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Brain Surgeon: A Doctor's Inspiring Encounters with Mortality and Miracles |  | Authors: Keith Black, Arnold Mann
Publisher: Wellness Central
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
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Seller: JB40 Books
Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 210282
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.2
ISBN: 0446581097
Dewey Decimal Number: 616.994810092
EAN: 9780446581097
ASIN: 0446581097
Publication Date: March 25, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Welcome to tiger country: the treacherous territory where a single wrong move by a brain surgeon can devastate-or end-a patient's life. This is the terrain world-renowned neurosurgeon Keith Black, MD, enters every day to produce virtual medical miracles. Now, in BRAIN SURGEON, Dr. Black invites readers to shadow his breathtaking journeys into the brain as he battles some of the deadliest and most feared tumors known to medical science. Along the way, he shares his unique insights about the inner workings of the brain, his unwavering optimism for the future of medicine, and the extraordinary stories of his patients-from ministers and rock stars to wealthy entrepreneurs and uninsured students-whom he celebrates as the real heroes.
BRAIN SURGEON offers a window into one man's remarkable mind, revealing the anatomy of the unflinching confidence of this master surgeon, whose personal journey brought him from life as a young African-American boy growing up in the civil rights era South to the elite world of neurosurgery. Through Dr. Black's white-knuckle descriptions of some of the most astonishing medical procedures performed today, he reveals the beauty and marvel of the human brain and the strength and heroism of his patients who refuse to see themselves as victims. Ultimately, BRAIN SURGEON is an inspiring story of the struggle to overcome odds-whether as a man, a doctor, or a patient.
"BRAIN SURGEON is an inspirational book about true heroes-readers will marvel at Keith Black's achievements both as a doctor and as a man, and will be in awe of his patients' courage and will to survive."--Denzel Washington
I often get asked who the best doctor is in the world for various ailments. Truth is, it's a hard question. When it comes to brain tumors, however, the answer is pretty clear: Keith Black. He is the doctor people find when all the other doctors have given up. He is that guy. This book is about the heroic patients he has already helped and saved. If you want a rare, behind-the-curtain look at the life of one of the most pre-eminent neurosurgeons in the world, pick up Brain Surgeon. And Keith, from one brain surgeon to another: thank you for honoring our profession. Well done. --Sanjay Gupta, MD, Chief Medical Correspondent, CNN and New York Times bestselling author of Chasing Life
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 20
 A Very Enjoyable Read... January 12, 2010
S. Boulanger (Farmington, MI)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am a brain tumor survivor & I could relate to a lot of the stories. I also found the descriptions of the medical procedures to be very fascinating. I didn't agree with all of the author's viewpoints, but overall I enjoyed hearing his story. I would recommend this book to anyone who has gone through brain surgery, knows someone who has gone though brain surgery, or who wants to hear some inspiring stories.
 Enlightens the health care debate with real situations November 29, 2009
P. Thomas (Denver, CO USA)
An excellent book, I will give this book to the college students
and high school students interested in a career in medicine. By telling the stories of seven patients, Dr. Black provided insight into the political, academic, and clinical world of medicine. From a political perspective, the readers gain an understanding of who gets awarded National Science Foundation grants. From an academic view, Dr. Black allows the reader to peek into the university and see its prejudices, bureaucracy, and intellectual silos. With personal stories, the author takes the reader into the hospital, the organization that has to decide which uninsured patients get treated, how much information it discloses to the patient, and the disparities of care between rich and poor. Policy makers and citizens interested in making informed judgments on health care should take the time to read Dr. Black's book.
Inspiring and Educating! Absolutely Wonderful! November 1, 2009
Patricia Greene (USA)
This is a MUST READ for anyone who needs to learn more about brain tumors or just anyone who is a lay "medical geek" like me. Dr. Black displays his in-depth expertise, compassion, and team spirit through story-telling about his actual patients and their brain surgeries. Not only did I learn about staging (and location of tumors), I learned technical terms, I learned about doctors with a true concern for their patients, and I learned more about how cell phone usage could possibly be causing brain tumors. The one thing I wish would have been discussed more is a more detailed description on the history and physiology of the "blood-brain barrier." I rate this as the number one non-fiction book I have read this year, and I read a lot.
You may need your head examined if you don't read this book!! October 31, 2009
Stephen Pletko (London, Ontario, Canada)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
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"Like fighter pilots...neurosurgeons must have finely developed motor skills, pinpoint accuracy, and the ability to remain cool in high-risk situations. But the best of the best also have something more--the ability to empathize with their patients, and a well-developed appreciation for both the natural wonders and the natural dangers that are ever present within the brain...[There are] only about fifty neurosurgeons who specialize in brain tumours. Of these, I am one of just a few who do more than 250 surgeries a year...
My goal [during surgery] is never to touch the brain itself...it is not possible to manipulate normal brain tissue without...triggering the body's alarms and creating neurological deficits. But if I can...sneak in and snatch the tumor without touching the brain...[then] patients...can emerge from surgery intact. They will then be able to live out the full span of their lives, or at least have more precious time to share with their loved ones. And that is why I do what I do--and why I want to share my story."
The above is found in this fascinating book by Dr. Keith Black, a neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment of brain tumors and a campaigner for the funding of cancer treatment. He is chairman of the neurosurgery department and director of the Maxine Dunitz Neurological Institute at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Arnold Mann, co-author of this book, is a leading medical journalist who has been writing about medicine for twenty-five years.
In this book, you will learn about Black's life, his research, and some of his best-remembered brain tumor patients. Significantly, you'll learn about his life's work to make a difference in the field of neurology.
Don't worry about being overwhelmed by medical terminology since everything is adequately explained. Thus, the reader gets an insider's view of what it's like to be in the operating room with Black where everything is explained in accessible language.
One honest chapter is devoted to the challenges and obstacles Black faced as an African-American while training to become a neurosurgeon. His struggle paid off as he is now considered by many as the best doctor in the world for brain tumors. In fact, "he is the doctor people find when all the other doctors have given up."
Finally, this is not a technical book for people suffering from a brain tumor (and was never meant to be). That is, it's not a "Surviving a Brain Tumor" type of book.
In conclusion, if you want a rare, behind-the-scenes look into the life of one of the most skilled neurosurgeons in the world, then read this book STAT. (Latin for 'statim' meaning 'at once').
(first published 2009; foreword; introduction; 11 chapters; main narrative 220 pages; acknowledgements; about the author)
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Brain Surgeon October 16, 2009
Alberta Tunney (Page<AZ)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Brain Surgeon is one of the best book I ever read.I myself had a brain tumor and had brain surgery.It gives you every step of the way how it's done.Bert
Showing reviews 1-5 of 20
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