Book Review : When the Air Hits Your Brain by Frank T. Vertosick Jr.
The book, When the Air Hits Your Brain by Frank T. Vertosick Jr. is a medical memoir from Dr. Vertosick's career as a neurosurgeon. He writes with compassion and humor, and the result is a collection of short stories that are engaging and fascinating.
The reader is engaged from the beginning by his personal journey from a young and ambitious grad student to becoming a fully qualified neurosurgeon. He describes several instrumental cases with an attention to detail that makes the stories really stick with you, but they can also be rather disturbing as he goes on to describe at times rather graphic details - If made into a TV series, these would likely be rated "R" for graphic violence. Still, the stores are relatable at an emotional level, and the book goes far beyond the surgical details as he describes the human toll of diseases and the responsibilities of being a doctor. As the author writes, "You're never the same after the air hits your brain," the stories from this book are such that you are likely never going to think about neurosurgery the same after you read this book.
Recommendation:
4 Untangled Dots: This book is recommended for anyone interested in becoming a surgeon or memoirs of medical professionals. Young readers might find some graphic descriptions disturbing and ask their parents before reading them.
Scale:
1 Untangled Dots - Skip it
2 Untangled Dots - Skim it
3 Untangled Dots - Good - Read it
4 Untangled Dots - Excellent - Read it, Share it
5 Untangled Dots - Fantastic - A Must Read!
I look forward to reading this book. Thanks for sharing.
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