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terrO.R.
by Joseph Neuschatz M.D.
160 pages
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Latest possibilities in cases of cardiac arrests during surgery.
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Ebook
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$7.25
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Paperback
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$13.95
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+ $3.00 shipping & handling for your whole order!
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Category: Fiction:Mystery
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About the Book
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Free Excerpt From The Book
(requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
In the era of "second medical opinion," in an age when average magazine readers know more about face-lifts, nose jobs and breast reductions than family doctors, 75 percent of people who have had anesthesia, do not even remember the name of the anesthesiologist.
Life in the operating room is similar to life in a submarine: no windows, no daylight, and always the same people present. The only "visitor," is usually asleep.
The anesthesiologist is the pilot who will fly you safely through somber surgical clouds. The passage of time in an operating room is comparable to the passage of time in a cockpit: hours and hours of blessed boredom, interrupted by moments of sheer terror.
If a person dies suddenly in a hotel room, the first diagnosis is always "heart attack."
If a person dies suddenly in an operating room, the first diagnosis is always "anesthetic death."
American citizens are innocent until proven guilty.
American physicians are guilty until proven innocent. Just check the never ending ads of "medical malpractice lawyers" on television, Yellow Pages and public benches.
But medical innocence is hard to prove in front of well selected non medical juries. Raising the "professional liability insurance" fees for doctors is much easier. In 2006 the one year professional insurance for a Long Island brain surgeon was $270,000 !
Would you let your child become a brain surgeon ?
But physicians are not always guilty.
terrO.R. is here to prove it.
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Reviews
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This book is a 2006 Winner of one of The American Authors Association's Distinguished Book Awards - for Thriller Novels!
- William McDonald Jr., American Authors Association President
Our author, Joseph J. Neuschatz definitely brings to the table his expertise as an anesthesiologist in this read, taking you right into the heart of the characters and the world in which he lives, and the world that we live in as well. I don't want to give away any more of the storyline but I have to tell you it is quite ingenious and definitely has a conclusion that you just won't be looking for. I will say this, Terr.O.R. does have a name, and definitely does have a purpose in this book. Dr. Neuschatz does an outstanding job on his character development, local descriptions and storyline. The read is flowing and quick paced, with just the right amount of intrigue to keep you guessing and pressing on to find out the answer . This is one outstanding medical 'chill' read that I certainly hope will be followed by another. Hats off to our author and let's hope this story never becomes a reality.
- Shirley Johnson, Senior Reviewer, MidWest Book Review
I won't give away the ending, but you won't want to put the book down until you finish it. The plot and the characters were crafted by an outstanding medical author.
- J. T. Cooper (Marietta, GA, USA), a book reviewer for a radio network
Splendid plot idea; good operating room detail.
I would advise some movie or TV producer to take an option on this frankly amateurish, but nonetheless, terrific first novel. He or she will get not only a first rate plot idea, nicely delineated, but an expert script advisor since author Dr. Joseph J. Neuschatz is, like his hero, "Dr. Philip Newman," a practicing anesthesiologist.
- Dennis Littrell (SoCal)
Dr. Joseph J. Neuschatz has provided a valuable piece of literature that gives the reader a glimpse into the medical industry and leaves the possibilities of medical sabotage frighteningly wide open.
- Sabrina Williams, frontstreetreviews.com
Highly recommended to those who like plausible medical thrillers with a number of possibilities to explore. I hope to see more from this author, hopefully featuring Dr Newman and some of the other characters.
- J. Cameron-Smith (ACT, Australia), Words in Flight
Newman is a likable character and his dedication to his patients is admirable. The reader will empathize with his frustration at being sued and the vagaries of medical malpractice laws. Neuschatz puts an interesting twist at the end of the book that will catch readers by surprise. The intricate attention to medical details in this book will appeal to the readers of medical thrillers and hospital dramas. Having an anesthesiologist as the main character is a unique perspective for the medical thriller, and one that more authors ought to explore.
- Dindy Robinson, Swimming Kangaroo Books
The setting is the OR of a modern hospital. Since I've worked in hospitals all my adult life and am currently working in PACU as a recovery room nurse, it was exciting to see how the story would play itself out. I was very pleased. The characters are quite real. The central character, a good natured, collaborative, and approachable anesthesiologist is very believable. ( I've always said that they are a wonderful combination of medical and surgical doctors; the friendly approachability of the former and the capacity to take immediate appropriate action of the latter.)
- Atheen Hills
Overall this is a very good first book for Neuschatz, and I look forward to reading his next book. I learned so much about the medical field that it held my interest even with the negatives I've stated. This book has a subtitle which states "Fiction?" Yep, fact or fiction? If referring to the medical information this is definitely not fiction. And I can only hope his theories have not been put into practice.
- Susie Morris "Book Junkie" (Beaumont, CA)
Anesthesiologist Phillip Newman is having a good day - until a young, seemingly healthy patient dies during a routine tattoe removal. Was his death just fate, or a well-crafted plot to destroy the doctor's reputation? Or is there something more sinister afoot? Author Neuschatz, a practicing anesthesiologist, takes the reader on a twisty ride with an unusual ending.
- A. Wilson "avid reader" (Linn, MO USA)
The expression "good things come in small packages" can be applied to Terr.O.R. This reviewer recommends the 160-page book most highly for its informative and entertaining qualities and for its easy-to-read style. It is said that books are man's best companions. This is certainly a companion worth having.
- Sanford E. Jacquard "retired school counselor" (Los Angeles, California)
Joe Neuschatz has his finger on the pulse of some of these problems and delivers it in a medical thriller that will keep you flipping the pages until you finish the book. I can't wait for his next novel because like authors Cook and Goldberg, the next novel will be even better.
- Kelleigh Nelson (Knoxville, TN)
The author is at his best when describing medical procedures and opining about the host of modern challenges faced by the medical profession. The book is also well-paced and fairly well-plotted, save for the less-than-convincing eureka moment when Newman unravels the mystery. And its concept is certainly timely, leaving me fearful that the inadequate information sharing between hospitals in this country has created an environment in which this type of scheme could actually take place.
- Kevin Joseph (McLean, VA United States), author of "The Champion Maker"
Dr. Neuschatz's foray into the medical thriller genre provides an interesting glimpse into the calamity an anesthesiologist finds himself after one of his patients dies. This is not a simple accident though, there is more and without giving the plot twist away I will say that it leans toward the political.
His writing style is better than Robin Cook's, although there area a few areas where the protagonist is thinking about his wife or describing certain feelings and it reads a bit forced.
Overall, I'd suggest this book to frineds interested in the medical thriller genre.
- J. Aragon - Canada
Anyone who has ever wondered what goes on in the sterile corridors of hospitals will be entranced with this peek into the medical world. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read by a talented writer.
- BookFinds.com
Dr. Neuschatz offers a privileged view of the stressors that medical professionals encounter on a daily basis, even when mystery is not afoot. This is a side that patients rarely see that could greatly improve doctor/patient relationships if publicized. An anesthesiologist himself, he provides the story with firsthand experience that makes the plot incredibly plausible.
- Sabrina Williams, Front Street Reviews
This first novel is impressing without being perfect. When patients die unexplainable in operating rooms, when medical malpractice law-suits start, a new york anesthesiologist becomes medical detective. After eliminating, pharmacological, pathological, chemical and other possible causes, his timely discovery is not only scary, but also super conceivable. On the front cover a good question: "Fiction ?" I recommend this novel.
- Toubib, A French Born Physician
This was interesting from the first page, and it paced itself with wit, and it bandaged itself up when it needed to. I consider this taking a new shot. But I'm taking it at one Joseph Neuschatz, M.D. I personally thank him for the opportunity to sample this great tale! Or is it just a tale?
- Wolfe Moffat
Overall, I have a very positive impression of the book. The storyline is captivating. Its pattern is rich, well-articulated, and professionally entrenched: despite the minor errors that I highlighted earlier. I just wish that the author considers adapting his visionary prose into screenplay.
- VAL'S VIEWS (Switzerland)
Well done for a first effort!
- SquareEyes "Helen" (ARDROSSAN, South Australia Australia)
The even better news is that Neuschatz writes well! The daily life and work of an anesthesiologist are included with a wealth of arcane minutiae and technical detail that could easily blow right over the heads of lay readers or simply bore them to death as the plot bogs down and fails to move forward. But Neuschatz seems to have deftly avoided these problems. His writing educates, informs, entertains and manages to keep a compelling plot firmly on track.
- Paul Weiss (Dundas, Ontario Canada)
Dr. Joseph J. Neuschatz is amazing. He's able to give the reader the inside information on the art of the medical practice, the drugs, and the world of the anesthesiologist without losing the reader in the details. At the same time he weaves a tale that, as he notes in his preface;"I hope this timely novel is fiction". So do I.
- Wanda C. Keesey
terrO.R. tells the story of Dr. Phillip Newman, an anesthesiologist who has a patient die while under anesthesia in the beginning of the story. The patient was 19 years old, his name was James Walker, and he was having tattoos removed surgically. Inexplicably, things went wrong in the O.R. and James didn't make it. Dr. Newman is puzzled by the phlegmatic reaction of the father to his son's death and further surprised when he is hit with a medical malpractice suit within twenty-four hours of James's death. The suit spirals out of control, and grows from a simple malpractice suit to a suit filed against the hospital for $100 million dollars. It should also be noted that Mr. Walker refused an autopsy for religious reasons.
Having the story told from the point of view of an anesthesiologist is certainly interesting. It may be the only major branch of medicine without a POV represented in literature. We learn *a lot* about what an anesthesiologist does, what their responsibilities are, their successes and frustrations. Although to be honest, I'm not sure I wanted to know much more about that side of the table, so to speak. When I'm out on the operating table, all I want to know is that I'm out.
- T. Burger (Chicago)
What Philip finds is not only terrifying but plausible. Dr. Neuschatz has written an intriguing tale of terrorism in a fast paced, easy to read format. I enjoyed all of it; however, he does include copious amounts of medications and medical stats that might be slightly over done for the story. The story itself is so well designed and executed that we do not need to in such detail each medication order such as “he injected a hyperbaric mixture of 1% Pontocaine in 10%,” etc. For me, it was like being back in a hospital but I can see where for the non medical personnel it could get tedious. Aside from that, it was an engrossing and thrilling read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.6.
- Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D., Mystery Lovers Corner
Dr. Phillip Newman is an operating room anesthesiologist at Soundedge General Hospital on Long Island. During a routine operation on a young man to remove several tattoos, the patient suffers complications and dies. His parents refuse an autopsy on religious grounds and, subsequently, Newman is eventually sued for malpractice. Over the Internet, he forms an ally with a west-coast physician who experienced a very similar case and together, they uncover a plot that involves insurance and malpractice fraud.
Thus begins this novel by Dr. Neuschatz, an anesthesiologist himself. The novel is interesting not only for the plot concept, but also for the information gained along the way. I enjoy reading fiction that also imparts knowledge about a particular subject, and this book certainly does that. For example, there is an early section about non-regulatory tattoo inks used and how they can interact with different types of anesthesia to produce sometimes fatal results.
- Thomas Gabrielli, Reader Views
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Dr. Neuschatz, an anesthesiologist, gives the reader an informative and exciting tour through the minds of the dedicated men and women who keep us safe and comfortable while surgeons manipulate our bodies. He explores the extreme discomfort doctors today feel knowing that the injustice of our current malpractice system can lead to an unwarranted lawsuit at any moment with any patient. To avoid the costs of defending the claim, the insurance companies often demand that these suits be settled with no regard for the blot this leaves on the physician's reputation. It\'s a sad state of affairs, and this novel gives the public valuable insight into the problem.
Dr. Neuschatz hangs this information on a fast-moving, fascinating, and all-too-plausible plot. Like the novels of Stephen King, Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Tom Clancy, and others, Joe Neuschatz entertains you while teaching you a whole bunch of things that it's fun to know.
- WB DeLong, MD, Author of Voices of the Living
Reading Terro.r. is not an Erro.r.
I thoroughly enjoyed this short, well-written novel from an anesthesiologist who did not put me to sleep with his first attempt at novel writing. When he commented on one of my reviews about my perceived evils of tort reform, I thought his book would be centered on medical malpractice. Alas, it had an interesting plot and an even more interesting twist that must have intelligence agencies asking themselves why they hadn't thought of it.
In addition to a first-rate plot, the reader can gain an understanding of what our doctors go through everyday wondering when they get out of bed, if one of their patients is going to die in one, on the guerney, and end up in a lawsuit. This must be unnerving for even the most confident and competent physician.
- Edwin C. Pauzer (NYC)
Dr. Joseph J. Neuschatz has written a short novel with a clever plot device; so clever that I did not see it coming until I was close to the point where the author revealed the plot device. I was then impressed with Dr. Neuschatz\'s creativity and wondered how he was going to exit what he had hypothesized. I will leave the reader to discover how he does it.
- Lonnie E. Holder, The Review's the Thing
I am a registered nurse and I worked in the O.R. area for 2 years. Never have I read a more truly terrifying novel than this. Dr. Neuschatz makes it so real that I recognize moments from my own career. My husband, a Pathologist, said that this book is a potential, if not actual, real life situation. The dialog was so true to the O.R that I felt that I was standing there. Also, my husband has received 100's of midnight calls, and we know what it feels like when you are called in the middle of the night. It is Never good news! This book is a page turner, and a "keep you up until finished" novel. I think that Dr. Neuschatz's novel should be "required" reading for medical students, and nurses. This novel is only a Prelude to what will , or has, happened in the O.R. Please read this wonderful book for not just the terrifying story line, but to also understand the real world of Physicians like Dr. Neuschatz. This books rates 5 stars for story line, and 5 stars for absolute terrO.R.
- Susiq2 "Linda Susan" (Kentucky)
I think Doc Joe really wanted to write an essay with a message, which is that malpractice practices are killing the medical profession in the US. He may be completely right with this, but he should not have bothered with a fictional wrapping for his thesis.
- H. Schneider (Liederbach, Germany)
While there are many post 911 terrorist suspense thrillers on the bookshelves, Neuschatz has cornered a topic that is not only compelling, but also one that is delivered in a writing style that makes it wholly convincing.
- Grady Harp, Amazon's Top 10 Reviewer
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| About the Author |
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Born in Romania. Pre-medical studies and military service in Israel. Medical school: Paris, France. Anesthesiology specialization: New York. Golf-school dropout. Hates writing. Loves being published. Featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Vogue, The New York Doctor, Greenwood Press etc.) Novel inspired by old, never explained, real-life incident. |
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