Review of Unclean Hands

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Unclean Hands" by Andrew Schafer.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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COVID-19 has shown us how basic hygiene can save lives. When there were no vaccines to protect humanity from the virus, the world resorted to non-pharmaceutical interventions such as regular washing of hands. In Unclean Hands by Andrew Schafer, we follow a young and impressionable Ignác Semmelweis as he heads out to a university in Vienna to study law. His dear friend and roommate, Marko, helped him to get settled and acquainted with the area. Marko planted seeds of doubt in Ignác and convinced him to change from law to medicine. It took little convincing, and Ignác swapped briefcases for stethoscopes and registered for a qualification in medicine.

As an Aspirant of Professor Klein, Doctor Ignác began practicing at Allgemeine Krankenhaus in 1844. When he joined the hospital, he learned that mothers and children were dying in large numbers shortly after childbirth due to childbed fever. Determined to stop the deaths, Doctor Ignác identified the root cause of the fever transmission and discovered that regular washing of hands could help curb the deaths. Implementing the handwashing regimen came with many challenges, and the young doctor soon learned how the dirty games of politics influence the decisions made by medical fraternities in Vienna. Did the introduction of regular and vigorous hand washing help decrease or eliminate childbed fever deaths? Who was against the implementation of a potential breakthrough measure, and what did they stand to gain? To what lengths were the gatekeepers willing to go to ensure that Dr. Ignác’s handwashing strategy failed? Read Unclean Hands to get answers to these questions and be enlightened.

The storyline was exceptionally crafted and well-executed, and the characters were well-developed and believable. I liked Dr. Ignác’s multi-dimensional character. Following his personal life and career journey added to my enjoyment of the novel. The editing of the book was impeccable, as I only spotted a few minor errors, and the storyline flowed smoothly.

I was outraged at the treatment Dr. Ignác received from his colleagues and superiors and the attempts to silence him. Learning about individuals who are willing to go to extreme lengths to silence those who discover monumental breakthroughs is not only heartbreaking, but it is an injustice to humanity. Imagine if a COVID-19 vaccine was found, but those in power prevented the masses from ever knowing about it, let alone benefit from it. This novel paints a grim picture of how politics can affect the quality of life of citizens.

One of the positive aspects of this book was the inclusion of endnotes. Although the book is a historical fiction novel, the author drew inspiration from the true story of Ignác Semmelweis, who lived over a hundred years ago. The endnotes provided additional reading material and resources on the real Ignác Semmelweis to support the statements made in the novel. He also used the endnotes to provide background stories about some of the characters and events. I was also delighted to learn how, despite being a civilized and scientifically advanced world, we still rely on methods that were discovered and used centuries ago.

I did not find any negative aspects in this book. For this reason and the fact that I enjoyed the novel, I am rating it 4 out of 4 stars.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction novels. Part of my enjoyment of the book was heightened by the inclusion of chemists and pharmacist characters. I, therefore, believe that readers who like science-related novels will enjoy this book.

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Unclean Hands
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[Charleslee]

Even before the covid it's always good to wash hands regularly to avoid germs. Thanks for the review.

[Achoti]

Seems handwashing has indeed come a long way and it might be here to stay, great review

[Ekezie1998]

Something as basic as washing hands could save more lives. Indeed, sometimes the key to something difficult lies in something so simple.

[Astral Magi]

I din't think I will be reading this book, but it does sound quite informative. Thank you for a great review.

[markodim721]

I believe that this book should be read by everyone. Thanks for the reading recommendation.

[Prisallen]

How frustrating and disheartening it must have been to have had to endure the opposition to such a basic principle as hand washing. It is hard to imagine that people could be so cold and callous as to oppose such a simple procedure for political or monetary gain, especially knowing that it could save people's lives. Thank you for an excellent review!

[Raluca_Mihaila]

I didn't know that the simple act of washing hands can create so many problems. I would love to read the book since medical-themes fictions are my favorite. Thank you for this wonderful introduction!

[Ellylion]

Wow, this is a book so worth reading! I've heard about medical workers who never washed their hands while assisting with a childbirth, but I couldn't imagine someone would suppress a new word in medicine. Thank you very much for this amazing review!

[Saint Bruno]

I love historical fiction book, but the way you have analysed the book makes it a hard to pass by. Thanks for your detailed review and recommendation.

[NancyDrew12]

Hygiene is very important. Something as simple as properly washing hands can stop the spreading of many germs and bacteria. Great review!

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

Even before the covid it's always good to wash hands regularly to avoid germs. Thanks for the review.

True. This book shows how basic hygiene practices can save lives.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

Seems handwashing has indeed come a long way and it might be here to stay, great review

It's amazing how it is so simple yet so overlooked. Thanks for engaging Achoti

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

Something as basic as washing hands could save more lives. Indeed, sometimes the key to something difficult lies in something so simple.

Exactly! It is inexpensive and doesn't require much effort yet it's so effective.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

I din't think I will be reading this book, but it does sound quite informative. Thank you for a great review.

Different strokes for different strokes I guess. I appreciate you for taking the time to read the review.