I READ A BOOK

Now, as a future English Literature major, this shouldn't be as remarkable as it is. I've talked on here before about my lack of drive to read as I went through high school. But I did it. I got back in to reading and my eyes have been opened to the absolute joy that is escaping from my dull, mundane life into the exploits of characters and other people.

Now, if you're planning on getting back in to treading after taking what feels like a life-long break, may I strongly suggest you don't start it with non-fiction. Non-fiction is renowned for being dull and boring and factual and an absolute drag and why, when trying to convince yourself to read again, would you start with that? In saying this, the first book I read when I started reading again was non-fiction. I know, I know, I read the previous sentence too. Bear with me.


Let me introduce you to Dr. Henry Marsh. He is the 'leading British neurosurgeon, and a pioneer of neurosurgical advances in Ukraine' and, in my opinion, a little bit of a hero. He wrote a book called Do No Harm about his life, his career and, most interestingly, the human brain.

Now, as a little kid, I'd always dreamed of being a doctor. I think most of us do at some point, but as I grew up I began to realised that dream was little more than and idle fantasy. The human body has always fascinated me but I just didn't have the brains or the dedication to pursue a career in medicine. Also the blood *shiver*.

But Mr. Marsh really managed to grasp my attention. He describes complex neurological phenomena with ease and slips in endearing anecdotes about his family and his patients at the same time. The doctor opens our eyes to the political struggle between management and medical staff in hospitals, the painful experiences bot patients and consultants must go through in their medical lifetimes and simultaneously leaves us in awe of the work him and his colleagues do, working on the most fragile, complicated organ in our body.