Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery

We've all heard the phrase 'it's not brain surgery.' But what exactly is brain surgery? It's a profession that is barely a hundred years old and profoundly connects two human beings, but few know how it works, or its history. How did early neurosurgeons come to understand the human brain - an extraordinarily complex organ that controls everything we do, and yet at only three pounds is so fragile? And how did this incredibly challenging and lifesaving specialty emerge? In this warm, rigorous, and deeply insightful book, Dr. Theodore H. Schwartz explores what it's like to hold the scalpel, wield the drill, extract a tumor, fix a bullet hole, and remove a blood clot - when every second can mean life or death. Drawing from the author's own cases, plus media, sports, and government archives, this seminal work delves into all the brain-related topics that have long-consumed public curiosity, like what really happened to JFK, President Biden's brain surgery, and the NFL's management of CTE. Dr. Schwartz also surveys the field's latest incredible advances and discusses the philosophical questions of the unity of the self and the existence of free will. A neurosurgeon as well as a professor of neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital, one of the busiest and most highly ranked neurosurgery centers in the world, Dr. Schwartz tells this story like no one else could. Told through anecdote and clear explanation, this is the ultimate cultural and scientific history of a literally mind-blowing human endeavor, one that cuts to the core of who we are.

About the Author :
THEODORE H. SCHWARTZ, MD, is a Professor of Neurosurgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai in New York City, one of the busiest and highest-ranked neurosurgery centers in the world. He has published more than five hundred scientific articles and chapters on neurosurgery, and has lectured around the world—from Bogotá to Vienna to Mumbai—on new, minimally invasive surgical techniques that he helped develop. His book, Gray Matters. A Biography of Brain Surgery, published by Dutton/Penguin-Random House, was selected by The Economist as one of the best books of 2024. His writing has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Psyche, The British Psychological Society, LitHub, and MedPage Today. Dr. Schwartz is currently the CEO of a med tech company, Illumination Diagnostics, Inc.. He studied philosophy, literature, and medicine at Harvard.

Review :
“A fascinating glimpse behind the curtain…. Dr. Schwartz has spent his career using his hands to make brains healthier. Now, he uses the power of stories to shed light on the mysteries of the mind.” —The Wall Street Journal “Neurosurgeon Schwartz’s excellent debut intersperses details about the history of brain surgery with background on what it’s like to perform the procedure…Sweeping and consistently captivating, this impresses.” —Publishers Weekly (starred) "An informative study of modern brain surgery. . . . Mixing expertise with storytelling, Schwartz provides a remarkable account of a crucial but misunderstood field.” —Kirkus (starred) “If you are at all curious about the brain or the surgeons who operate on it, Gray Matters is a must read and Dr. Theodore Schwartz is the perfect guide, a master brain surgeon and superbly talented writer. I have not read a better biography of our shared profession, and in Schwartz's talented hands, the most enigmatic 3 1/2 pounds of tissue in the known universe comes to light in remarkable and revelatory ways.” —Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, and New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age “Gray Matters is a riveting journey through the intricacies and complexities of the human brain, a compelling read for anyone considering a career in medicine, or anyone simply curious about the work life of a brain surgeon. The fascinating stories of people undergoing brain surgery highlight the mix of human ingenuity and daring that have propelled the field.” —Anna Lembke, MD, author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence “With equal doses compassion, humor, and narrative skill, Schwartz creates a spellbinding account of what goes through the brain of a top neurosurgeon staring into the deep mysteries of his patients' brains. A must read for anyone who has ever had a brain.”  —Daniel J. Levitin, Successful Aging and I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: A Neuroscientist Explores Music As Medicine “An exciting and engaging romp around the history, innerworkings, and near limitless potential of the human brain. If you like Mary Roach’s genre of immersive storytelling then you will love this view from the inside of the world of brain surgery. An outstanding read, and I highly recommend to brain surgeons and non-brain surgeons alike!" —Jay Wellons, author of All That Moves Us: A Pediatric Neurosurgeon, His Young Patients, and Their Stories of Grace and Resilience (voted one of the best books of 2022 by The New Yorker and Publishers Weekly) "A fascinating and wide-ranging account of what neurosurgery is really about—the past, present and future.” —Henry Marsh, neurosurgeon and New York Times bestselling author of Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery and And Finally: Matters of Life and Death “Blending personal experiences from the operating room with neuroscience’s historical roots and contemporary examples, Dr. Theodore H. Schwartz gives readers a captivating glimpse into the high-stakes, emotionally charged world of brain surgery. A riveting read that unveils the humanity, history, and science behind the scalpel.” —Dana Suskind, pediatric surgeon and author of the New York Times bestseller Parent Nation and Thirty Million Words “Whether you are interested in history, medicine or specifically neurosurgery, Gray Matters by Dr. Theodore Schwartz will not only satisfy your curiosity, it will entertain you with riveting accounts of life and death situations. The book is highly readable and very educational as well.” —Ben Carson, founder and chairman of American Cornerstone Institute, emeritus professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and 17th Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development "Fascinating." —Terry Gross on Fresh Air