100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

🎉 Meet Toy Hero - our brand-new toy store, built by the team behind Book Hero

Blood Work

A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution
3.65 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 2,627 ratings, 310 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In December 1667, maverick physician Jean Denis performed one of history's first transfusions by injecting calf's blood into a notorious madman in Paris. When the patient dies days later, Denis is framed for murder, unveiling fierce debates, deadly politics, and rivalries in early medical experimentation. Blood Work vividly transports readers from royal dissection rooms to Parisian streets, exploring ethical questions that still resonate in modern medical science.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$5299
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in medical history, science, and ethical dilemmas, as well as fans of engaging, well-researched narrative non-fiction.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

"Excellent…Tucker’s chronicle of the world of 17th-century science in London and Paris is fascinating." —The Economist

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In December 1667, maverick physician Jean Denis transfused calf's blood into one of Paris's most notorious madmen. Days later, the madman was dead and Denis was framed for murder.

A riveting exposé of the fierce debates, deadly politics, and cutthroat rivalries behind the first transfusion experiments, Blood Work takes us from dissection rooms in palaces to the streets of Paris, providing an unforgettable portrait of an era that wrestled with the same questions about morality and experimentation that haunt medical science today.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Blood Work has been praised as "ingenious, engaging, and disquieting," masterfully weaving faith, politics, and knowledge into a rich narrative (Boston Globe). Reviews call it "multilayered and engrossing" with a "riveting story" (Seattle Times), and Publishers Weekly highlights Tucker's detective-like investigation as adding drama to the shaping of modern science. Deborah Blum describes it as "smart and addictive."

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780393342239

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 21 May 2012

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Illustration: 33 illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 211.0mm

Weight: 420g

Pages: 338

About the Author

Holly Tucker is an associate professor at Vanderbilt University's Center for Medicine, Health & Society and Department of French & Italian. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Also by Holly Tucker

View all
  • City of Light, City of Poison
    In the late 1600s, Louis XIV assigns Nicolas de la Reynie to bring order to Paris after the brutal deaths of two magistrates. Reynie, pragmatic and fearless, discovers a network of witches, poisoners, and priests whose reach extends all the way to the king's court at Versailles. Based on court transcripts and Reynie's compulsive note-taking, Holly Tucker's engrossing true-crime narrative,...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks

More from Uncategorised

View all
  • Gift Wrap
    Transform any book into the perfect gift with Book Hero's premium gift wrap! Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply surprising a loved one, our gift wrap adds an extra layer of excitement to your thoughtful gesture. Features: Elegant Design: Our gift wrap features a timeless design that complements any book, making it ideal for birthdays, holidays, or any...
    From Free
    (3)
  • Shadows of Navarre (Fourth Wing) Bookmark
    Rebecca Yarros reignited the romantasy genre with the release of Fourth Wing (2023), the first book in her Empyrean series. Centered around 20-year-old dragon-rider recruit Violet Sorrengail, the series defies traditional fantasy tropes by offering readers a female hero who is both formidable and deeply human.
    Miscellaneous print
    $795
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Tell Your Life Story
    Everyone has a life story. This is your chance to share yours. The Official Hear Your Story Collection Everyone has a life story. This is your chance to share yours. Leave a legacy with this guided journal to sharing your cherished memories, hard-earned wisdom, and proudest achievements. From bestselling creator of the Hear Your Story series Jeffrey Mason, Tell Your...
    Paperback
    $2099
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Hunger Code
    From the author of the multi-million-copy bestseller The Obesity Code comes The Hunger Code. For generations, we've accepted the story that weight loss never lasts - that as soon as you go off your diet or stop taking your medication you will revert to your old self and regain weight, and the dieting journey will start all over again. But...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Shadows of Navarre (Fourth Wing) Midi Lined Hardcover Journal
    Rebecca Yarros reignited the romantasy genre with the release of Fourth Wing (2023), the first book in her Empyrean series. Centered around 20-year-old dragon-rider recruit Violet Sorrengail, the series defies traditional fantasy tropes by offering readers a female hero who is both formidable and deeply human.
    Hardback
    $3295
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Kara-ori (Japanese Kimono) Bookmark
    Showcasing silk dyed with beni (the pigment extracted from safflower petals) and lacquered in gold, this kimono design dates to the Edo period (1615–1868), when it was used as a costume for the theatrical style known as Noh. Kara-ori refers specifically to the exquisitely embroidered women's kimono that traditional Noh theatre was known for.
    Miscellaneous print
    $795
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dazzas Cooked
    This book is a celebration of Darren’s biggest hits, the recipes that put Ashby Pies on the map. Inside Dazza’s Cooked you will find chapters including: – Pies: beef cheek and cheese, roast lamb and rosemary, smoked fish pie.– Corner Bakery: bacon, beer and cheese scones, cinnamon buns, apple turnovers.– Snacks: sticky chicken nibbles, fish crudo, lamb ribs.– Meat: pork...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $4999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Magic of Wicked (Wicked Collection) Bookmark
    Miscellaneous print
    $750
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Kim A Journey Between Worlds
    Born Māori (Ngātikahungunu), raised Pakeha, Kim Rangiaonui Logan's father was commander in D Company, 8th Māori Battalion, but returned from war a damaged man, unable to cope with his children. But this is no misery memoir. Kim climbed away, literally - Everest, Aorangi Mt Cook, anywhere, to love and contentment, and in the process reconnected with his Whakapapa. Now living...
    Paperback
    $5500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • What We Did to Survive
    A vacation in paradise turns deadly when four teens' sailing charter hits stormy seas in this propulsive new thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Megan Lally! What We Did to Survive follows Hannah, who can't wait to spend spring break with her best friend, Emmy, and her family. A week at a resort in Mexico is...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Meeting Place
    Paperback
    $4400
    Elsewhere:
    $4999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Australia Wall Map Laminated Paper Handy Map 745 x 620
    Wall map of Australia featuring Hema's customary mapping detail including National Parks, major road networks, and distances. Single-sided map in four sizes and your choice of finish from unlaminated, laminated (encapsulation) and laminated paper. Available in three finishes and four sizes as follows:  Finish Laminated paper - mass-produced by a third-party printer Laminated encapsulated - high quality produced by Hema Maps Photo...
    Paperback
    $3995
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.