This engrossing, timely, and highly illustrated biography of the father of modern surgery reveals the shocking practices of surgeons before Joseph Lister proved where infections come from.

In 1841, a quiet, curious boy who stuttered when nervous committed to becoming a surgeon—a profession then more feared than respected.

Through study, persistence, and careful research, Joseph Lister proved that unsanitary conditions contribute to infections. Despite others scoffing at his ideas, Lister slowly changed the way all surgeons work, saving countless lives.

Sibert Honor-winner Lori Alexander’s accessible and lively biography of Lister contains fun—and sometimes gory—facts about the history of science and engaging illustrations by Daniel Duncan. 

How did one man change the world with a simple, revolutionary idea?

• The History of Hospitals: Discover a time when hospitals were called “houses of death,” and a simple cut could be a death sentence.
• An Unlikely Hero: Meet Joseph Lister, a quiet boy who stuttered, whose persistence changed medicine forever, even when other doctors scoffed at his ideas.
• The Scientific Method in Action: Follow Lister as he connects the dots from a French chemist’s work on spoiled wine to the germs causing deadly infections in his own patients.
• Gory and Great Illustrations: See the grisly details of nineteenth-century surgery come to life through engaging and historically accurate illustrations perfect for curious young readers.