Osler: Inspirations from a Great Physician

Sir William Osler (1849-1919), one of the world's most influential physicians at the turn of the twentieth century, remained popular long after his death largely due to his inspirational texts. Regretfully, changing times and literary tastes have lessened the impact of Osler's addresses despite the timelessness of his ideals and practical advice. Charles Bryan has successfully mended the disfavour in the present volume. Framing the great physician's message in contemporary, easily accessible terms, he allows modern readers to rediscover the immense appeal and pragmatism of Osler's invigorating writings. This volume is based on the author's conviction that Osler was, above all, a motivator. He set high personal goals, achieved them, and inspired others to do the same. Bryan merges what Osler wrote, said, and did with the main themes of today's motivational literature--time management, mentoring, positive thinking, and seeking a balanced life are some examples. He also draws upon the great writers--Shakespeare, Cervantes, Montaigne, Plutarch, and others--whom Osler prescribed as bedside reading for his medical students. Osler emerges as a real-life human being, not a paper saint, but a person who sought the best from his culture and knowledge, and managed to give his best in return. Readers will find this book useful not only as an index to Oslerian thought but also as a guide to principle-based yet pragmatic everyday living.

Table of Contents:
1: Manage Time Well: Day-Tight Compartments 2: Find a Calling: Being True to Certain Ideals 3: Find Mentors: The Young Person's Friend 4: Be Positive: Prince of Friends and Benefactors 5: Learn and Teach: Driving Plato's Horses 6: Care, Carefully: The Least Sentimental and the Most Helpful 7: Communicate: Secrets of the Heart 8: Seek Balance: A Simple and Temperate Life 9: (Epilogue) Osler on Character: Pursue Virtue Virtuously

About the Author :
Charles Stone Bryant, M.D., is the Heyward Gibbes Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He is a fellow and laureate of the American College of Physicians, a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and a recipient of the William Osler Medal of the American Association for the History of Medicine.

Review :
"Bryan's book is one of the most interesting, readable, and useful scholarly analyses of Oslers work in recent years. It should be read and reread by everyone in the health professions, but I hope Bryan's work succeeds in bringing Osler to a much broader audience."-- Journal of the American Medical Association "Possessing a detailed familiarity with Osler's life and works, an awareness of the challenges and perils facing young practitioners, and a capacity for integrating the past, present, and future, he has written a coherent work that will benefit physicians throughout their careers....If one is inclined to give a medical graduate something about Osler, this carefully organized and written book is a good choice because it is more likely to be read than a stand-alone collection of his essays."--Philip M. Teigen, Ph.D., Journal of the History of Medicine "An invaluable contribution to the extensive literature on Osler and his works...Fascinating and original...Above all, it seems to me that it brings out effectively, fluently, and with true understanding and Oslerian compassion some of the fundamental lessons which shone out of Osler's writings in the advice that he gave to practitioners of medicine. This book by Dr. Bryan...will surely find an honored place among the Osler memorabilia at 13 Norham Gardens, while also finding a home, I have no doubt, in the personal and institutional libraries of many of Osler's admirers across the world."--Lord John Walton, Custodian of Osler's Old Library at 13 Norham Gardens, and Former Warden, Green College, Oxford University "This work by Charles Bryan is unique in that quotations and excerpts, categorized according to Osler's philosophical and moral principles, are woven together with annotations seeking relevance to contemporary problems--an arrangement that adds greatly to the interest and readability of Osler's message. Dr. Bryan demonstrates a firm grasp of Osler's writings and principles as well as a wide knowledge of Osleriana and excellent scholarship. He has chosen Osler's message well and delivers it effectively. The book is splendid and an important addition to the Oslerian corpus."--Richard Golden, M.D., Past President, American Osler Society, and Curator, The Osler Library at McGill University "This book is a good introduction to Osler for those unacquainted with the great man...I highly recommend it."--Annals of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada "Splendidly researched and accessibly written volume."--The State "Dr. Bryan has taken an entirely fresh approach to Osler, and in the process has produced something that didn't exist, and which is enormously useful and quite moving. He has collected Osler's thoughts, and those of others, from a variety of sources and presented a fresh cut at the unifying themes of Osler's academic life. Moreover, the entire book is bound together by his own erudition and affection for the man."--Jeremiah A. Barondess, M.D., President, New York Academy of Medicine "Dr. Bryan's scholarship surpasses anything ever done in the field of Osleriana, with the possible exception of the Bibliotheca Osleriana. This is a most impressive accomplishment."--Earl F. Nation, M.D., Co-author, An Annotated Checklist of Osleriana, and Past President, American Osler Society "The entire book abounds with excerpts from Osler's own writings, writings about him, and authors he was fond of quoting. Reading through the 24 pages of notes will instruct those who, like me, were vaguely aware that Osler himself was a prolific writer and that much has been written about him, but never realized just how much. One comes away admiring the author for having pored through it all."--Donald L. Madison (University of North Carolina) in The New England Journal of Medicine "Bryan brings Osler to life again; it is good reading and well worth the price." --New Jersey Medicine "The author effectively distills an oslerian approach to medicine and to life from Osler's writings and life story. His extensive use of oslerian anecdotes and quotations paint a fascinating picture of Osler...It would make a wonderful gift for beginning physician."--Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal "In Osler: Inspirations from a Great Physician, Charles Bryan emphasizes Osler as a motivator of students, clinicians, and researchers. He has reviewed and organized excerpts from Osler's writings into topics such as managing time, finding mentors, keeping a sense of humor, and character, all presented in a very readable contemporary context. Charles S. Bryan's insightful book is both an exploration into the success of William Osler, the great teacher and clinician, and an instruction manual for medical professionals. The book illustrates many of Osler's principles interlaced with numerous excerpts from his own writings and speeches. Bryan organizes Osler's "way of life" into helpful and relevant advice for medical students and more established health professionals, successfully presenting the great physician as a readable and quotable mentor." -- Canadian Bulletin of Medical History, Vol 16, No. 2, 1999