Thurs. March 22

 When we were growing up, no one questioned Dr. Marcus Welby, M.D. He, of course, was on TV where doctors did no wrong. But that was just a reflection of real life, certainly in our neck of the woods where our father suffered a heart attack and died at 62, a week after being examined by our family doctor and given a clean bill of health. Did we blame the doctor? No, doctors were all powerful. Stuff happens. In retrospect, knowing what we think we know now, maybe we should have. There were warning signs, it seems. But that was then ... Now, Dr. Jerome Groopman is here - Thursday March 22 at Brookline Booksmith - to read from and discuss "How Doctors Think," in which we learn you're not just paranoid if you're questioning the doctor's judgment. Dr. Groopman looks at how medical mistakes get made and recommends smart choices the patient can make in the face of such overpowering medical knowledge. It's free at 7 p.m. (Groopman, a New Yorker staffer, also penned "The Anatomy of Hope" and "The Measure of Our Days.")

279 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-566-6660 brooklinebooksmith.com