Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle

This was a wonderful read. It was informative and interesting but read like a novel not a text book.

I am a physician specializing in diabetes treatment. I've been around quite a while, having graduated medical school in 1964. Over this time span I've been fortunate to watch a gradual development in our understanding of the science and treatment of diabetes that looked at cumulatively has been truly remarkable. Nothing however could possibly match the drama of the initial development and use of insulin. There are very few medical stories that can match it.Medicine is science with a very human side. And what could be more thrilling than the tale of the race to unlock the secret of converting dying and starving children into healthy cheerful youngsters. The story of the inspirations, the adademic intrigues, the moments of hope and despair and discovery are all told in a masterful way by Ms Hughes in this historical novel. It's truly worth reading.Some years ago I was privileged to meet Teddy Ryder, one of subjects described in the book whose life was saved. He was in his 70's, 50 years on insulin and still going strong. It's nice to read a true story with a happy ending.

It was a good book but since Elizabeth refused to talk about her diabetes obviously a lot of it was heresay. Interesting that even back in the 20s you had to have money for decent medical care (if it wasn't for her dads power and influence she wouldn't have gone on insulin).It's too bad Elizabeth was so secretive about her diabetes. As a T1D that was diagnosed in the early 80's I was always hearing stories about how short the life span for a lot of T1Ds is. She lives to be 74 and was on insulin for over 60 years and this was before all the breakthroughs we have today and from being on a starvation diet for a couple years. She could have really given a lot of hope to diabetics.They do need to update the ending and talk about some of the other insulins available.

Several books related to the discovery and historical work involved in producing sufficient quantities of insulin to manage patients with insulin dependent diabetes have been published in this the 100 year anniversary of that dramatic advance in medicine. As a clinician who has cared for many children with diabetes and dozens of episodes of ketoacidosis I have often contemplated how children with type 1 diabetes and doctors experienced life in the world before insulin, antibiotics and modern immunizations. This book provides that perspective by elaborating on a rather in depth base of historical data. The history, academic squabbles and delineation of the advances in the preparation and improvement in insulin production are elsewhere. Fascinating to hear Eli Lilly worked to significantly increase production and lower the cost of insulin in order to literally save the lives of as many as possible of the literally millions of children with juvenile onset of type 1 diabetes regardless of their socioeconomic status. Great role model for pharmaceutical companies today. I have known many children who like Elizabeth Hughes do not want to share their medical information with others. As everyone in medicine should be taught it is the child with diabetes and not the diabetic in room 418 who needs our care.

Fascinated with the history of diabetes. The discovery of insulin is a huge part of this, but the fact that they used a way of eating and fasting to control is paramount.

Fascinating book about something I feel like we take for granted. Hard to believe that just about 100 years ago a diagnosis of type one diabetes was a death sentence. And if you did manage to live any length of time it was a pretty miserable life of starvation. Very well written and researched book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I am sorry that Elizabeth Hughes chose to hide her diabetes and declined to support research in her bequests. She could have been a powerful voice! I do not see how she successfully hid her disease from her fiance until after they were engaged, did not tell her children and lived for so many years without telling people about it. Even with the vastly improved diagnostic, testing and dosing techniques, I find it difficult to "not tell." I don't feel like I have to talk about it all the time, but a lot of times it is easier to just explain.I was a little disappointed to read how much of the story was "imagined" when I got to the end of the book, but it was still a good story.

One of my children has type 1 diabetes so it was a bit emotional for me to read about how it was developed. This was a well-written and interesting read!

Es un buen libro a nivel de divulgación sobre el impacto que tuvo el descubrimiento de la insulina en las vidas de las personas con Diabetes tipo 1.A nivel narrativo, me ha decepcionado. Los personajes no son creíbles. El libro es muy denso. El autor no se arriesga a imaginarse cómo podrían haber sido las cosas por miedo a no ser exacto, de modo que las relaciones familiares están estereotipadas (las hermanas se quieren mucho, la madre es muy maternal, el padre es un hombre de negocios) y quizás, los más estereotipados sean los médicos que aparecen en el libro.Reconozco que me he saltado párrafos enteros y que el libro no me ha emocionado en absoluto. Aún así, reconozco el mérito de haber abordado con rigor histórico un tema tan importante como el descubrimiento de la insulina.

Working as a paediatric endocrinologist this book gives a fascinating insight into the years of the discovery of insulin and individual families struck by diabetes. Some problems in children with diabetes are still the same! But luckily our arsenal of therapy is much better.

Very good book, could not put it down. Deserves wider readership, recommended as s starter for anyone wanting to get to grips with this exciting part of history.

Informative and humbling to know how recent the control has been established. Bit boring to read in parts.