“A beautifully written and fearless depiction of both brain surgery and the mind of a surgeon. Riveting”
“Is this a memoir or a science book? An exposé of the shortcoming of our healthcare system or a paean to the wonders of modern medicine? The answer is YES, to all those things and more. Jandial takes us deep into the day-to-day life of his profession as a brain surgeon while simultaneously taking us even deeper into the inner-workings of our own biology. It’s an unconventional approach, and a bit disarming at first blush, but pays off in spades. I loved this book.”
“A reminder that what makes us stellar physicians and surgeons are not our skills with our hands and/our knowledge but rather our empathy and ability to connect with our patients”
Life on a Knife’s Edge
A Brain Surgeon’s Reflections on Life, Lose and Survival
Dr Rahul Jandial
Penguin Life / HB non-fiction / 3rd June 2021 / £16.99
A raw and unflinching account from leading neuroscientist and neurosurgeon of the valuable lessons we can learn from patients confronted with their own mortality.
As one of the world's leading brain surgeons, Dr Jandial is the last hope for many patients who have extreme forms of cancer - patients who can't be saved but deserve more time.
Life on a Knife's Edge is his account of the resilience, courage and belief he has witnessed in his patients, and the lessons he has learned from them. Both an unflinching account of extreme surgeries and a profound, moving and introspective memoir, this book reveals the depths of a surgeon's psyche who is pushed to his limits, day in, day out.
From keeping a gun victim's heart pumping with his own hand, to saving a woman from paralysis and performing brain surgery while time is running out on a haemorrhaging patient, we see how making life and death decisions and facing unimaginable pressure has shaped one man's life. Now, he shares the many truths about human nature that he has learned along the way: from how we deal with trauma, loss, addiction, failure and threat to our innate belief and sense of self.
From a life spent balancing the line between life and death, Rahul reveals what it means to survive life's challenges.
FEATURE IDEAS / TALKING POINTS
Lessons of hope and survival learnt from cancer patients
Lessons on coping with trauma from a frontline worker
Reverse PTSD and resilience– how to mentally survive, heal and thrive after trauma
Healthy ways to deal with tremendous uncertainty
How to enhance your performance – from neural efficiency to simulated crisis management and breathing techniques
From University dropout to world-class surgeon – Dr Jandial’s personal journey
ABOUT Dr Rahul Jandial
Dr Rahul Jandial, MD, PhD is an American dual-trained neurosurgeon and scientist at City of Hope, a research centre, hospital and postgraduate training faculty in Los Angeles. When he isn't performing surgery, he is leading a team of scientists in Jandial Laboratory, named after him and known for its cutting-edge approach to brain surgery and neuroscience. In addition to being a world-class surgeon and scientist, Dr Jandial is the author of ten academic books and over 100 papers. Sunday Times bestseller Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon (2019) was his first book for a general audience.