The Work of Human Hands

This doctor, W. Hardy Hendren III, saved me from death from neuroblastoma on 8 September 1967. I met him many years later at his house after he had retired. When I visited him, he had in front of him a photo of me st 2 years old, a newspaper clipping of me at 5 years old, a letter and photo of myself that I sent him at 15 years old!!!!! And he saved over 50,000 lives!!!!!!! An amazing man and I am sure his amazing wife maintained ALL the thousands of thank yous Dr. Hendren received over the years!!!! Dr. Hendren and his wife also took me out to lunch with their granddaughter at Dartmouth College where he went to medical school!!!! Spectacular human being and family. He left me with an example of the closest a person can come to perfection on earth.

This book has a real sentimental value to me because Dr. Hardy Hendren is my doctor. I had a kidney condition when I was born and the hospital I was at did not know was what wrong with me but when my parents brought me to the Boston Children's Hospital where Dr. Henden works at, he knew what to do and preformed my surgery. The book is brilliant because of the man it is about.

It's not easy to find words adequate to do this book justice. It's primarily the biography of Dr. Hardy Hendren, recently retired chief of surgery at Children's Hospital in Boston. Dr. Hendren has performed operations that seem to be nothing short of miraculous. The book is a tribute to his indomitable spirit, and an inspiration to anyone looking for examples of what a man can accomplish when he puts his mind to it. I don't throw words such as "towering" or "genius" around lightly, but even those words seem inadequate when applied to Dr. Hendren. Read the book, and be inspired. I agree with an earlier reviewer that the book seems to get side-tracked occasionally with descriptions of other surgeons at Children's Hospital. However, I found this a microscopic negative compared to the overall value of the book. Hence the five stars.

"The Work of Human Hands" is an excellent story detailing the work of Doctor Hardy Hendron - a fantastic human being - This story is impossible to read without gaining a heightened sense of what is truly important. I am also a writer and I have suffered a dire family emergency that has a happy ending - I am detailing the work of the terrific surgeons at The Children's Hospital of Buffalo, New York and I can only hope to do as terrific a job as G. Wayne Miller did.

I highly recommend this book which tells the story of Dr Hendern,American child surgery and Boston Children Hospital. It is very well written and beautifully describes one of the hardest working men in the US.Mr Miller deserves a medal for a job well done .

This excellent book will have you stunned at the awful problems that can happen and amazed at the incredible talents of surgeons like Dr. Hendren to correct them. Miller does a great job of guiding you through the procedures, the doctor's grueling schedule and operations and the emotions involved. I couldn't put it down and have never forgot it.