The Strange Malady of Alessandro’s Uncle and Other Stories

In his opening story, Tony Holtzman ridicules the world of medical meetings and the interplay of biomedical science, the mass media, and capitalism. He returns to medicine in the closing story, where he takes aim at the dream of winning a Nobel Prize, a not uncommon delusion. The stories in between are an eclectic assortment, touching lightly on sexism, racism, ageism, prejudice, climate change, and reality television. Far from ponderous or purposeful, the stories are amusing and suspenseful. Holtzman draws on his experience as a medical scientist at Johns Hopkins where he is now Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics.