The Word On The Street Blog

The Word On The Street Toronto will be hosting the authors and editors of all five finalists for the 2017 Toronto Book Awards at this year’s festival on Sunday, September 24, at Harbourfront Centre. As a special treat, we’ll be posting reviews of the nominated books in the weeks leading up to the festival from a panel of writers, reviewers, and editors working in Toronto today.

Our first review is of Life on the Ground Floor by James Maskalyk, reviewed by Nikloina Likarev. Nikolina is the first of five 2017 Toronto Book Awards reviewers. James Maskalyk will be reading at The Word On the Street at Harbourfront Centre on September 24, from 1:00pm – 1:30pm at the Toronto Book Awards Tent. This year’s Toronto Book Awards will be awarded on October 12, 2017.

From the beginning, James Maskalyk’s Life on the Ground Floor has an atmosphere of momentum. The non-fiction book weaves in the personal experiences of Dr. Maskalyk as he tends to his grandfather and other patients in the ER of Toronto’s St. Mike’s and abroad, in countries like Ethiopia and Sudan. Maskalyk’s approach is relatable, straightforward and informative. Chapters are organized by the essential alphabetical steps in treating a patient, starting with A for ensuring a clear airway, and ending in Z for “ze end.” All the while, a flare for the poetic adds rhythm and depth to the narrative:

The drugs we use are similar to the adrenalin that surges when you’re walking down a dark alley and two men step from the shadows […]. The heart speeds, the pressure hammers, pupils widen to allow in as much light as possible, because death is near and we must see more clearly than ever before whether to fightfightfight or runrunrun. For some of us, our last sensation will be of being fully, forcefully alive.

The combination of the intertwining stories of Maskalyk’s experiences emphasizes the necessity for holistic medicine. This especially comes together in the “D is for drugs” chapter. Maskalyk slips into a remembrance of how he stopped and assessed his grandfather’s prescriptions as he was taking care of him. Based on Dr. Maskalyk’s knowledge of his grandfather’s ills and philosophy on a life well-lived, Maskalyk is able to narrow down the pills his grandfather should be taking. With his suggestion, the drawer-full of yellow pill bottles in his grandfather’s kitchen becomes only a few select bottles. Maskalyk thinks back to how a teacher from medical school “insisted that anyone […] admitted to hospital should have all their drugs stopped, so we could reintroduce the fewest a person needed, one at a time.” “Good medicine,” said Maskalyk’s teacher “was getting out of the body’s way as much as possible.”

Along with facts about the prescription drug industry, this chapter paints an informative and human-centric picture of the role of drugs in the ER. The rest of the book continues in this vein, where a consideration for maintaining health and wellness go hand-in-hand, for the patient and the doctor or nurse. All the while, the descriptions of the ongoing work being done outside of Canada force one to consider the vast differences in the distribution of resources around the world. The multiple issues covered ensure a read full of interesting layers to unpack. Above all, the book is about human connection through the lens of medicine.

As someone who has experienced grief in the not too distant past, I see how this book would especially speak to those who have experienced death in some shape or form. Learning about the body and hearing tidbits of all the ways people find themselves close to “ze end” leaves one feeling reflective on the quality of life for all human beings. The title draws its significance from the fact the ER must always be on the ground floor since a few minutes or seconds in the transportation of a patient could result in a serious side effect. The book itself is incredibly grounding and a must read for anyone wanting to learn more about health, wellness, living with purpose, or even how to be a better human.

Nikolina Likarevic is a librarian. She holds an MA in modern literature and a Master of Information in Library and Information Science. She is the Associate Editor of Sewer Lid, a magazine of urban art and literature, and a Digital Editor for Open Shelf, an online magazine of the Ontario Library Association.

What was James Maskalyk’s first internationally bestselling book?

Check out our website for clues, and send the answer to  justin@thewordonthestreet.ca to be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of Life on the Ground Floor by James Maskalyk!

Contest Rules

• One entry per person.
• An entrant’s name will be randomly drawn by The Word On The Street Staff.
• Deadline to enter contest: September 13, 2017, 5:00pm.
• Send in your answer to justin@thewordonthestreet.ca to enter.
• Prize pack must either be picked up at the festival on September 25 OR at The Word On The Street office in Liberty Village (details on date and time TBD).

Keep an eye out for the rest of the Toronto Book Awards reviews, and more chances to enter.