# Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery - Hardcover

by **Theodore H. Schwartz** (Author)

**"If you are at all curious about the brain or the surgeons who operate on it, _Gray Matters_ is a must read and Dr. Theodore Schwartz is the perfect guide, a master brain surgeon and superbly talented writer. I have not read a better biography of our shared profession, and in Schwartz's talented hands, the most enigmatic 3 1/2 pounds of tissue in the known universe comes to light in remarkable and revelatory ways."  
\--Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, and _New York Times_ and #1 _Wall Street Journal_ bestselling author of _Keep Sharp: _Build a Better Brain at Any Age__**

A popular biography of brain surgery, by one of its preeminent practitioners

We've all heard the phrase "it's not brain surgery." But what exactly _is_ brain surgery? It's a profession that is barely a hundred years old and profoundly connects two human beings, but few know how it works, or its history. How did early neurosurgeons come to understand the human brain--an extraordinarily complex organ that controls everything we do, and yet at only three pounds is so fragile? And how did this incredibly challenging and lifesaving specialty emerge?

In this warm, rigorous, and deeply insightful book, Dr. Theodore H. Schwartz explores what it's like to hold the scalpel, wield the drill, extract a tumor, fix a bullet hole, and remove a blood clot--when every second can mean life or death. Drawing from the author's own cases, plus media, sports, and government archives, this seminal work delves into all the brain-related topics that have long-consumed public curiosity, like what really happened to JFK, President Biden's brain surgery, and the NFL's management of CTE. Dr. Schwartz also surveys the field's latest incredible advances and discusses the philosophical questions of the unity of the self and the existence of free will.

A neurosurgeon as well as a professor of neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, one of the busiest and most highly ranked neurosurgery centers in the world, Dr. Schwartz tells this story like no one else could. Told through anecdote and clear explanation, this is the ultimate cultural and scientific history of a literally mind-blowing human endeavor, one that cuts to the core of who we are.

### Author Biography

**THEODORE H. SCHWARTZ, MD**, is the David and Ursel Barnes Endowed Professor of Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, one of the busiest and highest-ranked neurosurgery centers in the world. He has published over five hundred scientific articles and chapters on neu­rosurgery, and has lectured around the world--from Bogotá to Vienna to Mumbai--on new, minimally invasive surgical techniques that he helped develop. He also runs a basic science laboratory devoted to epilepsy research. He studied philosophy and literature at Harvard.

**Number of Pages:** 512

**Dimensions:** 1.67 x 9.3 x 6.31 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** August 13, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 32.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 32.00 USD | In stock |

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- Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery - Hardcover

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