ATTENDING Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity

For Dr. Epstein, "attending" has a double meaning--both a chief physician and a mindful, compassionate physician who is present and attuned to a patient's needs. Epstein argues that being mindful improves everyone's quality of life and work satisfaction, no matter the profession. Jonathan Todd Ross's serious narration is authoritative and clear, but it lacks the liveliness to keep the listener focused and, well, attentive, to Epstein's key concepts. It's hard to imagine how a physician in the current fragmented health system could be his or her best professional and personal self, given the constraints of 15-minute appointments and record keeping designed for billing rather than patient care. While there's no question that Epstein's ideal physician is what every patient desires, Ross needed to make this audio experience a little more absorbing. A.B. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2017]