In their hands

✍ Scribed by Michael V. Johnston

• Book ID: 101463276
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 40 KB
• Volume: 52
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0364-5134
• DOI: 10.1002/ana.10234

✦ Synopsis

One of the more interesting books to arrive at the Annals of Neurology editorial office this year is this book about hands, specifically the "good hands" of internationally renowned neurosurgeons. The book consists almost entirely of black and white photographs of pairs of neurosurgical hands, taken artfully by the author who is himself a neurosurgeon. As the author points out, hands have fascinated many people, including artists such as Rodin, over the years. Although it is interesting to browse through the book and consider the encounters these hands have had with the living, pulsating brain, the photographs also demonstrate how similar they are to those we see everyday among our patients, family members, and colleagues. Few of these images portray the extraordinary physical features that we might imagine are associated with technical virtuosity. Instead, there are some with short, pudgy fingers and nails in need of a manicure, and others showing the unmistakable signs of age. Some readers may conclude after viewing this collection that if the appearance of hands is an important criterion for success in neurosurgery, they could have considered the specialty after all. However, In Their Hands may also contain a better clue to the basis of success for these surgeons. At the back of the book, the owners of the hands are identified with photographs. These mostly warm and intelligent looking faces tell a far more interesting story than their hands, and I was particularly struck by the eyes. Bright, intense, and alert, the eyes may provide a clue to the exceptional brain that powers the gifted hands. Maybe this suggests an idea for another book.