--- product_id: 48754974 title: "Admissions: A Life in Brain Surgery" price: "238.91 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48754974-admissions-a-life-in-brain-surgery store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # Admissions: A Life in Brain Surgery **Price:** 238.91 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Admissions: A Life in Brain Surgery - **How much does it cost?** 238.91 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48754974-admissions-a-life-in-brain-surgery) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description THE SUNDAY TIMES NO.1 BESTSELLER Henry Marsh has spent a lifetime operating on the surgical frontline. There have been exhilarating highs and devastating lows, but his love for the practice of neurosurgery has never wavered. Prompted by his retirement from his full-time job in the NHS, and through his continuing work in Nepal and Ukraine, Henry has been forced to reflect more deeply about what forty years spent handling the human brain has taught him. Moving between encounters with patients in his London hospital, to those he treats in the more extreme circumstances of his work abroad, Henry faces up to the burden of responsibility that can come with trying to reduce human suffering. Unearthing memories of his early days as a medical student, and the experiences that shaped him as a young surgeon, he explores the difficulties of a profession that deals in probabilities rather than certainties, and where the overwhelming urge to prolong life can come at a tragic cost for both patients and for those who love them. In this searing, provocative and deeply personal memoir, the bestselling author of Do No Harm finds new purpose in his own life as he approaches the end of his professional career, and a fresh understanding of what matters to us all in the end. Review: Thoughts at the career end of a renowned neurosurgeon. - Henry Marsh is a renowned neurosurgeon and author of the best-selling book ‘Do no Harm’, which related events from a lifetime working in the NHS. That book concentrated on the technical problems of brain surgery and was illustrated by many examples not only of spectacular successes, but also tragic failures, including some that were due to mistakes he freely admitted were due to him. Such frankness is still rare and continues in the present book. The book covers the period when, after a career spanning 40 years and very close to retirement age, he resigned his NHS post and spent more time on his charity work in Ukraine and Nepal, operating and teaching a new generation of young surgeons. He found the experiences very frustrating. Both countries are poor with underdeveloped health services, and patients rarely have access to appropriate aftercare. He is fully aware that he is sending patients home knowing that he has only “slowed their dying” rather than being able to resolve their problems. There are also vivid descriptions of the beauty of the mountainous Nepalese country contrasted with the squalor of the towns that a visitor finds hard to accept. He deplores the way the beauty of the Himalayas is being ruined by air pollution and rubbish, and the general state of public services. There was little in the earlier book about Marsh’s private life, except a few ‘flashbacks’ to when he was young and working in lowly positions in hospitals, although he did describe the fears he experienced when other members of own family became ill. In the current book a few more details are revealed: for example his chronic fear of swimming, the short spell he spent in a psychiatric hospital following suicidal thoughts as a young man, and his disastrous first failed marriage. Marsh’s criticisms about the way the NHS has developed with its layers of bureaucracy and lack of funds are if anything even more pronounced in this book, and his comments even more scathing. He hates the many private companies that provide outsourced services to the NHS that “prey off the NHS like hyenas off an elderly and disabled elephant – disabled by the lack of political will to keep it alive." On the other hand, he is also very critical of the American health system and is appalled by a visit to the Texas Medical Center, the largest hospital complex in the world, comprising 51 clinical institutions containing over 8000 beds. The vast amounts of money poured into the privatised healthcare system there means that hospitals copy luxury hotels. This appalls Marsh, particularly when he steps outside and sees “several dozen homeless people dossing out on the benches and sidewalks in one corner of the park” just on the edge of the hospital complex. Towards the end, he ponders how aging and his own health problems have affected him: for example, the inability to operate for long periods of time and the removal of a cancerous growth he experienced. He has developed a keen sense of his own mortality: “When my brain dies, ‘I’ will die. His trepidation and fears as he faces the prospect of encroaching old age and possible dementia is understandable when you realise that more than most people know the consequences of serious debility. His openness in discussing such things is again rare for a doctor. It is not surprising that Marsh is a supporter of euthanasia. “We are told we must not act like gods, but sometimes we must (indeed he admits he has done just that from time to time) if we believe that the doctor's role is to reduce suffering and not just to save life at any cost.” He reveals that his most precious possession is his suicide kit, which is understandably hidden in his home. He is concerned it may have passed its ‘best before’ date. After retirement Marsh bought a former lock-keeper’s cottage on the Thames near Oxford, derelict and vandalised, and refurbished it himself, returning to another of his passions, woodworking, and not just at the DIY level of most of us, but felling oak trees and producing great planks that he planed down by hand to make furniture and window frames. But even here he is self critical of his abilities as a carpenter. Marsh has produced a beautifully written, moving account of his life and work after retirement, as he looks back over a lifetime of intense activity now coming to an end. He comes across as a frustrated, not entirely happy man, never satisfied with what he has achieved, but with still a curiosity about the human brain and life in general. Despite what he says, it is hard to imagine him ‘going gently into the night’. Review: An interesting insight into the career of a surgeon and the approach of the end of life - This is an interesting further account of Henry Marsh's career. This book is more reflective than Do No Harm, as he comes to terms with advancing age and his eventual death. I enjoy his wry humour, his ability to criticize himself and his honesty about when things go wrong, or he gets them wrong. He comes across as a very human man, and not all surgeons manage that along with the ability to operate on people. Clearly he has agonized over some decisions and their outcomes. Well worth reading. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 483,256 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 52 in Surgery (Books) 2,499 in Medicine & Nursing | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,788 Reviews | ## Images ![Admissions: A Life in Brain Surgery - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61FHxHZPyJL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thoughts at the career end of a renowned neurosurgeon. *by B***N on 13 May 2017* Henry Marsh is a renowned neurosurgeon and author of the best-selling book ‘Do no Harm’, which related events from a lifetime working in the NHS. That book concentrated on the technical problems of brain surgery and was illustrated by many examples not only of spectacular successes, but also tragic failures, including some that were due to mistakes he freely admitted were due to him. Such frankness is still rare and continues in the present book. The book covers the period when, after a career spanning 40 years and very close to retirement age, he resigned his NHS post and spent more time on his charity work in Ukraine and Nepal, operating and teaching a new generation of young surgeons. He found the experiences very frustrating. Both countries are poor with underdeveloped health services, and patients rarely have access to appropriate aftercare. He is fully aware that he is sending patients home knowing that he has only “slowed their dying” rather than being able to resolve their problems. There are also vivid descriptions of the beauty of the mountainous Nepalese country contrasted with the squalor of the towns that a visitor finds hard to accept. He deplores the way the beauty of the Himalayas is being ruined by air pollution and rubbish, and the general state of public services. There was little in the earlier book about Marsh’s private life, except a few ‘flashbacks’ to when he was young and working in lowly positions in hospitals, although he did describe the fears he experienced when other members of own family became ill. In the current book a few more details are revealed: for example his chronic fear of swimming, the short spell he spent in a psychiatric hospital following suicidal thoughts as a young man, and his disastrous first failed marriage. Marsh’s criticisms about the way the NHS has developed with its layers of bureaucracy and lack of funds are if anything even more pronounced in this book, and his comments even more scathing. He hates the many private companies that provide outsourced services to the NHS that “prey off the NHS like hyenas off an elderly and disabled elephant – disabled by the lack of political will to keep it alive." On the other hand, he is also very critical of the American health system and is appalled by a visit to the Texas Medical Center, the largest hospital complex in the world, comprising 51 clinical institutions containing over 8000 beds. The vast amounts of money poured into the privatised healthcare system there means that hospitals copy luxury hotels. This appalls Marsh, particularly when he steps outside and sees “several dozen homeless people dossing out on the benches and sidewalks in one corner of the park” just on the edge of the hospital complex. Towards the end, he ponders how aging and his own health problems have affected him: for example, the inability to operate for long periods of time and the removal of a cancerous growth he experienced. He has developed a keen sense of his own mortality: “When my brain dies, ‘I’ will die. His trepidation and fears as he faces the prospect of encroaching old age and possible dementia is understandable when you realise that more than most people know the consequences of serious debility. His openness in discussing such things is again rare for a doctor. It is not surprising that Marsh is a supporter of euthanasia. “We are told we must not act like gods, but sometimes we must (indeed he admits he has done just that from time to time) if we believe that the doctor's role is to reduce suffering and not just to save life at any cost.” He reveals that his most precious possession is his suicide kit, which is understandably hidden in his home. He is concerned it may have passed its ‘best before’ date. After retirement Marsh bought a former lock-keeper’s cottage on the Thames near Oxford, derelict and vandalised, and refurbished it himself, returning to another of his passions, woodworking, and not just at the DIY level of most of us, but felling oak trees and producing great planks that he planed down by hand to make furniture and window frames. But even here he is self critical of his abilities as a carpenter. Marsh has produced a beautifully written, moving account of his life and work after retirement, as he looks back over a lifetime of intense activity now coming to an end. He comes across as a frustrated, not entirely happy man, never satisfied with what he has achieved, but with still a curiosity about the human brain and life in general. Despite what he says, it is hard to imagine him ‘going gently into the night’. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An interesting insight into the career of a surgeon and the approach of the end of life *by M***S on 21 May 2017* This is an interesting further account of Henry Marsh's career. This book is more reflective than Do No Harm, as he comes to terms with advancing age and his eventual death. I enjoy his wry humour, his ability to criticize himself and his honesty about when things go wrong, or he gets them wrong. He comes across as a very human man, and not all surgeons manage that along with the ability to operate on people. Clearly he has agonized over some decisions and their outcomes. Well worth reading. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Frank, brutally honest, yet totally captivating. *by B***. on 10 December 2022* Writing as someone who has been operated on by Mr Marsh nearly 30 years ago, and to whom I am eternally grateful. If you were looking for a book full of happy endings of successful treatments and satisfied patients then don't read this book (although I am sure there will be hundreds/thousands of such cases). This is candidly and brutally honest about his own shortcomings, as well as of the healthcare systems he was part of. There are many regrets, failed relationships both personal and professional. The stories are all still very interesting, and full of lessons to be learned, even if sometimes that lesson is too late for some. Considering also what we know now about Mr Marsh's condition (spoiler alert - see his latest book), some of this book is remarkably prescient, even in the very first sentence talking about his "suicide kit", and ending with his thoughts on the balance of ongoing treatment versus being able to "ease the suffering" as it's euphemistically put. All that aside, it's still very engaging, interesting, and fascinating to hear the thoughts, warts and all, of a long and very distinguished career. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48754974-admissions-a-life-in-brain-surgery](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48754974-admissions-a-life-in-brain-surgery) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-07-04*