It’s hard to draw the line between knowledge and wisdom, but I think the main difference between the two is that wisdom requires experience. When Gawanda gives us the percentage of people in retirement homes or the statistics proving that people live longer nowadays, that is knowledge. They are statistics anyone can find by a simple google search. Knowledge is important, especially when making an argument, but not very personal; knowledge is the same no matter who knows it. Statistics or facts don’t change. Wisdom, on the other hand, is very subjective. When Gawanda talks about his own personal experiences with his patients and what he has learned form them, that is wisdom that he has gained.
I think Gawanda’s thesis - that medicine is not always a cure - comes from a mixture of both knowledge and wisdom. He uses statistics that he has found through his research as well as his own personal experiences with patients to back up his claim. Although I think knowledge and wisdom are both imperative to research, I prefer when he uses wisdom over knowledge. Reading about his experiences and the wisdom he has gained makes the book more relatable and easier to understand.
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