What do we hope for in a historical review? I had hoped that this book would provide a history of Jewish physicians in the social context of their times, a view of their lives, and a coherent picture of their medical practices. The author promises a narrative approach and one based on social history more than on biography. Although his treatment of the material is broad, for the most part, this book falls short of the mark.

The text is organized into 21 brief chapters, each somewhat localized in place and time, such as the chapter on 18th century Russian physicians. Each chapter contains various brief descriptions of many physicians and brief reviews of the medical practices of the time.

The book's primary drawbacks are the brevity of each description and the discontinuity between vignettes, which leads to fragmentation, a lack of narrative, and a "difficult read." It is also difficult to perceive any unifying theme in the book.

The text would be strengthened if it discussed fewer lives in greater detail and provided a broader treatment of social context (comparative practices, historical settings, and patients' lives).

Although some of the material is of interest, it is difficult to extract. The Jewish Doctor has some interesting moments, but I cannot recommend it as a whole.