Living Medicine

Don Thomas, Marrow Transplantation, and the Cell Therapy Revolution

By: Dr. Fred Appelbaum

Narrated by: Nathan Agin

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

A sweeping biography of the visionary behind bone marrow transplantation and the story of the diseases cured by Don Thomas's discovery.

In the last half of the twentieth century, Thomas himself discovered a cure for every marrow-based disease—like leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle-cell anemia—forever changing treatment for some of the deadliest illnesses. His feats were extraordinary, earning him a Nobel Prize, and the cascade of treatments he inspired have reshaped and will continue to reshape the practice of clinical medicine. Yet no one has ever written Thomas’s courageous story. Dr. Frederick R. Appelbaum, a member of Thomas’s research team, does so for the first time in Living Medicine: Don Thomas, Marrow Transplantation, and the Cell Therapy Revolution.

Bone marrow transplantation has now saved over a million lives, but when Thomas first had the idea, he was met with disbelief by the scientific community. Appelbaum, informed by decades in the field and personal connection with Thomas, tells us the secrets to Thomas’s success: his unique characteristics, how he created an effective team of researchers, and how he overcame the technical obstacles of marrow transplantation. Appelbaum tells a bigger story, too, of the scientific and societal implications of this achievement, which are critical for scientific and lay listeners alike so that we all might be better informed of how far our medical progress has come and will go.

©2023 Fred Appelbaum (P)2023 Mayo Clinic Press

Fascinating history of what it takes to save lives.

As a Leukemia stem-cell transplant survivor (2017) who was constantly asking questions and wondering who in the world figured out how to save me, I was enthralled by this read.

It was an entirely readable mix of human stories of suffering, hope, and triumph, combined with enough medical facts and jargon to help appreciate the medical advances needed to save my life.

Thank you, Dr. Appelbaum, for this account!

What stood out most was how much I did not know about the history of bone marrow transplantation.

I loved the historic and personal references in the story of the development of bone marrow transplantation. It really helped me understand more the field that my oldest daughter is in as a certified bone marrow transplant nurse!

Dr. Appelbaum

This is a wonderful book with a rich History of some of the great minds in medicine! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
KennyB

A glimpse into how far medicine has come!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! As a mom to a bone marrow recipient (leukemia survivor) and a nurse, I loved learning so much more about the history of BMT. The humble beginnings of Dr Thomas and his team and how far they came, how much they over came was inspiring. Going through the process of watching my 5 year old’s bone marrow transplant was incredibly difficult. But after listening to how much went into the science and research to make it possible made me extremely thankful for their hard work. Because of their dedication, my son is 2 years cancer free!

Even though I originally purchased the audio book, the hard copy will be added to my library as well! Listen to this book!