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Do No Harm
Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery | Henry Marsh
Winner of the PEN Ackerley Prize and the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Literature Shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award; Duff Cooper Prize; Wellcome Book Prize; Guardian First Book Award; and Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize Longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction What is it like to be a brain surgeon? How does it feel to hold someone's life in your hands, to cut through the stuff that creates thought, feeling and reason? How do you live with the consequences when it all goes wrong? DO NO HARM offers an unforgettable insight into the highs and lows of a life dedicated to operating on the human brain, in all its exquisite complexity. With astonishing candour and compassion, Henry Marsh reveals the exhilarating drama of surgery, the chaos and confusion of a busy modern hospital, and above all the need for hope when faced with life's most agonising decisions.
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Smarkies
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Pickpick

Really liked "seeing into" the life of a neurosurgeon. Henry Marsh is aware of disasters and the triumphs in a neurosurgeons life and he reflects on how he has changed through his time in the profession.
Loved the wry humour in the essays.
#roll100
#24in2024

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andrew61
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Pickpick

Winter is finished with this remarkable memoir by Henry marsh, consultant neurosurgeon. Despite being v squeamish I couldn't put this down as the stories of how fragile but fundamental is the organ that controls our very life + emotions. Marsh is v honest, not sparing his own character and mistakes but I put it down in awe of the skill ,dedication, and humanity.
#booked2021 #covidheroes
@BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft @Cinfhen

BarbaraTheBibliophage Nice review! This one is on my TBR. 3y
41 likes1 comment
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CourtSmall
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Pickpick

134-2020⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely Outstanding!!
"Every surgeon carries within himself a small cemetery, where from time to time he goes to pray - a place of bitterness and regret, where he must look for an explanation for his failures" Rene Leriche, 1951

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lou-p-lou
Pickpick

An amazing and honest account of the career of a world renowned neurosurgeon

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Shemac77
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Pickpick

Brilliant. Ascerbic. Curmudgeonly.

Buechersuechtling Yeah. I _loved_ it‼️🧡 Nice to see someone else did, too. I feel, I haven‘t seen posts from you for a while but this might also be a misconception. But anyway, I hope, you and your beloved ones are okay and coping well these times. 🤗 4y
Shemac77 I haven‘t been on here much at all! Between work and life in general, everything has been hectic. I hope everything is well for you and your family. @Buechersuechtling 4y
47 likes2 comments
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Shemac77
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Afternoon reading pre-night shift

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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is a fascinating read. The author ticks a lot of boxes for a stereotypically curmudgeonly old school consultant (bloody paperwork, bloody bureaucracy, bloody working time directive, things were better in my day) but it's a really interesting insight into one of the most complex areas of medicine, and his compassion and empathy for his patients comes across throughout the book.

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arlenefinnigan
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Next up

JennyM This is excellent. Enjoy 😊 5y
arlenefinnigan @JennyM thanks! It's been in my Audible library for months, I'm really looking forward to it. 5y
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ReadingRuby
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Bailedbailed

DNF! A friend at work recommended this to me, he‘s not a massive reader but this book really stuck with him. I was excited to learn more about neuro surgery and the interesting stories and scenarios a book like this would contain. However the narrator and also the author rubbed me up the wrong way from the start. The narrator was shouty, and the author so self important that I couldn‘t face spending another 7 hours with them both.

Megabooks Yikes! 🤦🏻‍♀️ 5y
6 likes2 comments
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Amiable
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Mehso-so

Completed for the “something from another point of view” box in #nonfiction2019. It‘s the memoir of Dr. Henry Marsh, a famous British neurosurgeon. Interesting details and comparisons between the healthcare systems of the U.S. and England, but the narrative wanders a bit too much for my taste.

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JennyM
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#MusicalNewYear

A fascinating insight into the life and work of brain surgeon, Henry Marsh, who does it all #ForGood.

Cinfhen I‘ve seen this title before...i definitely want to pick it up! 5y
Crazeedi Stacking this one, I love reading books by medical people 5y
readordierachel Can't imagine the confidence one has to have to be a brain surgeon 🤯 5y
vivastory @readordierachel I get nervous just thinking about it 😬😂 5y
66 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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elliebatey
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Pickpick

Loved this book so much finished it in 2 days! Such an amazing and inspirational non fiction book 📚👩🏽‍⚕️🏥

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Tove_Reads
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Sounds really good!

catiewithac He‘s one of the best!!! 6y
zsuzsanna_reads It's good! I'd also recommend the documentary about his work in Ukraine mentioned in the book. 5y
Tove_Reads @zsuzsanna_reads It‘s good, but opening skulls just freaks me out! 5y
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coxy
Pickpick

Chosen for me at book club, this was a new genre for me. Memoir of a brain surgeon but told really well through stories of patients. Really enjoyed it and would recommend.

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ChrissysBlue
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Pickpick

Absolutely loved!! One of my recent favorites!

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LilithHomer
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Pickpick

What it's like to be a brain surgeon. Henry Marsh can be kind of an asshole and I don't want to have him over for dinner, but i so respect his unflinching honesty about the privilege and responsibility of doing something both heroic and unpredictable.

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JennyM
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@CouronneDhiver I stacked this after your post, and look what popped up on my feed!

Michelle_mck I'm seeing him next weekend at the SWF 7y
CouronneDhiver That's awesome @JennyM 7y
9 likes2 comments
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Oryx
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Great book on offer today (UK). If you are interested in science and medicine, this is truly a fascinating read. An extremely honest account of successes and failures in neurosurgery

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Buechersuechtling
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Pickpick

Eine aufrichtige, für Laien verständliche Schilderung medizinischen Alltags. Lebensklug, berührend. Menschlich. ? Vielleicht bin ich sogar etwas in den Autor verliebt. ?

Man erfährt viel über moderne Gesundheitssysteme und den Arzt – nicht nur als Beruf, sondern vor allem als Mensch. Was machen Fehler und Fehlschläge mit ihm❓Wie trifft er Entscheidungen❓

Ganz selten scheint das Buch parteiisch. Aber selbst dann ist es sympathisch.

Lesen‼️

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Buechersuechtling
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Das gute Gefühl, wenn man feststellt, dass der Autor, dessen Buch man gerade zu Ende gelesen hat, noch lebt.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Marsh_(Neurochirurg)?wprov=sfsi1

Ein sehr ehrliches, berührendes Buch, bei dessen Lektüre man noch etwas lernt.
Geschrieben von einem klugen, geistreichen Mann. Ich muss es ein paar Stunden auf mich wirken lassen. ?

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Buechersuechtling
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»Sie wissen aber schon«, hätte ich die pragmatischen Gesundheitsökonome und Doktoren der Gesundheitswissenschaft um mich herum am liebsten gefragt, was ich mich jedoch nicht traute, »dass der eigentliche Nutzwert des Medikaments darin besteht, sterbenden Patienten Hoffnung zu geben? Die Hoffnung, ein statistischer Ausreißer zu sein, länger zu leben als der Durchschnitt? Wie misst man den Nutzen der Hoffnung?« (Seite 309)

⬆️⬆️⬆️ ??? So wahr‼️

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Buechersuechtling
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Meine Kollegen […] erkannten mich […] und schmunzelten mit mir über mein Pech. Einer von ihnen, ein ziemlich aufgeblasener Internist hielt ebenfalls kurz inne und blickte mich fragend an. […] »Ach herrje«, sagte er mit tadelndem Unterton, als würde er missbilligen, auf welch vulgäre Weise ich mich in einen armseligen Patienten verwandelt hatte.” (Seite 288)

⬆️⬆️⬆️ Deswegen bestimmt KEIN abgebrochenes Lesezeichenbuch vom Nachttisch. *schäm*

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Buechersuechtling

Durch's Bücherlesen Literaturtipps bekommen. Henry Marshall liest während der ärztlich verordneten und überwachten Bettruhe https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._G._Wodehouse.

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Buechersuechtling

Private Krankentransporte für Chefärzte:
Auf der Rückbank des roten Sportwagens des Kollegen, der anderntags auch operieren wird. ?

Adjektiv, das Henry Marsh zur Beschreibung dessen verwendet:

Stilvoll. ?

Wer kann, der kann.

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Buechersuechtling
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„Details, die zwar Patienten enorm wichtig sind, den Verwaltungschefs und Architekten des NHS jedoch leider nicht. Bedauerlicherweise machen sich auch die wenigsten Ärzte um diese Dinge Gedanken bis sie selbst Patienten werden und merken, dass Patienten in NHS-Krankenhäusern selten Frieden oder Erholung finden und praktisch nie eine ungestörte Nachtruhe“ (Seite 277/8)

⬆️⬆️⬆️ Ich hatte ganz und gar vergessen wie empathisch Henry Marsh schreibt.

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Buechersuechtling
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Das Lesezeichen stecke bei den Seiten 282/3, aber um wieder ins Buch zu finden, beginne ich das betreffende Kapitel von vorne.

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Buechersuechtling
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So. Es geht los und ich freue mich schon❣️
Nochmal danke an die Mädels vom Blog "Herzpotenzial" für den Stups:

http://herzpotenzial.com/die-kehrwoche-2017/

Da "Um Leben und Tod" eine Kombination dieser beiden Kehrwoche-Aspekte ist

• MITTWOCH | Nur das Lesezeichen weiß Bescheid – Abgebrochene Bücher

• FREITAG | Nachttischbücher – diese Bücher blieben lange ungelesen

habe ich – eigenmächtig ? – beschlossen, mich ihm am Donnerstag zu widmen.

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Buechersuechtling
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Inspiriert von @Themareike bzw. von hier

http://herzpotenzial.com/die-kehrwoche-2017/

gibt es am Donnerstag Posts, Blurbs, Quotes zu diesem, meinem stiefmütterlich behandelten abgebrochenen Lesezeichenbuch.
Ich freue mich schon.

Vielleicht ist mir bis dahin auch wieder eingefallen, warum es zu einem wurde – noch dazu auf (m)einem Nachttisch. ? Denn ganz ehrlich: Es ist toll‼️ Menschlich. Beeindruckend. Lebensweise.

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aa_guer2021
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Pickpick

I happened to read this translated into Russian, my native language, but the insight, compassion, wisdom, and determination affected me just the same. I have such respect for the brave people who enter this difficult profession, and it certainly makes my personal troubles seem much more manageable. 5/5 #pick #donoharm #valuablelesson #Russianbookworm 😊📚🐛🐦💙

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MusingsOnMidlife
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this. As an NHS worker I enjoyed Marsh's insights and recognised many of his traits in doctors I've worked with. His honesty makes for a kind of terrifying read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

awonderinglife You've reminded me that I need to finish this one! 8y
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bethreads2much
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Pickpick

Two major take-aways from this lovely book: 1) when complicated patients have good outcomes, there's always lots of luck involved. 2) as you work to become skilled at difficult and delicate aspects of medicine, you will make mistakes and harm some patients along the way. Very refreshing and honest.