I picked this book up from my library’s “new nonfiction” shelf because it said, “compelling stories from a surgeon and his patients fighting cancer”. Well, I love true stories about people facing challenges. This was a quick read, that, maybe, if myself or a family member were right in the middle of fighting cancer, I might eat up every word. But, since I’m not, I read this for the people stories. People who kept their humor. People who were positive. People who were strong. There were some stor...

This nonfiction book written by a cancer surgeon about him and his encounters with his cancer patients will have you crying as well as smiling while reading it because it is just so powerful and captivating all in one. The book is made up of chapters with each beginning with a quote that sums up what each story will be about. Each of these quotes are from remarkable individuals in life ranging from Samuel Johnson to Henry David Thoreau to Maya Angelou. It begins with Curley describing his early ...

I found this book a fascinating insight into the behind the scenes everyday work life of an oncology surgeon. I found it to be really well-written, with compassion, dignity and all focus on the patients themselves. The author doesn’t seem at all conceited about the fact that he has saved lives. He admits that he feels he has failed and cancer has won on occasions. He has humility. Patients and relative complain that cancer’s not fair and Doctor Curley is the first to agree. He is driven to do ev...

Emotional, inspiring, and hopeful, 'In My Hands' Dr. Steven Curley draws on his most memorable experiences throughout his 25 year career as a surgical oncologist. Whilst he dedicates his life to helping those with cancer leading longer and more fulfilled lives, he has found his own life profoundly affected by his patients. He has used the lessons learned from his patients and put them into stories with motivating themes, such as Empathy, Determination, Perseverance, Courage, and Wisdom. You will...

There might be certain expectations a reader has in picking up a book like this, but In My Hands offers much more. There are the obligatory medical details but Curley’s writing is far from jargonistic and exclusionary. He explains things in sufficient detail to make sure the reader understands, yet without being patronising. This is a balancing act he is obviously skilled in. It isevident that communication is important to Curley and central to his professional practice. This is a thorough explo...

Never has a book lived up to its title’s subheading as much! “Compelling stories from a surgeon and his patients fighting cancer” they truly are. Steven Curley has learned such a lot from his patients and sees their stories as gifts. The stories collected and presented here are full of hope, respect and honesty. The stories and the way Curley relates them provide incredibly rich context beyond simply an illness and its treatment. Each person’s story shows them as the unique individuals they are ...

Just finished reading In My Hands by Steven A. Curley, M. D., FACS. What impressed me the most is that he is very compassionate towards his patients. When told that he cares to much, he refused to change. He gets to know each patient and never thinks of them in terms what body part has the cancer. When the patient future is very dark, he walks with then through the struggle and does not distance himself like some doctors do. His stories of his patients indicate his deep and admiration for patien...

Just finished reading In My Hands by Steven A. Curley, M. D., FACS. What impressed me the most is that he is very compassionate towards his patients. When told that he cares to much, he refused to change. He gets to know each patient and never thinks of them in terms what body part has the cancer. When the patient future is very dark, he walks with then through the struggle and does not distance himself like some doctors do. His stories of his patients indicate his deep and admiration for patien...

This book is incredible. The struggle and spirit of Dr.Curley, and his patients is something I think everyone needs to read at least once. This collection of stories is an inspiration to those struggling, and it shows us something we don't get to really see first hand often: the strength of the human spirit faced with the black fear/hopeless that cancer brings.I'll admit that no matter how much fiction I read, it'll never come close to the emotional experience of reading these real stories.What ...

In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer by Steven Curley is a compilation of stories by a sensitive physician and tells the stories of his cancer patients. These real stories put the meaning into compassion, hope and dignity as people struggle with the diagnosis of cancer and all that goes with that from various chemical treatments to surgery. As Chief of Surgical Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Steven Curley has been in practice for over twent...