New York Times - How patients think, and how they should

(Book review by McGill professor Dan Levitin)

Most of us believe we are rational decision makers. But medical decisions are especially complex, thanks to the numerous unknowns and the uniqueness of each person’s body.

Suppose you’ve just found out that you or a loved one has prostate cancer, one of the many examples in Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband’s illuminating new book, “Your Medical Mind.” Nearly every urologist would recommend radical surgery to remove the organ. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?