And Finally: Matters of Life and Death
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- Create Date：2023-01-17 03:19:29
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Henry Marsh
- ISBN：1250286085
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Summary
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…
Reviews
EVham
，
Not his best work as it seems there was a struggle with where to put the focus on in this book making it not running smooth at moments。That being said， it does give some interesting insights /point of views to life
TrishTalksBooks
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My thanks to @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review。***I'm so glad to have read this book。 I tore through it in a day: a bit of a page turner for me！ If you like to geek out on interesting facts along with your memoir， this might be for you。 It resonated with me so much because I’m also a retired physician， and he had such astute observations on the medical profession。 If you’re in healthcare or have been a patient， you’ll likely find this compelling。Dr。 Marsh is a charm My thanks to @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review。***I'm so glad to have read this book。 I tore through it in a day: a bit of a page turner for me！ If you like to geek out on interesting facts along with your memoir， this might be for you。 It resonated with me so much because I’m also a retired physician， and he had such astute observations on the medical profession。 If you’re in healthcare or have been a patient， you’ll likely find this compelling。Dr。 Marsh is a charming storyteller。 He has a wry wit and is always self-deprecating。 He’s the kind of man who tells things like they are and doesn’t apologize for his opinions。 At the same time， he comes off as humble and genuine。 He kind of reminds me of my dad: a genuinely down to earth retiree who loves to take an idea and then just riff on it， winding their way through paths of interesting science， cool hobbies， and reminiscences。 He discusses Covid-19 and Ukraine （he worked there）。 He doesn’t shy away from discussing his own cancer experience。Some ideas that will stick with me:-How his illness reveals the “Us” and “Them” dichotomy that doctors have to adopt in order to function: illness happens to the patient and not to doctors。-His opinions on assistance in dying （not legal in the UK）， an valuable perspective from a man who has been intimately involved in the business of dying over many years and is now ill himself。I’ll leave you with a description of the MRI machine， which I love。 “I found it difficult not to attribute magical powers to the benign， giant machine and hoped that it would save me。 It’s a matter of quantum mechanics， something I know about but cannot even begin to understand as the mathematics involved are entirely beyond me。 After a few minutes the machine would start slowly and thoughtfully to rotate around me。 It made a strange sound as it moved–not unlike a distant chorus of mocking frogs， beside themselves with hysterical laughter。" 。。。more
Joann 'bartunek' prashek
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Rounded up from 2。5 stars。 For me the book was filled with far too much science history that I was not able to follow。 I did enjoy the personal journey with his patients and his views on assisted suicide。 I received the audiobook from Netgalley and am interested in reading one of his previous books， "Do No Harm。" Rounded up from 2。5 stars。 For me the book was filled with far too much science history that I was not able to follow。 I did enjoy the personal journey with his patients and his views on assisted suicide。 I received the audiobook from Netgalley and am interested in reading one of his previous books， "Do No Harm。" 。。。more
Sue
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And Finally offers much food for thought。Author and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer shortly after retiring from his practice。I had previously read his book Do No Harm， and thank St。 Martin's Press for the gifted copy of And Finally for review。Many different topics make up this deceptively slim volume。Marsh touches his on his career and overseas work， and experiences in his neurosurgery practice。 This contrasts to his account as a patient。 He notes the change And Finally offers much food for thought。Author and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer shortly after retiring from his practice。I had previously read his book Do No Harm， and thank St。 Martin's Press for the gifted copy of And Finally for review。Many different topics make up this deceptively slim volume。Marsh touches his on his career and overseas work， and experiences in his neurosurgery practice。 This contrasts to his account as a patient。 He notes the change of being "no longer a self-important surgeon" but a client。 Marsh delves into philosophy， neuroscience and cognition， ethics。 Existence and humanity， to the cellular level。 These thoughts shift throughout to descriptions of his cancer treatments and the science behind them， to preparing for death should that become the case。 It reads a bit unfocused at times， but memoirs are what the author wants。There's a lot to unpack， and it won't be for everyone。 I definitely recommend reading Do No Harm prior to And Finally。For release on Jan。 17。 。。。more
Linda Hutchinson
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️AUDIO ARC - Publication Jan 17⚕️I am an unashamedly dedicated fan of Dr。 Henry Marsh， who wrote the stellar book， Do No Harm: Stories of Life， Death， and Brain Surgery。 Dr。 Marsh writes in a way that I feel is insightful and thoughtful。 I listening， on audio， to his upcoming book AND FINALLY， Matters Of Life and Death， （publish date: Jan。 17th）， thanks to a gifted ARC from St。 Martin’s Press， McMillan Audio， NetGalley， and Dr。 Marsh。 In this novel， Dr。 Marsh has time to reflect on his ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️AUDIO ARC - Publication Jan 17⚕️I am an unashamedly dedicated fan of Dr。 Henry Marsh， who wrote the stellar book， Do No Harm: Stories of Life， Death， and Brain Surgery。 Dr。 Marsh writes in a way that I feel is insightful and thoughtful。 I listening， on audio， to his upcoming book AND FINALLY， Matters Of Life and Death， （publish date: Jan。 17th）， thanks to a gifted ARC from St。 Martin’s Press， McMillan Audio， NetGalley， and Dr。 Marsh。 In this novel， Dr。 Marsh has time to reflect on his life and the future of medical care。 Long known as a supporter of end-of-life choices （I concur） and other transformations in medical care for those who are closing in on their last days; I found this book fascinating。 Dr。 Marsh states: “Patients want certainty， but doctors can only deal with uncertainty。” He also admonishes the health industry to treat patients with dignity and respect。 His unvarnished truth shines through when he admits that he has not always behaved just so and regrets this。 Henry Marsh， a retired acclaimed British neurosurgeon， does not want to die。 But， if we are honest， we don’t want to die either。 What I hope is that other physicians will read ALL of his books， but at least this one， and realize there is a better way to help those who are transitioning to end-of-life care。 I am partially biased because I have always believed Dr。 Marsh to be a physician/writer who has educated and encouraged doctors and patients during his life’s work。 Expand your horizons and read Do No Harm and/or And Finally。 Thank you， Dr。 Marsh， for your wise words of comfort， you have enriched this reader’s life， and I am grateful。 ⚕️I received a complimentary copy of this book。 The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own。 Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martins Press， McMillan Audio， and the author for the opportunity to read this book。⚕️#henrymarsh @stmartinspress @macmillan。audio @netgalley ##memoir #AndFinally #medicine #cancer #medicalcare #book #nonfiction #autobiography #books #bookstagram 。。。more
Helen Phillips
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Interesting in parts， but at times looses its way 。。 but saying that I did enjoy reading it。
Taylor
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And Finally reads like it’s Dr。 Marsh’s journal （funny enough， in one of his anecdotes， he admits that his actual journal contains mainly small talk like the weather） during and post prostate cancer diagnosis。 He examines his regrets and his hopes as he becomes an oncology patient。 Dr。 Marsh admits that he wants to keep living， but he is content with where his life is at。 There is no unfulfilled bucket list， just a desire to see his grandkids get older。 This book is sad， but Dr。 Marsh has such a And Finally reads like it’s Dr。 Marsh’s journal （funny enough， in one of his anecdotes， he admits that his actual journal contains mainly small talk like the weather） during and post prostate cancer diagnosis。 He examines his regrets and his hopes as he becomes an oncology patient。 Dr。 Marsh admits that he wants to keep living， but he is content with where his life is at。 There is no unfulfilled bucket list， just a desire to see his grandkids get older。 This book is sad， but Dr。 Marsh has such a strong voice throughout it that I feel pretty positive he would say something like， “Yes， it’s sad， but there is no need for strangers to be sad for me。” And Finally is a quick read with insightful stories that remind people of the need to take their health seriously and not delay preventive health screens/checks。 。。。more
Paula
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Very good in parts。
Megan Theobald
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It was a fascinating read。 Sometimes a bit muddled as it really was his thoughts and feelings， but it gave an incredible insight into the thoughts and feelings of both doctor and patient。 It’s made me want to read his previous books。 Do I recommend？ DEFINITELY！ You won’t want to stop。
Dawn Michelle
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I accepted the request to read/review this book simply because I love medical books that are also memoirs and this seemed very intriguing。 I had no expectations and since I have not read any of the author's previous books， I didn't know if I would even like the writing。 I am here to say I did。 Whew！ ;-）This book is， for lack of a better word， cerebral and often-times disjointed。 The author tends to flit from thought to thought， interspersed with his retirement and subsequent terminal cancer diag I accepted the request to read/review this book simply because I love medical books that are also memoirs and this seemed very intriguing。 I had no expectations and since I have not read any of the author's previous books， I didn't know if I would even like the writing。 I am here to say I did。 Whew！ ;-）This book is， for lack of a better word， cerebral and often-times disjointed。 The author tends to flit from thought to thought， interspersed with his retirement and subsequent terminal cancer diagnosis， creating a jumble of memories and present time。 For me， it worked。 I didn't try to get anything out of this book except enjoyment and listening to a man who has lived a very full life [as he is very willing to tell you throughout the book] and I found it was like having a face-to-face conversation with someone who was just telling a story and how things they were talking about reminded them of something from the past and they add that into what they are currently telling you。 Typically， I am not a fan of this， but for whatever reason， in this case， it worked for me and I really ended up enjoying this book immensely and I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read it。 The author narrates this and with his excellent diction and delicious [posh] English accent， it made this book even more of a joy to listen to。 You can hear the emotion in his voice when he talks about difficult subjects and his pragmatism when he discusses his cancer diagnosis and it truly adds to the overall feeling of the book。 I am so grateful I had the opportunity to listen to this book; for me， it made for a much better reading experience。 I was asked to read/review this book by St。 Martin's Press and I thank them， NetGalley， Henry Marsh and Macmillan Audio for providing both the ARC and the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Bryony Wilson
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I really like Henry Marsh - I've read his other books and was excited to give this a go when I saw it on Kindle Daily Deal for 99p。 Unfortunately I got around 38% of the way in， and had to DNF。 I was so bored！ This is an extremely descriptive book， but not of the things you think it would be descriptive about。。。 there was excessive description about a church in Ukraine， the mountains somewhere， I just didn't feel like I knew how these descriptions and anecdotes added anything to the book？ Not ev I really like Henry Marsh - I've read his other books and was excited to give this a go when I saw it on Kindle Daily Deal for 99p。 Unfortunately I got around 38% of the way in， and had to DNF。 I was so bored！ This is an extremely descriptive book， but not of the things you think it would be descriptive about。。。 there was excessive description about a church in Ukraine， the mountains somewhere， I just didn't feel like I knew how these descriptions and anecdotes added anything to the book？ Not everyone will agree with me， and I feel a bit crap for leaving such a review but I didn't enjoy this at all。 。。。more
Cari Allen
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And Finally is the first book by the acclaimed Neurosurgeon， Henry Marsh that I had the privilege of reading。 In it， Dr。 Marsh reflects back upon his time as a neurosurgeon and how that affected his outlook on medical practices as he faced a diagnosis of prostate cancer。While I found the book as a whole to be full of interesting stories and philosophy， especially as someone with a similar science-minded， non-religious brain， I also found myself puzzled at times as to the placement of the stories And Finally is the first book by the acclaimed Neurosurgeon， Henry Marsh that I had the privilege of reading。 In it， Dr。 Marsh reflects back upon his time as a neurosurgeon and how that affected his outlook on medical practices as he faced a diagnosis of prostate cancer。While I found the book as a whole to be full of interesting stories and philosophy， especially as someone with a similar science-minded， non-religious brain， I also found myself puzzled at times as to the placement of the stories within the chapters themselves。 Much of it， albeit exceptionally well written and easy to follow， felt disjointed at times。 That being said， the author’s own admittance to increasing dementia and side effects from cancer treatment give him an easy pass on his musings。 I would recommend this book for anyone who has experienced catastrophic medical diagnoses with an intent to understand the difficult decisions doctors face in relating bad news and poor prognoses coupled along with the struggle of deciding best treatment options。 The fact that Marsh’s diagnosis came on the heels of the Covid pandemic also make this book very relevant and relatable。Thank you to Netgalley， St。 Martin’s Press， and Henry Marsh for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cari Allen
，
And Finally is the first book by the acclaimed Neurosurgeon， Henry Marsh that I had the privilege of reading。 In it， Dr。 Marsh reflects back upon his time as a neurosurgeon and how that affected his outlook on medical practices as he faced a diagnosis of prostate cancer。While I found the book as a whole to be full of interesting stories and philosophy， especially as someone with a similar science-minded， non-religious brain， I also found myself puzzled at times as to the placement of the stories And Finally is the first book by the acclaimed Neurosurgeon， Henry Marsh that I had the privilege of reading。 In it， Dr。 Marsh reflects back upon his time as a neurosurgeon and how that affected his outlook on medical practices as he faced a diagnosis of prostate cancer。While I found the book as a whole to be full of interesting stories and philosophy， especially as someone with a similar science-minded， non-religious brain， I also found myself puzzled at times as to the placement of the stories within the chapters themselves。 Much of it， albeit exceptionally well written and easy to follow， felt disjointed at times。 That being said， the author’s own admittance to increasing dementia and side effects from cancer treatment give him an easy pass on his musings。 I would recommend this book for anyone who has experienced catastrophic medical diagnoses with an intent to understand the difficult decisions doctors face in relating bad news and poor prognoses coupled along with the struggle of deciding best treatment options。 The fact that Marsh’s diagnosis came on the heels of the Covid pandemic also make this book very relevant and relatable。Thank you to Netgalley， St。 Martin’s Press， and Henry Marsh for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Terri
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Henry Marsh is a retired neuroscientist。 When he confronts a cancer diagnosis， he is faced with confronting things in his past that he has to reevaluate。 He looks back on life and death decisions and has to find what works going forward。 A deed and profound look at what life looks like from a unique perspective of a neuroscientist who has to face death。
Kathleen Gray
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Marsh confronts himself and offers up his thoughts on his life， his profession， and life in general in this volume that is less a memoir than a meditation。 A neurosurgeon who has lived a big life and written two previous books about his experience as a physician both in the UK and in Ukraine， he's thrown for a loop when he's diagnosed with prostrate cancer。 And even more so when a MRI reveals that his brain is no longer the fresh vital organ he's always had = a consequence of age。 Thanks to Netg Marsh confronts himself and offers up his thoughts on his life， his profession， and life in general in this volume that is less a memoir than a meditation。 A neurosurgeon who has lived a big life and written two previous books about his experience as a physician both in the UK and in Ukraine， he's thrown for a loop when he's diagnosed with prostrate cancer。 And even more so when a MRI reveals that his brain is no longer the fresh vital organ he's always had = a consequence of age。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 There aren't any particular insights here and at times it's indulgent but it's。 worthy read。 。。。more
Brittni Marie
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In Henry Marsh’s latest novel and memoir he tackles what it is like to be both a physician and a patient after his diagnosis with prostate cancer。 His cancer diagnosis forces him to look back on his life in ways he hadn’t and look forward to what the future may hold for his children and grandchildren without him。 I have been trying to read more non-fiction and memoirs and loved that I received a copy of this one。 I enjoyed this one but it does cover some heavy topics （obviously） such as cancer a In Henry Marsh’s latest novel and memoir he tackles what it is like to be both a physician and a patient after his diagnosis with prostate cancer。 His cancer diagnosis forces him to look back on his life in ways he hadn’t and look forward to what the future may hold for his children and grandchildren without him。 I have been trying to read more non-fiction and memoirs and loved that I received a copy of this one。 I enjoyed this one but it does cover some heavy topics （obviously） such as cancer and death。 It is heavy on the medical jargon so this may not be an easy read for those who are not as familiar with the terminology。 If you are looking for a memoir that tackles life and death， regrets and triumph， philosophy and neuroscience I would recommend picking this one up！ 。。。more
Lucy
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Enjoyable if a little disconnected。 Rambling between neuroscience， woodwork， fairy tales， travel to Ukraine and Nepal， cancer and Covid。
Morgan Herrera
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Title: And Finally: Matters of Life and DeathAuthor: Henry MarshRating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Read if you like:ScienceNon-FictionMemoirsScience of the BrainMy Thoughts:This memoir follows Henry Marsh as he retires， finds out that he has cancer， and how he handles the news。 And Finally was a very different memoir for me because it is very clear that the author knows a lot about his former practice of brain surgery。 In Marsh's memoir he talks a lot about the brain， the medical field， and while it's interesting I Title: And Finally: Matters of Life and DeathAuthor: Henry MarshRating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Read if you like:ScienceNon-FictionMemoirsScience of the BrainMy Thoughts:This memoir follows Henry Marsh as he retires， finds out that he has cancer， and how he handles the news。 And Finally was a very different memoir for me because it is very clear that the author knows a lot about his former practice of brain surgery。 In Marsh's memoir he talks a lot about the brain， the medical field， and while it's interesting I found it kind of a lot to process。 There were chapters where I felt like I was reading a medical journal instead of a memoir about Marsh's experience。 When I was able to get to actual feelings and life events， I found the content very relatable。 Marsh beautifully highlights the painful process of ageing and dying and how it can be done well or badly， he acknowledges his cancer came at a time when he had lived a life， so many of his young patients did not have that to fall back on。 I think overall this was a nice memoir， but be prepared for a lot of brain jargon。 。。。more
Elizabeth Mellen
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Thanks to Netgalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and audioARC of this！ This was an interesting insight into the author's dealings with medical issues after having been on the other side of the interaction for most of his life， perfect for fans of When Breath Becomes Air。 Dealing with it himself made him reflect on how he had delivered hard news to patients and their families and how he could've done things differently as a doctor， but also on the good he had done and the Thanks to Netgalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and audioARC of this！ This was an interesting insight into the author's dealings with medical issues after having been on the other side of the interaction for most of his life， perfect for fans of When Breath Becomes Air。 Dealing with it himself made him reflect on how he had delivered hard news to patients and their families and how he could've done things differently as a doctor， but also on the good he had done and the why behind it。 At 70， he sounds more active and healthy than I am at 30， which is both inspiring and a little depressing。 Overall， I found this very engaging and conversational， and easy to understand。 。。。more
wellreadtraveler
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I really enjoyed reading Henry Marsh’s new book And Finally。 I looked him up right when I finished and was thrilled to see he has more books just waiting for me to read。 I was moved， inspired， saddened， and even chuckled a few times。 （ do people still say chuckle？ We’ll I’m bringing it back） It was an honor to get a glimpse into the authors life and see him change from a doctor to a patient。 Henry is a retired brain surgeon who has put off finding out the truth about his own health。 He knows wha I really enjoyed reading Henry Marsh’s new book And Finally。 I looked him up right when I finished and was thrilled to see he has more books just waiting for me to read。 I was moved， inspired， saddened， and even chuckled a few times。 （ do people still say chuckle？ We’ll I’m bringing it back） It was an honor to get a glimpse into the authors life and see him change from a doctor to a patient。 Henry is a retired brain surgeon who has put off finding out the truth about his own health。 He knows what he has but can’t seem to come to grips with the truth。 Henry has prostate cancer。 All his years serving others and being the one in the lab coat had not prepared Henry for what it will feel to be on the other side。 Henry reflects on the patients he treated and wonders if he said the right thing， made them feel a certain way， was he a good doctor to his patients。 Did he give them terminal diagnosis with care and compassion and offer them hope？ Hope is one of the most precious drugs doctors have at their disposal Henry gives a real and honest account of what he went through from finding out about his cancer， through treatment， and his current state of health。 I cried and smiled and was most humbled by this brilliant man who wishes he could go back and do better by his patients。 From the long waits in the waiting room to the rushed visit with the doctor Henry realizes how that makes a patient feel。 I know myself that you don’t want to feel like just a number， you want a doctor that will fight right alongside you。 Thank you Henry for sharing your story and I hope you live your life to the fullest and get to continue reading stories every night to your three granddaughters。 。。。more
Mauricio Herrerabarría
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Perhaps， it is the book cover incredibly broad tagline （"Matters of Life and Death"） the one that most bluntly explains the book's biggest downfall: it draws no limits as to where it wants to go nor what it wants to achieve and ends up as a diluted and verbose tome that tries to be everything at once， and at the same time， succeeds at nothing at all。 Perhaps， it is the book cover incredibly broad tagline （"Matters of Life and Death"） the one that most bluntly explains the book's biggest downfall: it draws no limits as to where it wants to go nor what it wants to achieve and ends up as a diluted and verbose tome that tries to be everything at once， and at the same time， succeeds at nothing at all。 。。。more
Sue Page
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This is a miscellany of thoughts， opinions and perspectives from the author， and for me， not a patch on Do No Harm。 The writing itself is fine， and has the level of honesty and openness that I appreciated in his earlier books。 There is， however， some repetition， which should have been picked up by the editor。 It also felt like the book lacked purpose - I wonder if Marsh was asked to write this by his publishers， as a way of wrapping up his career。 Having said that， I'm at a bit of a loss as to h This is a miscellany of thoughts， opinions and perspectives from the author， and for me， not a patch on Do No Harm。 The writing itself is fine， and has the level of honesty and openness that I appreciated in his earlier books。 There is， however， some repetition， which should have been picked up by the editor。 It also felt like the book lacked purpose - I wonder if Marsh was asked to write this by his publishers， as a way of wrapping up his career。 Having said that， I'm at a bit of a loss as to how the book could have been improved！ What did strike me as remarkable was the way he perceived of himself as being old and decrepit at the relatively young age of 70。 With current lifespans in Western countries， you'd be quite justified in feeling that you'd been cheated out of your allotted years。 And maybe that would have been an interesting angle for him to investigate - how do other people in his situation feel， how do they behave， and how does that impact on them and their families。 To summaries， there is no harm in reading this book， but there's not quite as much benefit as I expected， either。 。。。more
Laura A
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Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book。 A surgeon for many years is now retired。 He is shocked when he is told he has cancer。 He struggles with the diagnosis and being a patient。 This book took us on a thoughtful journey about dealing with an illness。
Cynthia
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Meh。
Julie Stielstra
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Henry Marsh started out as a student of philosophy at Oxford， but “fled to the more practical world of medicine，” partly （perhaps） because he feared he was “not clever enough to understand philosophy。” For the next forty years he was a neurosurgeon， but modestly explains that he is not a scientist - to claim so would be “like saying that all plumbers are metallurgists。” He became a man of practical action: he cuts open people’s heads and brains; he is a devoted woodworker and builder of things b Henry Marsh started out as a student of philosophy at Oxford， but “fled to the more practical world of medicine，” partly （perhaps） because he feared he was “not clever enough to understand philosophy。” For the next forty years he was a neurosurgeon， but modestly explains that he is not a scientist - to claim so would be “like saying that all plumbers are metallurgists。” He became a man of practical action: he cuts open people’s heads and brains; he is a devoted woodworker and builder of things by hand （even though his roofs may leak）。 He runs。 He bicycles。 He hikes across mountain ranges。 He keeps bees。 He also keeps a journal， and - as his previous books （Admissions: A life in brain surgery and Do No Harm: Stories of Life， Death， and Brain Surgery） suggest - ponders questions personal， intellectual， and philosophical about his life and career。Which is， apparently， coming to a close。 After retiring from medicine， he volunteers for a study of brain scans in healthy people。 He assumes his scan will be a fine example of a 70-year-old brain kept lively， supple， and unchanged from his long regimen of activity。 But when he receives the copy of the scan， he is afraid to look at it。 When he finally does， it shows him a shrunken brain speckled with “white-matter hyperintensities，” typical of aging。 “…My brain is starting to rot。 I am starting to rot。 It is the writing on the wall， a deadline，” he says。 But he feels fine， lives normally， so learns to shelve the distress。As he does with some other symptoms， which he ignores or minimizes for years， choosing to think they indicated common older-man benign prostatic hypertrophy。 When he at long last seeks medical attention， he initially wants to attribute his sky-high prostate-specific-antigen to pressure on the prostate from his bicycle seat as he rode to his appointment。 However， what it really is is advanced prostate cancer。 Strangely mixed with his dismay at this dire diagnosis is relief that he has likely been released from a greater fear of dementia， triggered by his father’s decade-long suffering and the ominous “pox” on his brain scan。George Eliot’s magnificent novel Middlemarch describes a moment when the rigid， lonely， self-absorbed， and bitterly disappointed old scholar Causaubon has been diagnosed with an incurable heart ailment。 “Here was a man who now for the first time found himself looking into the eyes of death—who was passing through one of those rare moments of experience when we feel the truth of a commonplace， which is as different from what we call knowing it， as the vision of waters upon the earth is different from the delirious vision of the water which cannot be had to cool the burning tongue。 When the commonplace “We must all die” transforms itself suddenly into the acute consciousness “I must die—and soon，” then death grapples us， and his fingers are cruel…” Henry Marsh movingly explores that moment and the months that follow。At this point， And Finally morphs into a more or less typical health-professional-gets-sick memoir。 Theresa Brown’s recent Healing: When a nurse becomes a patient is one such - an expert oncology nurse is diagnosed with breast cancer， and discovers that being at the other end of the radiation beams is a revelation: all the things she never noticed or understood about what her patients actually felt or thought or experienced as she briskly gave treatments and managed complications while tut-tutting “Hey， we saved her life！” if they complained。 Similarly， Marsh undergoes uncomfortable， embarrassing， and frightening procedures。 Like many other patients， he frantically googles for information on survival rates， treatment options， complications。 He， of course， is well equipped to understand the technicalities and statistical probabilities… and he still freaks out at times。 Will he die of his disease， or with it？ Will he see his granddaughters grow up？ （Probably not， he concludes。） He cries。 And he looks back on patients he realizes now he did not serve as well as he could have。 He recalls a patient （an actor） whose delicate and difficult surgery left her with a permanently damaged face。 He meets her again some years later， and she tells him: “I could see that you were so upset when you saw me after the operation， that I forgave you。” He muses on the difference between telling a patient he has a 5% chance of surviving versus a 95% chance - regardless of the actual number used， if there is any chance at all， they will take hope from it。 He endures the indignities and depersonalization of the modern healthcare system: his anthropologist wife remarks that hospital patients ask each other the exact same question prisoners do when they meet: “What are you in for？” Information and instructions are provided in the form of generic printed handouts rather than conversation。 Hospital balconies with lovely views are locked and off-limits to patients。 Radiation departments are often deep in the lower levels， but those who have managed to place a sunlit window or even a mural of a beautiful landscape bolster their patients’ morale。 （He got funding for and oversaw the creation of a garden for the use of neurosurgical patients at his hospital， and considers it one of the prime accomplishments of his career。）This is a smallish book， but Marsh packs a lot into it。 His voice is serious， clear， and steers well away from any sort of “inspirational” revelations or triumphant acceptance of his cancer as any sort of “gift。” There are detailed technical explanations of prostate cancer radiation treatments and brachytherapy， which may overwhelm a patient seeking a layperson’s understanding。 Marsh’s personal beliefs do not include any sort of afterlife， and his discussion of the life-extension movement is bitterly critical。 Even as he so longs to live， he pleads passionately in support of accessible， compassionate assisted-dying services。 This is personal and powerful。 A reminiscence about the elaborate doll houses he built for his beloved granddaughters is touching; a very long description of fairy tales he has written for them， overstuffed with dragons and unicorns and magical objects of all kinds， is less so。 The book rambles and swerves at times， jumping back and forth from memory to contemplation of the future， from former patients to current doctors， from woodworking to brain surgery， from medical journals to children’s stories， from London to Ukraine （where he volunteered for many years， and his heart aches for that country’s woes now）， from hope to terror and back again。In a lovely passage， Marsh muses over his hoard of exotic woods with beautiful names he has collected - burr elm， spalted beechwood， cocobolo， sandalwood - and the places they came from， and what he planned to make with them。 What will become of all of it？ For “I am constantly having new ideas of things to make with all this wood – but the fact of the matter is， whatever happens， I will not live long enough to use even a fraction of it。 I would look at my hoarded wood with deep pleasure， but as old age and decline approach， this pleasure is starting to fade and instead is replaced by a feeling of futility， and even of doom – of the future suggested by my brain scan。 Besides， anything I now make will outlive me， and I should only make things that deserve to survive in their own right。 I no longer have the excuse of the craftsman – who sees all the faults， often invisible to others， in what he has made – that I will do better next time。” As it happens， Marsh’s cancer responds well to his therapies。 He likely has more time ahead of him than he feared - but perhaps no more books。 This rambling， effusive， thoughtful exploration of the mind of a man facing down the “commonplace” that he must die， and soon， is useful and moving。** Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 ** 。。。more
Will Liddell
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Marsh writes with great insight and honesty about sickness and death。 In this book he charts his own cancer diagnosis and reflects on moving to the other side of the stethoscope。 He is fiercely self critical which makes me worry about him。 So glad I did not choose a career in neurosurgery。
Riann
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I really enjoyed this heartfelt memoir。 The author's insights into complex issues surrounding death and dying really made me think。 Marsh's reflections regarding his surgical career and his cancer diagnosis were very moving。 I really enjoyed this heartfelt memoir。 The author's insights into complex issues surrounding death and dying really made me think。 Marsh's reflections regarding his surgical career and his cancer diagnosis were very moving。 。。。more
Kristina
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In "And Finally"， Henry Marsh follows his career as a neurosurgeon that he detailed in his early books "Admission" and "Do No Harm"， both of which I have read and enjoyed。 He approaches the end of his career and his reaction to a diagnosis of advanced cancer。 He role in life has transitioned from a provider to a patient- one that he struggles with。 He traveled around the world providing medical care， and with the COVID-19 pandemic， is stuck at home。 While his previous books focused more on his c In "And Finally"， Henry Marsh follows his career as a neurosurgeon that he detailed in his early books "Admission" and "Do No Harm"， both of which I have read and enjoyed。 He approaches the end of his career and his reaction to a diagnosis of advanced cancer。 He role in life has transitioned from a provider to a patient- one that he struggles with。 He traveled around the world providing medical care， and with the COVID-19 pandemic， is stuck at home。 While his previous books focused more on his career as a neurosurgeon and the interesting medical cases he encountered， this is focused inward。 There is not a cohesive journey throughout this book， outside of his journey to accept his diagnosis。 I found it somewhat unfocused and meandering at times- musings more than a clear thesis， but it was still interesting to read about his latest stage of life。Thank you to St。 Martin's Press via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review。 。。。more
Dan
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My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advance copy of this memoir and meditation on life， health and what ties us all together。 My father always told me never buy a car a mechanic owned。 Since it was his car， the mechanic might be slow to fix things， let things go longer， knowing that eventually they would get to it， but usually didn't。 Doctors can be the same way about their health。 They know symptoms， warning signs， know when their own personal check engine li My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advance copy of this memoir and meditation on life， health and what ties us all together。 My father always told me never buy a car a mechanic owned。 Since it was his car， the mechanic might be slow to fix things， let things go longer， knowing that eventually they would get to it， but usually didn't。 Doctors can be the same way about their health。 They know symptoms， warning signs， know when their own personal check engine light has been on for quite a while， but eh only sick people get sick。 Not doctors。 Until they do。 Then they become patients in a system that they know intimately， but not from the same side。 They are patients now， and everything is not the same on the other side。 And Finally: Matters of Life and Death is a book about being sick， aging， elder care， and what happens， by Dr Henry Marsh， a physician who has written much about health care， but never as a patient。Doctor Henry Marsh had been retired from neurosurgery for a while and was looking forward to repairing and refurbishing a a small shed in the country for an office， when the world began to change。 First COVID-19 which concerned him as his wife had a preexisting condition and quarantining might not be enough to keep her safe。 Marsh had also taken part in a medical project to look at healthy brains， and when he finally looked at his scans found a brain that was aging in ways he did not want to think about。 And he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer， symptoms of which he had been feeling， but had ignored or pushed to the side， thinking they were nothing to be concerned about， though he knew better。 The book then goes into his life after finding out he has cancer， thoughts on why he ignored his obvious signs， the state of elder care in medicine。 A lot of thoughts focused on what was happening to him， and what was going to happen， as we all would think， only Marsh had a lot more information to concern him。The book is both a memoir and a journal almost of a plague year in more ways than one。 Thoughts on treatment， the state of medicine， morality and mortality fill the pages。 Before entering medicine Marsh had studied politics and philosophy so Marsh has quite a lot to draw on， and use as examples。 The narrative does jump around a bit， like I said the book reads in many places like a journal so a lot of things might be discussed， left unfinished and started again later。 The writing is good， honest almost to a fault。 Marsh is hard on himself for allowing things with his health go so far， and makes a good case for people to take more of an interest in their own bodies， find physicians they trust， if possible， as Marsh is in England which is trying to catch up to the United States in the which is more horrible to get sick in race， and be your own medical advocate。 Elder care is also discussed， and that is also a sad subject， and one that I believe readers are going to be seeing a lot of books about。 Being a patient has opened his eyes a lot to what is considered good and fair treatment， which makes for interesting reading。 Doctor Marsh's cancer as I write this is in remission。 I would recommend this for anyone who has has a loved one， or a friend diagnosed with cancer， any kind， just to get an idea of some of the thoughts that might be going through their heads， and the treatments and how they might be treated。 Not an eye opener about medical care and how it has declined， more of a look at what humans do to deal with illness， and even more our own mortality。 A very interesting book， that asks a lot of questions， mainly about how we think， feel， care and what we fear of the end。 。。。more
Robert Watson
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