By Carol Cassella. Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. ISBN 9781416556114. Paperback, 320 pages. $19.99.

Oxygen is a well-crafted novel set in the quite realistic life of an anesthesiologist in a Seattle hospital. I was pleasantly surprised that the day-to-day descriptions rang very true and yet provided fodder for a harrowing, mysterious, and life-changing event to take place.

There are touches of in­direct commentary on modern American health care, prioritization of family and career, expectations of our colleagues, and the effect the legal system has on us and how we care for our patients. 

Unlike what we see in many popular medical dramas, the anesthesiologist author didn’t “dumb down” the process for the sake of lay entertainment. I really enjoyed it.
—CV