REVIEW: Anaesthesia

Anaesthesia:

The Gift Of Oblivion And The Mystery Of Consciousness

By Kate Cole-Adams

Text Publishing, February 2018 (in UK)

If you have any worries about needing an anaesthetic in the near future, this is definitely NOT a book you want to read. Modern anaesthesia is generally very safe and very effective, but what frightened me most was the fact that nobody, not even the anesthetists who use these medications every working day, is entirely certain how they actually work...... and why, sometimes, they don't. 

What exact part of our brain do they affect? Do they affect the entire brain and make it utterly impossible for your brain and body to retain any sort of awareness of trauma inflicted in surgery?  
Does anaesthetic awareness happen more often than we think? 
Does the lack of hard knowledge unduly worry some anaesthetists? Surprisingly not.
What constitutes consciousness anyway, and what makes us remember things? (And that really is a can of worms!)

Kate Cole-Adams is an Australian journalist with a long-term interest in anesthesia and its problems, who needed to undergo major surgery herself, and this book is the result of her researches and her own experiences. It is an interesting book, with lots of fascinating medical research introduced and referenced,  but the large amount of speculation as to the nature of consciousness could perhaps have been more tightly edited as parts of the book did tend to ramble somewhat, making it a lengthy read indeed.

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REVIEW: Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage:

The Great Pilgrim Routes Of Britain And Europe

By Derry Brabbs

Frances Lincoln/ Quarto, October 2017

One might be forgiven for thinking there is a plethora of books about pilgrimages, and indeed there are, mainly concentrating on brief glimpses of many pilgrimages or in-depth travelogues of one major route.

This, however, is quite different and concentrates on the lesser known pilgrim routes for long-distance walkers, even those keen enough to tackle the Great St Bernard  Pass!


You will find the new pilgrim route of St Cuthbert leading to Holy Island, the route to St Thomas a Becket at Canterbury, the route to St Winefride's shrine at Holywell in Wales,  the French leg of the Camino to Compostela, the route from Cologne to Trier in Germany, Rouen to Mont St Michel, which graces the front cover, Seville to Astorga, Munich to Lindau,  La Verna to Assisi, and the longest route, Calais to Rome.

It is a fairly short book, only 256 pages, but it manages to pack in plenty of historical detail, pointers on what not to miss and best of all, the most glorious photographs of the lovely scenery. There really are not enough words to describe how beautiful this book is; it has earned a place in my library and inspired a burning desire to follow some of these paths for myself one day.

My only quibble may be that it did not include the modern Cistercian Way pilgrimage across Wales too, but perhaps that may follow in a subsequent volume :-)

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With the End in Mind

With the End in Mind:

Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial

By Katherine Mannix

Published by William Collins, December 2017


Katherine Mannix is superbly qualified to write this book, having spent a huge part of her long and distinguished medical career in palliative care, working with people who are dying.

From her first encounters with death as a medical student, then as a junior doctor, she has experienced dealing with patients, their often troubling physical problems as their health deteriorates, their families and all that the dying process entails. Familiarity does not breed contempt, however; rather it breeds sensitivity, compassion, respect, kindness and a respect for those about to undertake the final journey towards death.

Just as no two births or lives are the same, neither are any two deaths identical. They all may share similarities, but dealing with the dying and their loved ones can still produce surprises. Some people are in absolute denial that they are actively dying right up to the point where they lapse into unconsciousness; others request to be kept fully apprised of any changes in their medical conditions in order to plan ahead and prepare themselves and their loved ones.

There is no "right" way of dying and Dr Mannix discusses in some detail how different diseases influence the dying process and stresses that symptoms can almost always be successfully controlled to allow the patient to live as positively as possible until death supervenes.

I cannot find enough words to praise this magnificent book, but simply wish to echo her advice to discuss all these things with your own loved ones, make them aware of your thoughts and wishes and document your wishes. It will make life so much easier for you and for your loved ones when the time comes.

"In sharing the stories of so many ordinary people as they reached
their final days, I hope that I have shown that, in the end, none
of us is ordinary, that each unique individual is extraordinary in
their own way. As we approach the ends of our lives, we experience
a shift in perspective that allows us to focus on the most important
things in our own domain. This shift is both poignant and
freeing, as these stories illustrate. Living is precious, and is perhaps
best appreciated when we live with the end in mind.
It’s time to talk about dying.
I have. Thank you for listening. Now it’s your turn to talk."

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REVIEW Hortense And The Shadow

Hortense And The Shadow

By Natalia and Lauren O'Hara

Published by Puffin Books, 2017

Hortense is sweet, sassy, brave and clever. However, she really, really hates her own shadow and to her annoyance, no matter how hard she tries, she can never escape it - until one day, she somehow manages to cut off her shadow.

Overjoyed to be free at last, she is so very happy... but one night, she falls into mortal danger, and the only thing that saves her is her shadow and she realises how mistaken she has been all along.

This is a short but delightfully illustrated young children's book, deliciously scary in parts, and very reminiscent of an Eastern European type of folk story. It can be read on multiple levels and is an interesting story to read out loud and discuss with children; I liked it very much.

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