Some doctors really are geniuses

I was excited to see that Atul Gawande was given one of this year's MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellowships. His writing on the challenges of modern health care -- from conveying the importance of autopsies to grieving families to treating something as tricky as chronic nausea -- was my favorite thing in The New Yorker (we let our subscription lapse).

If you enjoy thoughtful and eye-opening essays on medical education and life in the hospital, you really should check out his book, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science.

I was also pleased to see one of my favorite writers, George Saunders, named as a fellow.