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When the Air Hits Your Brain cover art

When the Air Hits Your Brain

By: Frank T Vertosick Jr. MD
Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
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Publisher's Summary

With poignant insight and humor, Frank Vertosick, Jr., MD, describes some of the greatest challenges of his career, including a six-week-old infant with a tumor in her brain, a young man struck down in his prime by paraplegia, and a minister with a .22-caliber bullet lodged in his skull. Told through intimate portraits of Vertosick's patients and unsparing-yet-fascinatingly detailed descriptions of surgical procedures, When the Air Hits Your Brain - the culmination of decades spent struggling to learn an unforgiving craft - illuminates both the mysteries of the mind and the realities of the operating room.

©2008 Frank T. Vertosick, Jr., MD (P)2016 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"A riveting report that shatters the mystique of the brain surgeon as a wizard of technical prowess." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about When the Air Hits Your Brain

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Interesting

Good book, very different and sometimes tough to get through but overall I enjoyed it.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

must listen!

loved every minute! some times sad and thoughtful, other times funny. very interesting book! awesome career

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A compelling view into the neurosurgeon's world.

Would you consider the audio edition of When the Air Hits Your Brain to be better than the print version?

I haven not read the printed edition.

What was one of the most memorable moments of When the Air Hits Your Brain?

To get a glimpse into the moral, ethical and emotional struggles the author faces in his moments of failure gives one an insight into what attributes a really good practitioner must possess. It’s not his dexterity of hand, his brilliance in diagnosis or his recall of medical learning or case lore, but rather, his contrapuntal ability to care without caring too much.

What does Kirby Heyborne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I have not read the printed edition. However, Mr Heyborne reads the book with sensitivity and an obvious understanding of the underlying material (not the technical stuff - I mean the author's feelings). I only have one slight reservation about the reading - the attempt at performing various accents. I think if one cannot nail a New York or posh English accent, it’s probably better to leave it to the hearer’s imagination (as it is when one reads a book).

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

In the instances where the outcome is unfavourable, the stories evoke a visceral response which flows in two tributaries from each case narrative: one is the empathy one feels for the doctor with his internal struggles, and the other for the suffering and heartache the patients and their loved ones must endure. Where the outcome is positive, especially when it’s unexpectedly so, it’s hard not to feel a kind on vicarious triumph in the doctor’s achievements.

Any additional comments?

The story is really well paced and has a careful balance between the details of each case and the doctor's travails in learning. I really enjoyed his ontological musings and hearing of the agony one in his profession that surely cannot be avoided.

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returning

There is no need to mix medical information with very rough swearing and cursing. Disgusting, and that's already in the beginning.

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Fantastic listen

Great insight into a challenging profession balance the humane aspects with of the work and the challenges that can bring to the actual performance.

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Brilliant

An excellent account of neurosurgery through case studies. Captivating stories and insightful medical descriptions. Highly recommend.

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Insightful

An excellent book giving great insight into the other side of the equation. If you are wondering what your Neuro Surgeon is actually thinking, this may give you a clue.

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  • Overall
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Great stories and insights into neurosurgery

Colourfully written stories and insights from his younger surgical resident days, relatable and emotional content that really puts life into perspective.

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Exactly what I was expecting

Amazing story. True to what I was expecting. Would definitely listen again. Good to know that this book uses A LOT of medical terminology, thus if you are not familiar with this type of language you may be lost at some points.

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Fantastic Read

Fantastic read from start to finish, thanks for the experience Frank. Would highly reccomend to anyone interested in the field. 😊

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