Terry Gross of “Fresh Air” Interview with Neurosurgeon Henry Marsh

On Terry Gross’ radio show today she interviewed British neurosurgeon Henry Marsh about brain surgery, the mystery of consciousness and dealing with triumphs and failures as a surgeon. He's the author of a new book entitled "Do No Harm." Here’s a link to the website: http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/

Having been on the receiving end of brain surgery, I find it fascinating to candily hear what brain surgeons think about brain surgery: the challenges, the rewards, the fears and failures.

You should know that Marsh’s book - “Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery” - is nominated for a bunch of awards and has a 4.29 rating on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23014748-do-no-harm?from_search=true&search_version=service

 

I just put it on my “want to read list.” 

John

PS - Strangely and prophetically , the motto/credo of the UMCOR Early Response Teams that follow first responders into areas whacked by natural disasters is also "Do No Harm." I can attest from my own experience with both that the emotional landscape of brain tumor-dom and natural disasters are remarkably similar.

Brain over Brawn? Or, More Accurately, Brawn Builds Brains.

Brawn builds brains. That’s the conclusion of writer Gretchen Reynolds.  She’s recently written a book, entitled The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can: Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer. Her book backs up that assertion with a review of the latest exercise and brain-building research.

I listened to her interview (and she’s a really fun interview) with Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air which hooked me even though it mostly focused on her new insights on exercise. Here’s a link to that interview: http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=152336802&m=152339817

In an April 18^th New York Times article, though, she asserts that “The value of mental-training games may be speculative… but there is another, easy-to-achieve, scientifically proven way to make yourself smarter. Go for a walk or a swim. For more than a decade, neuroscientists and physiologists have been gathering evidence of the beneficial relationship between exercise and brainpower. But the newest findings make it clear that this isn’t just a relationship; it is the relationship. Using sophisticated technologies to examine the workings of individual neurons — and the makeup of brain matter itself — scientists in just the past few months have discovered that exercise appears to build a brain that resists physical shrinkage and enhance cognitive flexibility. Exercise, the latest neuroscience suggests, does more to bolster thinking than thinking does.”

That last line is both well-written and provocative.

I haven’t read her book, but have a hold on it at the library. I have read her NY Times article and it sounds a lot like something Barbara Strauch would say.

Interested? Here’s a link to her NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/how-exercise-could-lead-to-a-better-brain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1