DOCTOR RECOMMENDED: What you’re watching, reading and listening to

We asked our doctor readers what they were watching, listening to and reading this summer. Here is a roundup (from individual submissions as well as comments on a previous post). Some responses have been edited for space and clarity. SO BAD IT’S GOOD Dr. Ferrukh Faruqui is rewatching Breaking Bad. “Superb entertainment, incredible acting and a nuanced study of character and morality, as well as a sad commentary on the rapacious American private healthcare industry,” writes Dr. Faruqui. “Let's NOT go there, let's go to European hybrid models.” Dr. Savalai Manohar joins in with another thumbs up: “Totally agree. Breaking Bad is an excellent series.” Meanwhile, Dr. Ted Jablonski recommends the Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul, a series he “really enjoyed.” PSYCHEDELIC SERIES Dr. Manohar also recommends Nine Perfect Strangers, on Amazon Prime. “It PRE-dates the psychedelics boom! It’s a well-done series that focuses on psychedelic enhanced psychotherapy. I see more and more ‘spas’ are being opened, especially in the States, advertising this particular form of therapy.” LAUGH OUT LOUD Dr. Natalie Leahy has discovered a gem on Disney. “My daughter and I are watching the second season of Only Murders in the Building. A clever, witty and delightful show. Stars Martin Short (Mac alum!), Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. Laugh out loud and feel better after watching.” NEW YORK, NEW YORK . . . NEW YORK Dr. Mike Goodman writes: “The New York Times online is my retirement indulgence. Kwame Anthony Appiah's ‘The Ethicist’ column is worth the price of admission all on its own—and then there's Tom Friedman—and so many other great journalists.” Dr. John Crosby also highly recommends the New York Times. “I buy the big fat paper edition at my local variety store and read it slowly all Sunday morning with my coffee, sitting beside my wood fireplace.” Dr. Faruqui gives that a third thumb’s up: “I can spend the whole day reading just the New York Times. The range of offerings is well worth the subscription cost. I wish I had the whole day, every day, to read each issue. There's simply too much to read, I can't keep up with it all. I find NYT commenters are generally courteous and thoughtful, adding immeasurably to the discussion, which is refreshing.” RADIO, YES, RADIO! “I love Doctor Radio on Sirius XM radio,” says Dr. Crosby. “The Emergency Medicine show takes me back to my past life as an emergency physician. Host Dr. Billy Goldberg makes you feel like you are working in a New York City ER. He is funny and wise and teaches doctors how to improve communication.” Dr. Manohar gives “a huge shout out” for IDEAS on CBC Radio. “Yes, RADIO! Remember that dinosaur?! But what a great series. Host Nahlah Ayed re-played, an old interview with Dr. Paul Farmer, ‘The Great Leveler,’ on Feb 24, 2022—such a great loss of a medical visionary! Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was Dr. Paul Farmer's teacher, called him his inspiration! A very touching interview (still available on the CBC radio website).” “Yes to IDEAS!,” agrees Dr. Faruqui. “Dr. Paul Farmer was a doctor we could all strive to emulate.” Read: The (medical) funny pages: One more thing BOOKS TO MAKE YOU BETTER In books, Dr. Manohar recommends The Power of Habit and Smarter, Faster, Better. “One of my friends, an academic, recommended The Power of Habit, an NYT bestseller from the past, by Charles Duhigg,” said Dr. Manohar. “I liked it so much that I electronically borrowed from my local library his next book, Smarter, Faster, Better. It is interesting to note that he was inspired to write his second book by none other than Dr. Atul Gawande! This may be of interest to all the physicians especially neuroscientists, psychiatrists and cognitive behaviour therapists.” REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS “If you’re interested in the current news on women’s reproductive rights,” writes Dr. Veronique Ram, “Heather Marshall’s Looking for Jane is a wonderful (novel). It’s the story of three women and their varying experiences with motherhood as well as with reproductive rights. It has a strong female physician character and tackles the maternity home system that existed in Canada, as well as women’s reproductive rights in the 1970s and 1980s. Read: The (medical) funny pages: That kills me “As someone who wasn’t born until the ’80s, I was naive about women’s rights and had no idea about the underground abortion network. It’s never felt more relevant.” READING ON THE PORCH Dr. Leahy says she picked up Firekeeper’s Daughter from her local library. “It was a staff pick and also a Reese’s Book Club pick (I’ve read several others on her list and usually enjoy). I’m looking forward to sitting on my porch with a cup of coffee to read.” KEEP ’EM COMING Do you have a movie/series/book/podcast recommendation to share? Please let us know in the comments below or by emailing lleger@ensembleiq.com. Tell us the name of the series/movie, podcast or book, etc., and share a few lines on why you liked it and feel it is worthy of a recommendation. ‘Don’t bother’ As we well know, not all entertainment gets a thumbs up. Were you disappointed by some highly touted show/book/podcast series? Tell us about that too, so your colleagues are not wasting time on sub-par entertainment. Read: The (medical) funny pages: What they don't teach you in med school

DOCTOR RECOMMENDED: What you’re watching, reading and listening to

Register for free access or login.

Related Topics