Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery
by Theodore H. Schwartz

I knew this was going to be a great book when Dr. Schwartz started off with an explanation as to why Dr. Harvey Cushing was such an important influence in American neurosurgery. In fact, most if not all neurosurgeons who trained in American schools can likely trace their training back to Dr. Cushing because, when it came to neurosurgery training, there was no other.

I really enjoyed how Dr. Schwartz was able to weave the history of neurosurgery against his history as a neurosurgeon—from what it takes to be a great neurosurgeon to what the surgeon needs to consider before operating on the brain.

He also discusses the subject of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) a subject that is near and not so very dear to the heart of many players and fans of contact sports such as American football and soccer (football in other countries). CTE has been in the news lately because so many football players have shown the effects of a constant barrage to the head causing nerve cell death and resulting in a gradual decline in cognition. Unfortunately, some of these former athletes have resorted to suicide and for those who manage to live out their lives, the symptoms of memory loss, confusion, anger, etc., have caused a great concern for their families.

The only part of the book I really wasn’t as interested in was the philosophical discussion of brain versus mind (what makes us human, etc.). But that’s just me—other readers may find it fascinating.

I highly recommend Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery to anyone who has an interest in medical history—there’s plenty of solid history here—or interested in neurosurgery. I will caution the potential reader that this is a seriously long book, but, in the end, the read was a satisfying one.

5/5 stars

[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion, which I have given here.]