Meet the brilliant mavericks who invented the future of medicine and saved the lives of millions.

The Essence of Invention tells the story of medical invention, from the development of anesthesia and safe surgery, through to the advent of vaccines against smallpox, polio, and Covid-19, that have changed the very foundation of patient care. Dr. Kieran Murphy, a renowned neuroradiologist and inventor in his own right, captures the mind of the inventor — their turmoil, their persistence, their rejection by their peers — and how a small percentage are eventually recognized.

The same kind of energy that drove van Gogh or the Beatles can manifest in medicine as inventiveness and the creation of new medical devices. The field may be very different from what is traditionally considered a creative industry, but the fundamental energy, drive, motivation, dreaming, aspiration, belief, and resilience are the same.

In The Essence of Invention, Dr. Murphy celebrates the creative energy of courageous men and women who changed the world through medical science. He honours their unique gifts, and explains how a culture of creativity and collaboration can and must be established around them to allow their talents to take flight.