surgery I definitely recommend this book. Well written and quite interesting!

I received an ARC of, Spare Parts, by Paul Craddock. All you wanted to know about transplants is in this book. Its a bit graphic and gruesome, but interesting.

A comprehensive review of the early history of transplants. I had had a vague understanding of the earliest transplants, and this book gave an enjoyable, educational, overview. The language is easy for the reader to understand, and it is a good blend of history and science. I was expecting more on the topic of modern transplants, but the description of the first transplants is so thorough that it is not too much of an omission. This book also addresses issues of identity related to our organs and explores important ethical considerations. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in anatomy, history, or science.

This was a fascinating read. You don't have to have a medical background to enjoy this book. The history and progression is intriguing. Believe it or not some of the book will make you laugh. I have always enjoyed books on medicine and this one fit the bill. Some of the descriptions are graphic in nature and will certainly make you glad you weren't born then. It's really a good read. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the book to read and review.

Spare Parts by Paul Craddock is most thorough history of transplant medicine. The author has given the reader so much documentation in a well conceived history format. He has supplied wonderful anecdotes that brings the reader into the time period represented. This also makes the book an easily readable history of the subject.
Amazing that people survived some of these surgeries and grateful for the technological advances in this science of transplantation.

I love reading about medical related themes. The first half of Spare Parts is history heavy and interesting. I was both repelled and fascinated by the section on noses. Prior to reading the book I had no idea that this gruesome practice of nose removal occurred during sword/knife fights. Skin grafts, blood transfusions, teeth transplants make up the first half along with a brief history of medical education. Oh, the resistance by doctors to evidence based care throughout history!
The second half of the book begins with the early twentieth century and was more relatable. I would have liked it if more attention was paid to the problems of organ rejection and where we are today in this field. The author lightly touches on the ethics of selling a body part, and organ trafficking. Again, I wish there was more about these topics.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin"s Press for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Spare Parts
By Paul Craddock

This book chronicles the history of transplants – both what we think of as "transplants" such as heart, kidney, or lung – and also much earlier experimentation with skin grafts, blood transfusions, and tooth transplants. The earliest known examples date back to early Egypt and Greece and gradually through most societies, including England and France as well as other European countries.

Mr. Craddock's presentation of the various procedures developed and the prevailing beliefs about the nature of the human body, while graphic and sometimes horrific, makes for interesting reading and leads the reader to understand how man, through trial and error, has developed the techniques we use today in order to save lives.

While some of the ideas and experiments he describes can now to seen to be rather farfetched, Mr. Craddock has provided the reader with a lot of information to show how modern medicine has evolved.

Thank you for the free ARC of this book. This was funny, at times ridiculous, but very informative. The author presented the facts about the history of medicine and surgery in a very entertaining way.

1 star
There is absolutely no way for me to read this book. Publishers, please put a Kindle option! It is how the vast majority of reviewers are reading your books.

interesting review of medical procedure history. ******************************************************************************

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in advance of release!

Spare Parts is the history of transplantation going farther back in history than you would imagine. Organ transplantation, at least successful instances of it, is a pretty new phenomenon due to the lack of drugs preventing rejection. But that's not to say people didn't try all sorts of terrible experiments. Craddock frames the experiments with the contemporaneous medical knowledge, like blood humors or passing on animal traits (!), and it's all fascinating.

Overall, a wonderful history of something we've all heard of but maybe don't know much about.

This was a very interesting read. Through the telling of the history of transplantation, it also provides a more general overview of medical history and views on the nature of health and illness through time and across cultures. This history is full of fascinating, and often flawed, figures making some questionable, and some inspired leaps in observation and creativity.

Understanding this history makes it possible to appreciate just how remarkable a technological achievement it is to be able to prolong life through organ and tissue transplantation.

The writing is accessible to readers without a strong background in biology or natural science, without feeling like it's "dumbed down." Overall, the tone is lively and conversational. Recommended for those interested in the topic

A fascinating history of medicine through the lens of transplants. Craddock does a stellar job of balancing the history with the science; throughout, I felt like I could understand enough of the medicine side of things without it getting bogged down in technicalities that the course of history really shone through. Highly recommend!