When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales from Neurosurgery

Frank Vertosick Jr.

Mar 2008 · W. W. Norton & Company

About this ebook

The story of one man's evolution from naive and ambitious young intern to world-class neurosurgeon.

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.

Ratings and reviews

Dr. Vertosick's voice evokes teacher, student, dark comedian, and philosophical genius all at once. Whether you're interested in neuroscience or not, ultimately this book has something for EVERYONE: an open-minded firsthand perspective on the frail beauty of the human condition as seen by those brave (or stubborn) enough to combat its vulnerability. Thanks Doc :)

As a patient of 2 brain surgeries and consults with multiple neurosurgeons, I cannot express my love for this book enough. Not only did I learn about different conditions, but I was able to see from the point of view on the other side of the scalpel. Thank you for this book, Dr. Vertosick.

Hard to put down when I had to; definitely could have read it in one sitting. Often hilarious, sad at times, and accessible enough for scientists and non-scientists. Great read.

About the author

Frank Vertosick Jr., MD, is the author of Why We Hurt and When the Air Hits Your Brain. He retired from surgery due to Parkinson’s disease in 2002, but he still treats office patients in Washington, Pennsylvania.