Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery

Do No Harm is a surprisingly honest and affecting insight into the life of a Neurosurgeon in the modern NHS. As someone who works in the NHS I was surprised how accurately Henry Marsh manages to capture the realities of working in it, warts and all.

But this book is about so much more than that - its a surprisingly frank and honest account of the personal highs and lows, the triumphs and disasters, and the confidence and insecurities of a man working in a complex surgical specialty. It reveals the human reality behind the popular concept of the "god complex surgeon". Its also searingly truthful about the real limits of modern medicine - throughout the book one is confronted with the reality that despite all the advances and heroic surgery so much still depends on luck. Often the final outcome cannot be changed but perhaps deferred. It may be of surprise and sobering to non medical readers brought up in a world of miraculous outcomes in TV and film.

The book is very well written and a delight to read. Mr Marsh has kept the prose concise but pithy, with an absorbing pace and a non chronological structure which makes this feel more like a clever novel than a memoir. It also has a perfect blend of humour and seriousness, carefully structured to give a flowing narrative-like feel and structure to his career despite jumping in time. I was left with an immense feeling of respect for the candidness and openness of his story, and I'm very grateful that he has shared it with the world. Well worth a read whether you have an interest in medicine or not - this is a human story about an interesting man which should offer something to everyone.