How many times have you heard "Yeah, but it's not brain surgery!"? Well, in Gray Matters, Schwartz meticulously escorts the reader through the science and people of neurosurgery so that they can get a better understanding of this field. Each of his chapters focus on a specific diagnosis or development, ranging from the field's history, to aneurysms, to brain-computer interfaces. Within each chapter he masterfully, and compellingly, covers: biographies of important figures, the specific history of that chapter's topic, standard and developmental techniques used to treat the affliction (or at least alleviate some of the suffering), multiple real-world case studies (sometimes with well-known individuals you never knew had brain surgery), and his own personal autobiographical encounters with the topic.

There's too much in this book to highlight all of what I enjoyed in each chapter. Schwartz was able to take a difficult field and render it easy to comprehend while simultaneously adding in tension and drama. He presents not just a narrative of the topic, but also vital statistics and information that allows the reader to increase their scientific literacy by engaging with his writing. As a healthcare specialist who also engages with the public (or, well, tries to!), this is no simple task. Yet the book manages exactly this.

As for negative points, there's really only two more minor elements I'd want to highlight for folks before they start reading. First, there are a small handful of sections where Schwartz ventures into "we could do this" territory, rather than "we should do this" territory. Working in Ethics, this is a common flaw I see among other healthcare providers. Simply because something could be done doesn't license us to do it, because we need to consider more than just the medical outcomes when discussing someone's life. Generally speaking, though, he's rather good at sticking to the "should" rather than the "could".

The second negative I want to highlight is that, for someone who engages in a decent amount of philosophy in this book, Schwartz tends to stick to the older canon. The field of philosophy of mind often works alongside neuro-folks (neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, and neurologists) on projects involving cognition, the mind's architecture, and so forth. I wished I'd have seen more of that, and less of Descartes.

Fascinating read but went on too long and became a little monotonous at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the authors insight into famous and often discussed head trauma fatalities .

In "Gray Matters". Theodore Schwartz delivers a masterclass of neurosurgery 101. Schwartz tells the story of the past, present, and future of neurosurgery, including portraits of the pioneers of the field, including Cushing, Dandy, and Penfield, to a look into the future of visual prosthetics. Through case studies (including Presidents to Schwartz's own family) and strange cures (including the ingestion of seal genitals, hippopotamus testicles, tortoise blood, and crocodile feces for epilepsy), Schwartz keeps the reader engaged throughout this book.

Schwartz beautifully illustrates the dichotomy of being a neurosurgeon by writing, "At the end of the day, while the doctor in me requires deep wells of empathy and heart, the surgeon in me must be able to turn off the heart and focus solely on one thing: flawless execution." It seems that in the history of neurosurgery many wrong turns occurred when the surgeon focused too strongly on the surgical aspects of their job, leading to surgeries such as the frontal lobotomy. However, by including the pitfalls of the field of neurosurgery, Schwartz is able to give the reader a more accurate representation of neurosurgery, without painting his field in rose covered glasses.

After reading "Gray Matters" I am even more thankful that I live in a world where neurosurgery is much improved and continues to improve rapidly. We are lucky to have neurosurgeons, such as Schwartz, that have the courage to learn from the past and create a better future in a field where anyone may need services at any time (have you checked your arteries lately?).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

A fantastic blend of autobiography, medical
history, and science! Wonderfully well written. The author is able to explain specialized medical concepts in a way that
is both clear and deeply interesting, including the stories of patients and pioneers in brain science and surgery. I lost a mentor to gliablastoma 12 years ago,
and only now do I have a better idea
of what he faced. This book would be insightful for those considering specializing in neuroscience-neurosurgery.