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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Overall a very well done book, both informative and engrossing. Enjoyed the focus on the patients and particular cases that Dr. Vertosick dealt with throughout his career and the impact that they had both on his life and his perception of medicine. Enjoyed how the clinical tales were easy to follow even given my limited previous knowledge on the brain and neurosurgery terminology, everything was explained. Good balance of discussion about the trials of medical study without having a tone of complaining. Finally this book was very captivating enabling me to learn more about the brain, medicine and life and career choice in general.
I love the brain, so this was a great read to me. I really enjoyed Vertosick's writing style... very insightful and he was funny too. This book took you through his evolution from young intern to world-class neurosurgeon, and included many different patient cases. A great read for just about anyone.
This book is an exceptional piece of writing. I have read a lot of surgeon's memoirs and stories from them, but this one stood out to me. The way that he makes everything in the hospital environment and his personal life very real rather than very perfect is what is making me relate to him more than anything else. To me, he feels more like a friend or a brother and as I read the book I feel like we are having a conversation because of the writing style being very interactive. What I love about the writing style is how he has incorporated both his conversations with the patients and other medical fellows as well as his thought process which helps me as in guides me through the whole situation as though I am really present there. The next fact that made me love this book is that in each chapter he shares a patient and a challenging surgery or patient situation he encountered, but each comes with a lesson that the author learned from it. Rather than driving the book in a manner of advice, he drives it purely based on what he got out of it and what he personally achieved. Rather than sharing what he learned he makes it more personalized by sharing how he learned it. I hate to spoil but the although the whole book made me go through a lot of emotional ups and downs as I read it, the ending touched my heart even more. Throughout the whole book he showcases his journey of confidences that led him to become the neurosurgeon and the best one he became but at the end what happens what purely something I did not see coming and made me feel so sad for everything he has been through and finally has to deal with. He ends the book by saying that this book is evergreen as it still plays a significant role in today's world and he is absolutely right about it.
This is a very interesting memoir about how the author became a neurosurgeon. The stories are fascinating, with a good mixture between heart-breaking ones and uplifting ones. I kept looking forward to being able to get back to the audio book and hear the next story. Even though some of the techniques or training methods may be a bit dated now, the human aspects have not changed.
my earlier review stands...I liked the case studies, but didn't like the man telling them.
This book is as amazing as it is scary. The fragility of the brain, the razors edge of life and disability is stark. It describes the reality of the practice of medicine. Great read.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced
Incredible retelling of real cases experienced by the doctor during his neurosurgical residency.