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Carolyn Jourdan
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Medicine Men: Extreme Appalachian Doctoring Kindle Edition

by Carolyn Jourdan (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,707 ratings
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#9 in the USA Wall Street Journal Best Seller in 2022 * #6 in the USA Wall Street Journal Best Seller in 2015 * #5 in the USA Wall Street Journal Best Seller in 2014 * Medicine Men is an extraordinary collection of the most memorable moments from a dozen old-school rural physicians who each practiced medicine for more than 50 years in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
It contains hilarious, heroic, and heartwarming true stories of miracle cures, ghost dogs, and much madcap medical mayhem.
Quotations in the book are rendered as they were spoken in real-life Appalachian dialect.
Chosen for 15 Books Every Healthcare Professional Should Read by Physicians Weekly
Medicine Men is the follow on to Heart in the Right Place which was a #7 in the USA Wall Street Journal best seller in 2012 and #9 in the USA Wall Street Journal best seller in 2017.
Carolyn Jourdan is a USA Today, Audible, and 6-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author with multiple award-winning books about the Smoky Mountains, Appalachia, Medicine, Mystery, and Wildlife, such as Heart in the Right Place, Medicine Men, Out on a Limb, and Breakdown on Blowhard Mountain.
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  1. Print length
    170 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    December 10, 2013
  5. File size
    308 KB
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  1. “When I woke up this mornin I felt so good I thought I’d passed away!”
    Highlighted by 159 Kindle readers
  2. Hell is other people, as some French guy said. But so is heaven. Life is such a paradox.
    Highlighted by 157 Kindle readers
  3. He always said he’d rather plow with a mule than a tractor because that way he could hear the birds sing while he worked.
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From the Publisher

Dolly Parton endorsement
Fannie Flagg endorsement

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR CAROLYN JOURDAN'S BOOKS
  • #5 Wall Street Journal Best Sellerand #1 Amazon Bestseller, Medicine Men (October 2014)
  • #9 Wall Street Journal Best Seller and #1 Amazon Bestseller, Bear in the Back Seat (December 2013)
  • #7 Wall Street JournalBest Seller and#1 AmazonBestseller,Heart in the Right Place (September 2012)
  • Heart in the Right Place chosen as first everBook of the Month byFamily Circle magazine
  • Awarded Readers Prize by Elle magazine
  • Featured selection of most major national book clubs
  • Best Book of the Year Literary Guild
  • Best Book Club Book of the YearAmerican Booksellers Association
  • Great Books About Extraordinary PeopleGreat Books, Great Libraries
  • Great ReadGreat Readers Advisory
  • Top 5 Most Fun Book EverShelf Awareness
  • Top Summer ReadNew York Public Library
  • Starred Review in Publishers Weekly -- "Jourdan's dispatches from the reception desk make for a stirring, beautiful memoir that is alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, and ultimately a triumph." [Heart in the Right Place]
  • "This is a soul-touching memoir filled with memorable Southern characters, plus plenty of country humor, but mostly a memoir about character -- the transformative power of selfless acts in forgotten places far from the spotlight." John Marshall --Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  • "Heartwarming, funny and utterly appealing." Fannie Flagg -- Author of Fried Green Tomatoes
  • "This is a wonderful book. I would have enjoyed it even if Carolyn wasn't a neighbor of mine in East Tennessee. She is a great writer." Dolly Parton -- Singer, Songwriter, and Actress

About the Author

Carolyn is a former U.S. Senate Counsel to the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Committee on Governmental Affairs. She has degrees from the University of Tennessee in Biomedical Engineering and Law. Carolyn lives on the family farm in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, with many stray animals. 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00A9L3E62
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Athenaeus Media (December 10, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 10, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 308 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 170 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,707 ratings

About the author

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Carolyn Jourdan

Carolyn Jourdan

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USA Today, Top-10 Audible, and 6-Time Top-10 Wall Street Journal best selling author of heartwarming memoir, biography, and mystery - Jourdan chronicles miracles, mayhem, and madcap moments in Appalachian medicine, as well as zany and touching interactions with wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Jourdan's trademark blend of wit, wisdom, humor, and humanity have earned her high praise from Dolly Parton and Fannie Flagg, as well as major national newspapers, the New York Public Library, Elle, Family Circle Magazine, and put her work at the top of hundreds of lists of best books of the year and funniest books ever.

Carolyn is a former U.S. Senate Counsel to the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Committee on Governmental Affairs. She has degrees from the University of Tennessee in Biomedical Engineering and Law. She lives on the family farm in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, with many stray animals.

Visit her at www.CarolynJourdan.com and hear her read stories from her books.

http://facebook.com/CarolynJourdan

http://facebook.com/CarolynJourdanAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/BlackBearBook

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
3,707 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

vintageharper
5.0 out of 5 stars Uplifting, quirky, unforgettable
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2013
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A delightful, heartwarming and heartbreaking, collection of short stories filled with Southern characters and the doctors who cared for them. Carolyn Jourdan has pulled together another collection of stories about selfless acts in mountains and hollows, places that are far from the media spotlight. These are stories of courage, kindness, patience and an enduring sense of humor, covering 75 years of medicine, that you will return to, again and again.

The 146 pages of this book reflect the essence of medicine that's lost in today's world of technology and high prices. It's about love and kindness, patience and courage, warmth and concern. The descriptions are rich, filled with the beauty and fragrance of the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.

If you haven't read Jourdan's first book, "Heart in the Right Place", you should. A memoir filled with comedy, the author recounts her life as a high-powered Senate lawyer, who gave up the good life to return to the mountains to work as a receptionist in her father's rural medical practice. "Medicine Men" is a followup, filled with true memorable and often spiritual moments collected from more than a dozen Appalachian physicians. I'm hoping for book #3 from this author.
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John C
4.0 out of 5 stars Ranks high in my recent reads
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2012
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Carolyn Jourdan has written a most delightful book, one that I have enjoyed immensely. Those of us who grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee and remember the country and small-town doctors of years gone by will find it especially appealing, but I recommend it for all readers.

She has collected many stories from those old-time physicians--of which her father was one, and in whose office she often worked; she was even a participant in some of the events described so well and she knows whereof she writes.

The stories range from hilarious to heart-rending, all revealing well the dedication and outright heroism of those mountain doctors.

The book is well written, and the author knows how to tell each story superbly. I have not given it five stars, however. Why? A few sections in the middle of the book suffer a bit from a scattering of typographical and syntax errors which are usually a put-off for those of us who are picky purists in such matters. The stories are so engrossing that I chose to ignore those minor missteps. I am sure the author will correct them, and they do not seem typical of her writing.

I was particularly struck by the following passage, in light of the current rush to create electronic medical records.

"As I drove home, I mused about the times it was made clear to me, from the experiences of my own family and the many others I'd spoken to, that the arduous service performed by rural doctors would not be possible without the help of a strong relationship between husband and wife, and sometimes, as in this case, help from the community as well. This, I think, is the most tragic loss brought on by the modern health care system. The loving interconnectedness of doctor, family, and community is being destroyed. These ties that bind us to each other are the bonds that define our humanity, and yet they are being systematically severed in the service of automated bookkeeping. The entire health care system is now being organized around machines instead of human beings. Not prioritized to reduce human suffering, but rather to optimize a computerized record-keeping system. This is a tragedy."

Jourdan, Carolyn (2012-11-17). Medicine Men: Extreme Appalachian Doctoring (p. 129). . Kindle Edition.

Please do read this book! I am very selective about what I read, and I rarely make such recommendations. For us old-timers, it will elicit memories and nostalgia; for younger readers, it will reveal a world they have missed and which their history lessons have not often mentioned. It feeds all our longings for a return to simple living, which, perhaps, we have lost forever.
5 people found this helpful
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Frances Hampton
5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved It
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2021
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This book took me back to my childhood. While listening to it I could clearly picture in my mind the doctor’s office my parents took us to. I loved that doctor. He was so kind. In hearing of the kinds of payments received I remembered one time we went in and there were a couple of live chickens in the waiting room. They were payment from another patient. It makes me laugh now.
I listened to this book on Audible. The narrator sounded a lot like some of my family when we would sit on the front porch and talk about life and what all was going on with our family, friends and community. I greatly enjoyed listening to him.
The book isn’t a long read. It might sound a bit scattered to some, especially if they aren’t familiar with the porch gossiping. These are a collection of short memories from various good hearted doctors mainly in the Smokies, though I did note the mention of Harlan, Kentucky. There were also what I’ll call sound bites. Those little sentences or sayings possibly coming from the communities or others in the office, made me smile. I think though they might confuse some who aren’t used to the one sentence comments that would be made on the porch. There really wasn’t anything to set them apart from the short stories being told. Listeners might not readily grasp that they are just comments tossed out.
While the stories are told with humor they are infused with the problems of Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, (probably elsewhere but I can’t speak for those places). Poverty, alcoholism, domestic violence are sprinkled throughout. Some might take issue but I saw it all there and just because some might not want to hear them spoken of doesn’t make the problems magically disappear. Sometimes when I hear people who want to erase things, (like not using certain words or talking about some issues that were normal occurrences), I feel like we are trying to sweep them under the rug. When you forget your history you open the door to it happening again. Realistically we are still dealing with the same issues regardless of all the cries of it’s unacceptable to use those words or to talk about those issues. If you are someone who is sensitive to hearing about the past in the language from the past, this might not be a good match for you. But if you are someone who accepts that we were not perfect then, (and are not now), you may find these stories a touching or humorous, (sometimes both at the same time), glimpse into the past.
I haven’t come across a doctor who compares with Doc Acker from my youth. I wish I could because I could trust that he was giving me his best, regardless of my ability to pay, and allow me to keep my dignity. The doctors from this book, and so many who have worked in poor areas, brought something that I find lacking with many of today’s doctors. They knew the people they were treating. They lived among us. They may have treated our parents, cousins and our children so they knew not only our medical and family histories but our community histories. They knew who had addictions. They knew who was dealing with abuse issues or job loss. They combined that information to give us their best medical care even if we couldn’t afford it. This book with its memories shines a light on that.
Oh, and the dog story ... have tissues ready. That black & white dog! I’ve got tears just thinking of that loyal friend!
13 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

scully
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable tales
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2020
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Just finished reading this book which is filled with short, entertaining stories or quotes about doctors experiences. Thoroughly enjoyed how it was written and the insight it gives into their unpredictable working lives
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Aparna Ratan
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful read
Reviewed in India on December 23, 2019
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Loved her style of writing. The mix of humor, humanity and medicine was truly a beautiful read. Am off to find more of her books!
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Mme. S
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on December 14, 2017
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Quite entertaining. First time I've read anything by Carolyn Jourdan, it won't be the last.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great stories
Reviewed in Australia on December 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
Great stories of hidden places,loved it ,told with skill and compassion,thank goodness for people like these doctors...really great people john.
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Diane G
3.0 out of 5 stars Nice read
Reviewed in Canada on March 22, 2018
Verified Purchase
A nice easy read. Well written. A great peak into several rural doctors lives. Would recommend to anyone looking for an interesting read.
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