Surgeon General's Warning

July 7, 2014
It's been a long slide to irrelevance for America's surgeon general, Associated Press medical journalist Stobbe argues in this history of "America's doctor." Stobbe contends that politicization of the job "stripped away most of the position's responsibilities" and made the surgeon general vulnerable to White House whims. Nevertheless, from its inception in 1871 the men and women appointed used their "bully pulpit" to tackle the most important health issues of the day. Stobbe hails those who made enduring contributions, like Luther Terry, whose report on smoking "proved a turning point" in the general population's attitudes towards its dangers; William Stewart, who helped lead the desegregation of hospitals and decried the lack of quality care for the poor; and C. Everett Koop, who defied expectations of his social conservatism and elevated the job to such heights that reporters began describing his job as that of the "nation's doctor." He also unveils those who condoned unconscionable treatment of public health issues, like Hugh Cumming who "blessed the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment" in the 1930s that secretly deprived black participants effective treatment. Stobbe's skillful, engaging report is especially relevant today as the public's health continues to challenge the nation's leaders.

June 1, 2014
A richly detailed account of the rise and fall of the United States surgeon general.In this debut, Associated Press national medical correspondent Stobbe offers a history of the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, which, since the 1870s, has been the home base for the federal doctor in charge of America's health. As the head of the Health Service Commissioned Corps (comprising 6,500 health professionals on call for public health emergencies), the surgeon general has historically been in a position to speak more candidly than other health officials about controversial issues. Most memorably, C. Everett Koop used his post as a bully pulpit to educate the public on AIDS in the 1980s. Most surgeons general have not been so outspoken, however, and many have succumbed to political interference. Today, with diminished powers, the surgeon general can no longer succeed in "increasingly partisan and embattled Washington." Indeed, the position should probably be abolished. Stobbe tells the stories of 18 people who have held the post, from Hugh Cumming, a courtly Ivy Leaguer who reigned for 16 years (1920-1936) thanks to close ties to presidents, to the polarizing Joycelyn Elders, who served for 15 months (1993-1994) before resigning after speaking candidly about the teaching of masturbation. Activist surgeons general made a difference: Thomas Parran became a celebrity in the 1930s and '40s as he campaigned against venereal disease; Luther Terry issued a landmark 1964 report on smoking and health. In 1979, Julius Richmond's Healthy People report changed the way Americans think about their health, focusing on unhealthy behaviors rather than infections and unsanitary conditions. Stobbe chronicles the office's handling of such issues as pandemics, the polio vaccine, smoking, lead poisoning and obesity.An important book for policymakers. Many readers will lament the declining state of a post that has contributed much to the country's health.

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 1, 2014

Associated Press national medical correspondent Stobbe's remarkably enjoyable and fast-moving history describes the rise to prominence of the office of the surgeon general, which reached its peak in the 1920s-1930s, gradually declined in midcentury, and went on to lose much of its luster to other nationally prominent physicians. Biographical sketches serve to differentiate each of the last 18 surgeons general from the 19th century through the present, and Stobbe seamlessly combines their personal and professional stories with details of politics, presidents, and public health crises. He also discusses the singular "bully pulpit role" occupied by the surgeon general and the tolerance (or lack thereof) shown by the public, Congress, and industry for each problem tackled, from obesity to smoking and from venereal disease to AIDS. The author concludes with the controversial notion that it may no longer be necessary to have a surgeon general. The references cover a wide range of types, from interviews to scholarly sources to websites. VERDICT This tome will prove eye-opening to anyone interested in American history and politics. It is highly recommended for all collections, from high school through history of medicine, and would make an excellent bookend to John Duffy's classic The Sanitarians.--Martha Stone, Treadwell Lib., Boston

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2014
Stobbe, national medical correspondent for the Associated Press, delivers a riveting history of the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General and the 18 doctors who held the post, beginning in 1871 with General William Sherman's chief medical officer, John Woodworth. Stobbe spent seven years on this study of the nation's doctor, interviewing nearly every living surgeon general. A few of many fascinating facts: Hugh Cumming, who became surgeon general in 1920, helped abolish the shared drinking cup at public water fountains; Thomas Parran, who became surgeon general in 1936, condoned the arrest of women deemed promiscuous spreaders of venereal disease; and in 1957, surgeon general Leroy Burney issued a 660-word statement on cigarette smoking and lung cancer. Later, C. Everett Koop became a hero for taking on Big Tobacco and advocating condom use and sexual education to help Americans understand and combat AIDS. Stobbe covers the proud moments and the despicable ones (the Tuskegee experiment on black men with syphilis). He covers the rise (18711948), the decline (194980), the struggle (19812001), and the plummet (2002present), sadly concluding that because politicians have taken away the chief MD's ability to be an independent speaker of truth, it may be time to shutter the Office of the Surgeon General. An outstanding resource on the history of U.S. public health.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)