In this adrenaline-fueled look at physical limits and how we can learn from, if not always transcend them, Fong, an anesthesiologist and intensive-care physician, recreates some of the worst accidents to have befallen mortals. He is clear, precise, and compelling about every physiological process he presents, whether it’s the normal functioning of the lungs or the grievous bodily effects of altitude, cold, the anti-gravity of space, or ordinary aging. Even when the going gets a little grisly, it’s impossible to look away from this series of miraculous survivals and innovative medical interventions. Fong’s accounts often start with the daring explorations of mountain climbers or deep-sea divers—he is himself something of an adventurer—highlighting how clinical progress is rooted in, and pushed by, real lives and events.
