Do No Harm

Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery

By: Henry Marsh

Narrated by: Jim Barclay

With compassion and candor, leading neurosurgeon Henry Marsh reveals the fierce joy of operating, the profoundly moving triumphs, the harrowing disasters, the haunting regrets, and the moments of black humor that characterize a brain surgeon's life. If you believe that brain surgery is a precise and exquisite craft practiced by calm and detached surgeons, this gripping, brutally honest account will make you think again.

©2015 Henry Marsh (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Neurosurgery has met its Boswell in Henry Marsh. Painfully honest about the mistakes that can 'wreck' a brain, exquisitely attuned to the tense and transient bond between doctor and patient, and hilariously impatient of hospital management, Marsh draws us deep into medicine's most difficult art and lifts our spirits. It's a superb achievement." (Ian McEwan)

"His love for brain surgery and his patients shines through, but the specialty - shrouded in secrecy and mystique when he entered it - has now firmly had the rug pulled out from under it. We should thank Henry Marsh for that." ( The Times)

"When a book opens like this: 'I often have to cut into the brain and it is something I hate doing' - you can't let it go, you have to read on, don't you? Brain surgery, that's the most remote thing for me, I don't know anything about it, and as it is with everything I'm ignorant of, I trust completely the skills of those who practice it, and tend to forget the human element, which is failures, misunderstandings, mistakes, luck and bad luck, but also the non-professional, everyday life that they have. Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery by Henry Marsh reveals all of this, in the midst of life-threatening situations, and that's one reason to read it; true honesty in an unexpected place. But there are plenty of others - for instance, the mechanical, material side of being, that we also are wire and strings that can be fixed, not unlike cars and washing machines, really." (Karl Ove Knausgaard, Financial Times)

Heady stuff (har har)

I like books about the workings of the brain, including this one. As a memoir, it had less of the instructional and more of personal perspective. Different from what I usually read, but enlightening to discover the struggles with bureaucracy and with maintaining compassion that brain surgeons endure.

Acerbic and accurate

I have practiced medicine many years and have rarely heard the essential truths better expressed. This is a fascinating book by an admirable physician. You will be glad you read it.

When the Air Hits Your Brain...

I loved "When the Air Hits Your Brain" by Frank T Vertosick, so I was cautiously optimistic about picking up another book on brain surgery. Happily, Henry Marsh is an excellent storyteller who approaches the topic of brain surgery from his personal experience. Henry walks through the stories of his late career, looking back more than looking forward, and he touches on some of the themes from "When the Air...". Generally speaking, that surgeons with power over life often struggle with ego and are haunted by the procedures that didn't turn out according to plan. Henry's account of the UK hospital trust system is often comedic, and befitting a "Brain Surgeons in Cars, Getting Coffee" series on Netflix. In the end, I think I'd recommend "When the Air..." over "Do No Harm" for its coverage of the field of brain surgery in the 1970's and 1980's, but in the end reading both was great and I'm looking forward to Henry's next book, "Admissions".

Honest and interesting

Content was interesting and informing
The honesty refreshing yet alarming
A good argument against nationalized health care

Riveting

Listened to the book after hearing Terry Gross Fresh Air interview with the author. Highly engaging and wonderfully literate. Particularly good performance. Expect to be a bit depressed (it IS about brain surgery).

Contemporary Neurosurgery: a reality check

Amazingly frank compilation of insights by a leading Neurosurgeon of our times. ‘There are no miracles in brain surgery’ is one of the many revelations well known within the medical community, but not in keeping with public’s expectations. And nowhere is the absurd hopelessness of a nationalized health system unmasked more clearly than in this first book of Mr Marsh. Questions of humanity, meaning of life, what price for dignity and mere survival are presented from the unique perspective of a senior Neurosurgeon at the tail end of his career. While his thoughts may disappoint some, the reality presented will hopefully inspire development of a more healthcare delivery approach beyond algorithms and formulas.

Excellent

A very good listen, The descriptions of the various brain tumors are interesting and if the book consisted of nothing but this I would have loved it.

But then when he goes on tangents about this committee or that committee getting in the way of his work and annoying him with all of the nonsense he has to endure it's downright hilarious. Interesting to see that even highly specialized brain surgeons are not immune to the effects of workplace politics.

I couldn't put it down!

I really enjoyed this book. Well written, very interesting subject, well performed, a great read!

Neurosurgery tales done with excellent narration

Any additional comments?

I wasn't sure at first if I would like this book, but I had heard the author on a radio interview and gave it a try. It's a fascinating look into the world of neurosurgery, and it's effect on the surgeon and the people he treats. Sometimes the author comes across as a caring, sensitive person, other times as an arrogant surgeon who believes he is the smartest guy in the room, and occasionally as a snarky, grumpy old guy. but through it all, he comes across as a human being with human strengths and flaws. I would let this guy work on my brain, attitude and all. The narration is great, his voice conveying the author's anger, compassion or derision perfectly in that clipped upper middle class english accent.

Real, Raw, and Really Good

I was surprised to see that this book was not narrated by the author as the narrator was completely believable as the neuro surgeon, Mr. Marsh. Having been an OR nurse and now in administration at a hospital I found this book to be so accurate in terms of what a surgeon goes through in the OR and behind the scenes. Mr. Marsh's frustrations, failures, and flaws all ground the narrative in reality. It is amazing to be the guy inside your brain when everything turns out well. But when it doesn't turn out well due to the delicate nature of the operation, the patient's illness, things beyond your control, or the mistake you or your junior makes, the results are devastating. Well worth the read!