Wall of Silence

The Untold Story of the Medical Mistakes That Kill and Injure Millions of Americans

By: Rosemary Gibson, Janardan Prasad Singh

Narrated by: Jack Chekijian

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Up to 100,000 Americans die each year as a result of some form of medical mistake. And this is just the reported number of deaths. The total number of deaths and other disabilities is estimated to be triple (or more) of what's actually reported. This book takes you behind the scenes to expose heartbreaking stories of medical malpractice, careless misdiagnosis, and downright neglect on the part of health-care personnel across the country.

Victims are young and old, healthy and infirm, who innocently entrusted their lives to those who took an oath to "do no harm". Yet doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, and other medical professionals cover up mistakes every day. This is the complete story of the breadth and depth of medical mistakes.

Gibson puts real names and faces to the countless that suffer and die every day because of ineptitude, poor quality, and lack of management in a system that is badly broken. Doctors and nurses also provide first-hand accounts of what actually goes on behind the curtains, describing the mistakes that do happen, but also how terrifyingly close every practitioner is, every moment, to disaster.

©2003 Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh (P)2011 Alex Novak

Critic reviews

"A call to arms to arms for families who have had loved ones disabled or die in the pursuit of medical treatment." (former First Lady Rosalynn Carter)

"The tragic accounts gathered here… are a warning. They remind us of the importance of being careful and alert…. Real care of the sick does not begin with costly procedures, but with the cultivation of a kind heart." (His Holiness the Dalai Lama)

"In a clear and eloquent voice, Wall of Silence reinforces an issue that the health care system has not wanted to address." (James A. Block, M.D., former CEO, Johns Hopkins Health System)

A huge eye opener...

I received this audio book as a gift in exchange for a honest and unbiased review. This book is a total eye opener! I never realized how may mistakes get made everyday in the medical fields along with all the cover-ups too. This book informs us of our rights and what we can do to help ourselves when we get hospitalized. It discussed how many problems of the past have helped in improved our hospitals and doctors as they are today. This book is filled with many, many real life horror stories of medical procedures gone wrong! On the bright side, we are all human and we learn from our mistakes.

The authors, Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh did a great job researching material for this non - fiction audio book! The data it must have taken to put this book together is amazing. The narrator, Jack Chekijian did a great job delivering the book to us. He has a smooth easy to hear voice sounding very professional! Good job all!

Eye opener

Very enlightening how author compares medicine to other industries that handle mistakes differently. Author handled sad stories well and did not dwell on them.

Important information in a lawsuit crazed world

One would have to be separated from society and the media to be unaware of the fact that medical errors happen and can be hidden for a time despite the effect of that error. Whether the error is surgical or medical in nature, there have been consequences and measures instituted to effect change, but there are still problems. The general public cannot view the profession as infallible. The affected can lobby for change, not merely fiscal reparation. The patient population and their families must be vigilant, and this book will help by providing information and examples.
By narrating this book in a clear, nonjudgemental manner, Narrator Jack has provided a great service to the authors and the audio readers.
This book was given as a gift

Wakes you up about the medical profession.

What made the experience of listening to Wall of Silence the most enjoyable?

Great Narrator made this enjoyable.

What other book might you compare Wall of Silence to and why?

Tom's River

Which scene was your favorite?

The information you gather from this book is very informative.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Sad to read about all the mistakes that do not have to happen. And all the mistakes that are caught.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.

Terrifying!

This book is a terrifying exposé about medical mistakes and how they are covered up and ignored. The stories of many deaths and injuries are so scary, I am glad that I trust my child's doctor. The narrator did a phenomenal job with this book. He has the voice of a news anchor, and really comes across as understanding the awful events retold in this book. I think all politicians should be forced to listen to this.
I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Outstanding!