Bookclub

Henry Marsh - Do No Harm


Listen Later

With James Naughtie.

Doctors work under the oath 'do no harm', but the neurosurgeon Henry Marsh says the decision whether to operate on a brain is rarely that simple.

His account of his working life Do No Harm has caught the attention of readers all round the country since its publication a year ago and has this week Do No Harm won the South Bank Award for Literature, as well being shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson, Costa, and Wellcome book prizes this year.

Henry discusses his memoir Do No Harm which is startling in its candour. He gives an extraordinary insight into his own thought processes as well as into the world of neurosurgical briefing meetings and hospital policies. Each chapter's starting point is a real-life case study and the book conveys his fascination with the human brain as well as the compassion required of a brain surgeon.

Henry is honest about how a doctor must strive for balance between personal involvement with the patient and objectivity about their case. He talks about his failures, and the exhilaration of success.

As always on Bookclub a group of readers, this month including members of the medical profession, join in the discussion.

July's Bookcub choice : If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor.

Presenter : James Naughtie

Interviewed guest : Henry Marsh
Producer : Dymphna Flynn.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

BookclubBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

232 ratings


More shows like Bookclub

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,709 Listeners

Ask Penguin by Penguin Books UK

Ask Penguin

159 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,046 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,428 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,806 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

291 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,797 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,072 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,931 Listeners

World Book Club by BBC World Service

World Book Club

372 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

518 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

595 Listeners

London Review Bookshop Podcast by London Review Bookshop

London Review Bookshop Podcast

126 Listeners

Front Row by BBC Radio 4

Front Row

127 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

185 Listeners

The Book Club Review by The Book Club Review

The Book Club Review

125 Listeners

The Waterstones Podcast by Waterstones

The Waterstones Podcast

37 Listeners

Slightly Foxed by Slightly Foxed: The Real Reader's Quarterly

Slightly Foxed

260 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,192 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

740 Listeners

Cyber Hack by BBC World Service

Cyber Hack

1,623 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

109 Listeners

The Radio 2 Book Club by BBC Radio 2

The Radio 2 Book Club

3 Listeners

Take Four Books by BBC Radio 4

Take Four Books

5 Listeners

A Good Read by BBC Radio 4

A Good Read

29 Listeners