The topic of brain surgery impresses the general public, but specific knowledge about the brain remains weak among the same public. That shortcoming will likely change in coming decades as twenty-first-century science penetrates neuroscience as a frontier, much as physics was explained in the twentieth century. In this book, neurosurgeon Theodore Schwartz explains the past, present, and future of brain surgery in this well-written history of the medical specialty.
Henry Cushing stands as the father of modern brain surgery, and all other modern lights can trace their lineage to him. Most of those lights are white men, unfortunately, but some recent pioneers have helped the field become slightly more inclusive. Those figures and their contributions are described in detail in this lengthy tome.
As with much of research, I found the role of serendipity – that is, hard luck – in neurosurgical history to play a central role in the narrative. Whether it be finding the right patient or making the insightful mistake, neurosurgical advances often rely on an observant, prepared neurosurgeon taking advantage of the right opportunity. In this field as in others, chance favors the prepared hand.
Those interested in the future of brain surgery will find information about computer-brain interfaces towards the end of the book. Schwartz describes these promising pathways with an inevitability and optimism that researchers will accomplish these advances soon. Areas of investigation include vision for the blind, targeted suppression of seizures, and the ability to extract quick speech from the mute.
Overall, this book offers an interesting look into brain surgery for the medically interested public. Those interested in the field of neuroscience comprise an obvious audience. Medical students – and even pre-med students – will find applications for many ideas that they study; those who learn by doing, rather than thinking, will find room to explore through Schwartz’s guidance. The book provides an interesting way to explore an opaque field.
Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery
By Theodore H. Schwartz
Narrated by Sean Pratt
Text copyright (c) 2024
Dutton
Audio copyright (c) 2024
Penguin Audio
ASIN B0CPTDCCLX
Length: 16:31
Genre: History of Medicine
www.amazon.com