When a neurosurgeon sees the MRI of a patient with the most cruel form of brain cancer, they know. They can say the have seen the end of you. But might it just be possible that even once in a blue moon they are wrong? And is that really the point, anyway?

These are just a few questions Dr W. Lee Warren answers in his book. Through his experiences with patients, the traumatic incidents, the heartbreaking moments, but also the heartwarming ones, Dr Warren gives us a glimpse into the life lessons he's learned through his patients' stories - but also through his own.

Dr Warren tackles the very difficult issues of life with a terminal illness, and how a person can still be filled with hope and faith to a greater power, even under those circumstances. Can you keep your faith even when you can see the end of a person, right there, clearly, on an MRI? Can you cope with random horrible things happening to you and your loved ones with no rhyme or reason?

I've Seen the End of You isn't a book about answers. Neither is it a book about medical technicalities. Instead, it's an honest, heartwarming account of a doctor that lays out his own thoughts for the world to see. And maybe, through that, he can give the readers a soft nudge so that they can question their own perspective on life, death, hope, and faith.

This is a thought-provoking and powerful read. W Lee Warren MD writes about his career as a neurosurgeon, his family and his faith. These are powerful stories of his patient’s journeys after their diagnosis with brain tumours, almost all of them ending in death. It’s sad yet reaffirming. All the stories are told with empathy and honesty, but Joey’s was a standout for me.
Warren talks about his own struggle to reconcile his faith with the suffering he watches his patients endure. In the second part of the book Warren shares the tragedy the engulfs his own family. It is beautifully written and interspersed with quotes and reflections from the Bible, literature and contemporary culture.
It’s not a book I would normally choose for myself, but I am really glad to have read it. Highly recommended.

Books about brain surgery and fatal forms of cancer usually aren’t my first choice when I look for my next read; however, the title of this book intrigued me immediately. After reading the description of the book, I knew I wanted to read it, and I am so glad that I did.
I have often wondered if doctors are men or women of faith, and if they were how their faith integrated with the constant presence of science surrounding them. How difficult is it for a doctor to know what science says regarding a patient’s diagnosis and know that a patient will not survive based on the scientific evidence, but then cling to their faith and know that God is a God of miracles and can do the unthinkable? Dr. Warren did an amazing job showing how one can be both a doctor and a man of faith.
My favorite part of this book was how authentic his patients became for me as the reader. I found myself completely engulfed with each patient and the course of their treatment. I cried tears of loss at their passing’s and felt frustration and anger at why God would allow something like glioblastoma to take good people away and tear a family apart. Even now as I think back to the patient’s, I still ache for their loss.
Throughout the book, Dr. Warren sees many patients all with the same diagnosis. As a man of faith, he knows that this cancer will kill the patient, yet he offers hope and prayers, often praying with his patients before procedures. This one act is so encouraging to me. How wonderful that there are doctors that are willing to go before God’s throne on their knees in supplication for their patients, even though science and all other signs are pointing to their death. This one act shows that Dr. Warren knows who has complete authority over someone’s life.
As Dr. Warren loses some of his patients, he sees the families that remain thrust into grief. As the Lord would have it, Dr. Warren experiences loss of his own and comes face to face with the feelings his patients and their families are left to deal with. Why God? Why would you take a good person? Aren’t I a good person? How could you do this to me? I love you and I thought you loved me?
This is not my typical read, but I am so glad I read this. I loved the flashbacks to Dr. Warren’s time in the war. Dr. Warren has a genuine voice in his books that not only makes for an easy read, but also a voice of hope and knowledge. Knowledge that we can’t necessarily change our circumstances, but knowledge that we have a God that carry us through those circumstances.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster. I teared up and started to cry at least half a dozen times while reading this book. It pulled NO punches when it came to the question of why God would let these things happen. It also didn't pretend to have all of the answers. None of us know why, none of us are guaranteed a safe and happy life when we follow the Lord. All we are guaranteed is that He will be with us every step of the way. It's up to us to accept His presence or not. And we can choose to be angry, to turn our back, to deny. He won't force himself onto us.

What this book brought home to me, was that God is the God of second chances. There was a character who was a drug-user, full of anger and pain and hate, who had an obvious second chance, while a good, God-fearing man had no chance. The God-fearing man didn't need the second chance, but the drug-user did. The book didn't say that, but that is the lesson I took from the book.

Jesus hung out with the sinners, the tax collectors, the fallen women, because they needed Him, needed that second chance. They didn't deserve it, but they got it. Which gives me hope. Doesn't make it seem any less fair when a young father of three dies from brain cancer, but I'm not privy to God's plans.

This book is HARD reading. It's honest, but hard to read. Not just the emotional parts, but also where he's discussing his work cutting away bits of brain and other medical things. I'm not into bodily fluids and medical stuff. Thankfully there are people out there who can and do that stuff, because if the world relied on me for that, we would all be in trouble.

This book may not be for everyone, but it is interesting reading how a neurosurgeon who is also a Christian tries to reconcile his faith with his profession and the sadness that he sees too often. Recommended for those who are questioning and for those who think they already know. 4, there is hope, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I went into this book expecting to be bored silly. I NEVER do well maintaining attention in non-fiction books. It is a testament to Lee Warren that, once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. Having lost a good friend to glioblastoma multiforme, I struggled with the same questions Warren asks in his book. When you know a disease is universally fatal, how can you pray - in faith - that the person will be healed when you KNOW God's answer is always NO?

Over and over in "I've Seen the End of You", Warren introduces his patients. All come with different symptoms, different life experiences, but all have something in their brain that is attacking it. Warren wrestles almost daily with the question of why this cancer always seems to take the "good patients." As a neurosurgeon, Warren is called in for everything from injuries to the head, to spinal cord injuries, to suspected tumors. Because of the nature of his work, he has occasion to deal with all kinds of people, and even though he is a man of faith, he struggles with how to pray for patients when he knows they're going to die from their disease. How can he share hope of healing, when he knows there really is none for them?

As Warren shares his heart with readers, and as the hospital chaplain, Pastor Jon, speaks God's love to him, "I've Seen the End of You" becomes a treasure of hope in some pretty hope-less situations. This gave me deep insight into what my friend and her pastor husband went through from her diagnosis to her death just three months later. It also showed me that, while the prayers I prayed for her felt like they were not answered - at least not in the way I wanted - they turned my heart toward God, where it should have been aimed all along.

I highly, highly recommend this book. The medical stories Warren includes are absolutely gripping, and each showcases how differently people handle impending death, and how much more grace-filled the believers are from those who do not believe in God. As I said, I didn't expect to even be able to finish this book, but instead, I couldn't put it down!

I received this book free from the publisher but every opinion here is MINE!!

Title: I’ve Seen the End of You
Author: W. Lee Warren, MD
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

A Neurosurgeon's Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know

Dr. Lee Warren, a practicing neurosurgeon, had seen enough cases of glioblastoma to know when he diagnosed the patient, that he’d seen the end of them. With a 100% fatality rate, he knew how it was going to end. But that never stopped him from praying for his patients, even as he knew there was no hope. Even as he experienced doubts about just what God was doing. Even as he asked Why, God? It wasn’t until Lee faced a personal tragedy that he finally came to the end of himself—and rekindled the hope that had been hiding in the darkness for so long.

I’ve Seen the End of You was an incredible read! I don’t normally get enthralled in nonfiction, but I could not put this book down! Dr. Warren’s raw honesty about his fears, his questions, his grief resonated with me, and the strength it must take to face such seemingly hopeless cases every day with a prayer and an offered bit of hope is inspirational and uplifting. For anyone going through any kind of tragedy, this is a wonderful read!
W. Lee Warren is a brain surgeon, inventor, Iraq War veteran, and writer. I’ve Seen the End of You is his newest book.

(Galley courtesy of WaterBrook in exchange for an honest review.)

Dr. Warren writes about his time in Iraq and his time as a neurosurgeon in the United States. His challenges at work and at home are told with honesty and humbleness.

Recommended for public libraries and book clubs.

I received a free electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

I thought this book was goin to be more about diseases of the brain. I thought it could help me to understand things going on within the minds of my family members. What I found was something I could barely put down. This is a book about a neurosurgeon who struggled with faith and prayer as he performed surgery on tumors that were almost always fatal. His honesty is compelling.

Let me be honest. If you like nerdy scientific information about the brain and your heart being ripped out by story, this is the book for you. This is about a man who started writing as a way to deal with the horrors of war that he saw as a surgeon of war in Iraq. He then kept writing as a way to deal with his feeling on faith as he operated on Glioblastoma, treated trauma victims, tried to save brains ravaged by suicide, and then as a way to shepherd his own kids through pain and loss. It’s riveting.

I have seen so many of my family members die. It is a sacred space. I cannot imagine walking through or carrying the weight of being present during death nearly every single day. Lee has so much on his shoulders. Instead of going through the motions of it all, he has thought deeply about what he was dealing with and wrestled with God through it all. It gave me quite a bit to chew on and I came away with so much. I am thankful for the hard work that was put into this. I am thankful for the perspective that he had when he realized how we are all very muc the same at our core. Fantastic.

Reflections From My Bookshelves
REFLECTIONS FROM MY BOOKSHELVES
I’ve Seen the End of You by W. Lee Warren, MD
I’ve Seen the End of You by W. Lee Warren, MD


Dr. W. Lee Warren, a practicing brain surgeon, assumed he knew most outcomes for people with glioblastoma, head injuries, and other health-care problems. Yet even as he tried to give patients hope, his own heart would sink as he realized, I’ve seen the end of you. But it became far more personal when the acclaimed doctor experienced an unimaginable family tragedy. That’s when he reached the end of himself.
Page-turning medical stories serve as the backdrop for a raw, honest look at how we can remain on solid ground when everything goes wrong and how we can find light in the darkest hours of life.







Purchase your copy here:
Amazon: I’ve Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon’s Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know
Christian Book Distributors: I’ve Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon’s Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know
My Review
I thought this was a great book. I don’t read very many non fiction book. My friend Jocelyn Green recommended this book and I was immediately intrigued. I had recently had brain aneurysm surgery to put a stent in. It all went well. The whole surgery process and how the brain works fascinated me.
In this book, Dr Warren talks about glioblastoma- a fatal brain tumor. He shares the stories of several of his patients with this tumor. He knows what will happen but how does faith work when the outcome is so bad. Where is God when bad things happen ?

I’ve Seen the End of You is one of those books that are easy to read but deals with heavy subject matter. I say easy to read because it flows well and reads like a story. I liked how he follows several different patient’s stories as he is telling his own. I felt like I was walking beside Dr. Warren and with the patients. He describes several of the surgeries and procedures he does. That was pretty fascinating.

It’s not an easy book because glioblastoma is a deadly disease. The outcome of that disease is sad and depressing. It made me tear up. It also is a deep look into the struggles someone has with God and faith. Life is messy. I really liked the raw honesty in this book. It’s not easy to be honest with yourself and with others. In sharing his story, it can be an encouragement to others struggling. I really like this comment made by his agent Kathy, “You might yell at God sometimes when you’re hurting, but at least you’re still talking to him. That’s a good place to start.” It’s a good reminder that regardless of where we are, God promises hold true.
This book is full of honestly, hope, and points you to God and his truth.
I highly recommend this book to my family and friends.

I purchased the hardcover book to read.

I suppose I was not expecting the amount of Christian prayer scattered throughout this book, which almost made me put it down. The story itself kept pulling me back in, despite the seemingly neverending prayers. This was an incredible culmination of experiences and I ended up really enjoying it, except for the ending portion!

Dr Warren is a neurosurgeon and unusually runs a practice managed by his wife that aims to be a bit more human than hospital clinics. When people have a Glioblastoma show up on their scan then Dr Warren knows that the outcome for you is terminal (he has seen the end of you) and pretty quickly too., although you may not be told that for a while. The book is fascinating when talking about brian cancers and tumours but for me, there was too much about his Christian faith and how he reconciles giving good people bad news with it. Even in his clinic he prays with patients and talks with them about God which I just find very strange. A bit of a mixed review from me, too much God but the medical bits were very interesting.

This is the only review that I am struggling to write. So apologies for the delayed review.

I remember how I wanted to extend my reading comfort zone and started exploring the 'Biographies and Memoirs' section. I came across this book and I instantly requested it. I didn't know then how intense this book will be and the impact it will have on me.

Every page turn turned out to be the moment where I just had to lay down my phone aside even though my brain constantly told me to continue reading. It is unputdownable and yet, you cannot read this book without taking constant breaks because of how intense it is. I have never read a book like this nor have an experienced a read like this! This book provides such a raw insight into faith, hope, death and doubt amidst the tornadoes that come across in life unimaginably. Neurology has always fascinated me. This book provided lots of insight into the life of a Neurologist. Most of the cases mentioned are of GBM and one case is about Melanoma: Teresa. She is an absolute inspiration!

This book has impacted me in ways one cannot imagine. The author's writing style is so gripping that it just felt too intense yet engrossing. It set the tone of the book perfectly for the topics pondered upon. This is truly applaudable because he tells us how he learnt to write after Philip Yancey saw that he had a story that needs to be told and how he believed in it!

This book is so beautifully written with heart-wrenching rawness in the words of the author. There are religious notions in this book, more than you will expect it to have. There is constant turmoil, that the spiritual aspects turned out to be solacing. I am not religious but I am raised in a family which is. They have always respected my take on religion and they hope that one day, I would be spiritual. I have always been the person who asked questions since a very young age and I haven't found an answer to, to this day. So, most of those questions are in this book and they are answered. This is truly something I need to introspect on for the days to come. All I want to say now is that I loved reading this book. I wouldn't say I enjoyed reading this book because I don't want to sound disrespectful but I did. I will reread this book again and again as I want to explore the thoughts this book will lead me to!

I have nothing but gratitude in my heart for Dr Lee Warren for penning this book which will truly touch everyone's heart. I am thankful for all our healthcare providers. We often grieve when we lose someone. Sometimes, we lose people in surgeries and after prolonged treatments but we never think about how it has affected the doctor. Robert Chang's family should be every one of us. I was so heart touched and emotional when Mrs Chang dropped by to talk to Dr Lee about how he was doing and how much that meant to him. I understand that we would be grieving for our loss and the doctors absolutely don't expect us to comfort them even though they are questioning themselves and maybe, wondering what they could have done better or what they could have not done. When they lose a patient in their own hands while doing surgery of sorts, they blame each step they took and it emotionally affects them. We all seem to forget that doctors are humans too and if I hadn't read this book, maybe I would have never thought about this. I have always had respect for doctors and after this book, they have my utmost reverence.

So, trust me when I tell you to read this book no matter what. Trust me when I say that this book needs to be read at all costs. Trust me when I say that this book is the book you never thought you needed to read until you read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for providing me with an e-arc.

As a brain surgeon, Dr. Warren stares death in the face on a regular basis. As a man of faith, how can he continue to find God among all the terminal diagnoses? Readers experience part of Dr. Warren's story and those of some of his patients as well. We all handle tragic news differently. An excellent read.

I've Seen the End of You is a heart-wrenching and powerful account of a neurosurgeon's journey to find a balance between faith and doubt. It is a story about the faith he has known and the doubts that emerged through war, disease, and the sorrow of a personal loss. It is a well-written memoir-type book that is easy to read in the sense of understanding the text. Yet, it was often emotional and thought-provoking. I had to pause numerous times to ponder what my responses would be to the people and situations written about in the book--what my response to God would be if I found myself in similar difficulties. The author, a professed fellow-sufferer of grief and loss, shares with readers his heartfelt struggle to reconcile a loving God with destructive injuries of war, non-survivable cancer, and dying children. That reconciliation is a difficult, almost insurmountable, task and yet Dr. Warren has done a masterful job of helping the reader understand the importance of having faith. And that faith is not one that keeps us from the inevitable problems of the world, but one that shifts our focus from the problem to the promise of the One who cannot lie--the One who is there, at work even in our darkest hours.
Despite the author's honest doubts and questions, I found the book to be faith-filled and inspiring as he shares his ultimate recognition that faith 'is being able to look for hope even when it seems impossible to find.' He brings encouragement to those who need to know that hope can bring us to a place of shelter where the devastating things in life cannot destroy us.
I received a complimentary uncorrected copy of the book from Waterbrook Publishers and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

I've Seen the End of You is that rarest of books--memoir and philosophy and everyday life and hard decisions integrated into one powerful story. W. Lee Warren has shared heart wrenching, intelligent, and compassionate stories about the people he has worked with as a neurosurgeon--at the very end and the ultimate limit of a person's life. He is the person you want to lead the team, to be your friend and guide through challenging, through baffling, through the toughest decisions you will ever have to make. Warren's calm, reasonable, and creative self shines through every story. Like I said, he's the guy you want on your side -- and to write books that bring you into his life, his mind, his heart.

What do you do with a tumour that has a 100% fatality rate? How do we cope with situations where there is no more hope for survival? Hope is one of the most cherished and necessary virtues for life. With hope, we can still grind through life. Without hope, it is a completely different story. He writes his experiences with patients, family, and loved ones with regard to life, faith, doubt, pain, gratitude, and hope. In a book that reads like a personal memoir, author and neurosurgeon, Dr Lee Warren shows us what he had learned from the experiences of people nearing death and losing hopes for survival. Many things he thought he knew, only to be humbled to realize that there are still many things he did not know. He shares these experiences in this personal revelation of faith, doubt, despair, and hope. The key question throughout the book is the very question the author wrote to Philip Yancey: "How can I pray for my patients when I already know how God is going to answer?" This is with regard to the type of brain cancer called "Glioblastoma Multiforme" (GBM), where from his medical experience has 100% fatality rate. For Warren, it is also a question of faith. "What happens when our messy lives mess with what we think we believe?"


Written in three parts, Part One details his journey through diagnosing the disease, understanding the impact, dealing with symptoms, and questions pertaining to end-of-life caregiving scenarios. He asks questions like the necessity of prayer; how to care for the terminally ill; making sense of brain-dead patients; how to give hope in hopeless situations; etc. Apart from dealing with the anguish and grief surrounding the terrible medical conditions and consequences, he learns about faith and the reasons for prayer. One precious insight is how he sees prayer as ceding control to God alone, instead of bending His way to conform with what we want. Not all answers to prayers must be yes. God must be free to say anything He wants to say. We cannot chain God up or hold him to some kind of ransom. He uses the example of a fellow surgeon who was so fixated on an inner tumour but failed to notice the bleeding happening on the outer skin. Likewise, we cannot be so focused on our own needs that we fail to see God's bigger picture. Even for patients with GBM, hopelessness need not have the final say. Faith extends further into the afterlife, into a dimension that present life cannot comprehend. Here, medical science know-how that focuses on getting better grapples with the reality of getting worse. Part Two is a tough personal section about the "difficult dark." We read about the author's son, Mitchell's difficult last years. This is a major reason for the author to write this book: to help himself cope with loss. It is hoped that his story would help those who are also going through hard times like loss. From observing the grief of others, Warren ends up having to go through grief himself. This gives him multiple angles to look at death and dying. The title of this book comes from the moment when the author was looking himself in the mirror as he wrestles with faith and doubt. Part Three is essentially about seeing faith break through the barriers of pain and loss. Warren writes: "The best way to change your mind about difficult circumstances is somehow to find solid ground for your feet even when life sweeps the foundation from underneath you."

My Thoughts
Reading this book reminds me of Dr Paul Brand and Philip Yancey's book about pain, leprosy, and faith. What Brand and Yancey did for leprosy, Lee Warren does for GBM, or a form of terminal brain cancer. It is not an easy book to write, for it involves lots of personal struggle and pain. Doctors may have the medical knowledge and techniques to help patients. Yet, there are many things still beyond human control. Terminal illness is something that hits people from nowhere. When that happens, most do not know how to react or to feel. The author of this book has experienced both from the doctor's angle as well as a personal perspective. In a way, being able to write this book brings a lot of personal healing to Warren, especially after losing his son. While attempting to help patients and their families dealing with GBM situations, Warren has also helped readers understand the complexities not only of the disease but also the human emotions throughout.

I appreciate Warren's manner of writing this book. He helps us see the effects of GBM by describing what the disease, its devastating effects, and the ethical dilemmas that came with it. Looking at it from a faith angle, he does not provide easy answers. Neither does he try to come up with a theology to justify God. Instead, he shares with us his personal enigmas and struggles in an open and honest manner. This reminds me that in situations where there seems to be no physical hope, we can still turn to prayer. We are reminded that we are often not the masters of our own destinies. We can decide, but how our decisions will pan out in the future is beyond our control. If there is one Bible verse that aptly summarizes Warren's thoughts, it would be Mark 9:24, where the father of a child cried out: "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief." I think this book holds together faith, doubt, and hope tightly together in the hope that one day, all things and answers will be revealed.

Author Dr Lee Warren is a neurosurgeon, inventor, war veteran, and writer. He works at the Wyoming Medical Center.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Waterbrook Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Where to even begin? I had this book in my TBR pile for a while and kept putting it off, what a mistake that was. This was a truly unforgettable book. Honest, thought provoking, heart breaking, gut wrenching and down right cruel at times but left me feeling lighter and with a much more positive outlook.

I suppose this is when I state that I am a staunch atheist. I've always been very strong with my feelings and almost dismissive of those with faith. This book truly opened my eyes. Whilst I am definitely still atheist, this has allowed me a deeper understanding of faith and what it means to people. Dr Lee Warren has written his journey of belief, faith and doubt so eloquently and without the "preachy-ness" you may find in similar novels.

I've Seen the End of You has the perfect mix of self reflection and stories of other other patients and their journeys navigating life, death, belief and faith. You will find yourself laughing one minute and crying your heart out the next.

Read this book, you won't regret it!

I loved this book! It worked through the struggle of knowing bad things happen versus a belief in a kind, caring God. As a neurosurgeon, the author all too frequently encounters the dark side of this when having patients who die or who have incurable brain cancers. As he proceeds along his faith journey, a traumatic experience his his life helps him see how God is present in even the darkest of times in our lives. A wonderful, at times heart-rending, book.

AMAZING. Absolutely loved this book. The first part of the book of the book focuses on his patient's suffering and how he can be honest with them, without leaving them hopeless, when he is fairly confident he knows what the effects of GBM will result in (each time a patient has a new diagnosis of GBM, he thinks "I've seen the end of you"). The book then proceeds to a tragedy in Dr Warren's life and how he wrestled with his faith during that time. I really enjoyed his open and honest writing and hearing about his connections to each patient he chose to write about.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this advanced readers copy. This book, however did not hold my attention and I found myself not wanting to pick it up to read it