
Reader Score
77%
77% of readers
recommend this book
Critic Reviews
Great
Based on 14 reviews on

From the bestselling neurosurgeon and author of Do No Harm, comes Henry Marsh's And Finally, an unflinching and deeply personal exploration of death, life and neuroscience.
As a retired brain surgeon, Henry Marsh thought he understood illness, but he was unprepared for the impact of his diagnosis of advanced cancer. And Finally explores what happens when someone who has spent a lifetime on the frontline of life and death finds himself contemplating what might be his own death sentence. As he navigates the bewildering transition from doctor to patient, he is haunted by past failures and projects yet to be completed, and frustrated by the inconveniences of illness and old age. But he is also more entranced than ever by the mysteries of science and the brain, the beauty of the natural world and his love for his family. Elegiac, candid, luminous and poignant, And Finally is ultimately not so much a book about death, but a book about life and what matters in the end.Praise for And Finally:
"Marsh's exploration is intimate, insightful, witty and deeply moving. . . Marsh's writing style is such that one has the feeling of trailing behind him as an acolyte in the operating room, or in his woodworking shop, or at his dining table; in doing so, one overhears the musings of a savant, a neuroscientist, a neurosurgeon, and the inner dialogue of a patient feeling his vulnerability. He weaves in science, philosophy, history and personal anecdotes as he tackles issues such as the nature of consciousness. . . with this book he has left readers of the future a work to savor and learn from." -- Abraham Verghese, Washington Post, author of Cutting for Stone
"[T]here's prose that breaks in gentle waves, its undercurrents deep, the surface of an ocean vast enough to put our lives in moral perspective. The narrative takes detours through DIY and dollhouses, hospital décor and Himalayan hikes. Marsh is seated, storytelling, and he is in no hurry." -- Kieran Setiya, New York Times, author of Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way