Saturday, December 26, 2009

Sidney Awards - 2009

David Brooks last year lauched  Sidney Awards,  awarded to some of the best essay's of the year. Mike Lewis's phenomenal essay - "The End" own the first Sidney award.
Phew, a year has already gone and the new list (part 2 here)came out - I am so delighted to have read at least all of the health care related essay's.
Atul Gawande's series of essay's has been the quasi -bible for anyone who cared to understand the healthcare issues in this country. I cannot understand, how anyone can even begin to form an opinon (so much for somatic markers) without reading his essays - HERE. 20 years from now, his essay's will definitely seem clairvoyant in retrospect but it is shame that the contemporary world prefers dopamine drive polemic rhetoric on TV (well, what else is new?). Last week when I went for my routine checkup to the dentist. He is a very nice old guy but he was very anxious about health care changes since they were 2 things at stake. First, he is a doctor and the impact on his pay check is unknown. Second, he is a senior citizen and the impact on his medicare/medicaid is unknown. After my checkup, we logged into his laptop and he bookmarked Gawande's New Yorkers essay's. Hoping to get his feedback in six months when my next visit is due.
The other poignant essay on health care was How American Health Care Killed My Father and this one is sadly hilarious.

I have to read the other essays on list before the new year, especially this one on death penalty and this one on held in captivity by Taliban.

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