Life on a Knife’s Edge

Author: Rahul Jandial
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0241461855
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
'It's a brilliant book... There are lessons in every paragraph... Get it now.' Chris Evans 'Wonderous and wild. I loved this book' James Nestor, bestselling author of Breath 'Moving, raw and unflinching' Julia Samuel, bestselling author of This Too Shall Pass 'Incredible storytelling' Dr Rangan Chatterjee, bestselling author of Feel Better in 5 ____________________________________________________________________________ How do you carry on when things go deadly wrong? When Dr Rahul Jandial operated on Karina, an eleven-year-old girl whose spinal cord was splitting in two, he had to make an impossible decision. He followed his head over his gut and Karina was left permanently paralysed, altering both patient and surgeon's lives for ever. This decision would haunt Rahul for decades, a constant reminder of the fine line between saving and damaging a life. As one of the world's leading brain surgeons, Rahul is the last hope for patients with extreme forms of cancer. In treating them, he has observed humanity at its most raw and most robust. He has journeyed to unimaginable extremes with them, guiding them through the darkest moments of their lives. Life on a Knife's Edge is Rahul's poetic and beautifully written account of the resilience, courage and belief he has witnessed in his patients, and the lessons about human nature he has learned from them. It is about the impossible choices he has to make, and the fateful consequences he is forced to live with. From challenging the ethics of surgical practices, to helping a patient with locked-in syndrome communicate her dying wish to her family, Rahul shares his extraordinary experiences, revealing the depths of a surgeon's psyche that is continuously pushed to its limits.

The Knife's Edge

Author: Stephen Westaby
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780008285777
Category : Heart surgeons
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
An intimate and compelling exploration into the unique psyche of the heart surgeon, by one of the profession's most eminent figures. Although Professor Stephen Westaby was born with the necessary coordination and manual dexterity, it was a head trauma sustained during university that gifted him the qualities of an exceptional heart surgeon: qualities that are frequently associated with psychopathy. His thirty-five-year career has been characterised by fearlessness and ruthless ambition; leaving empathy at the hospital door as thousands of patients put their lives in his hands. For heart surgeons, the inevitable cost of failure is death and in The Knife's Edge, Westaby reflects on the unique mindset of those who are drawn to this exhilarating and often tragic profession. We discover the pioneers who grasped opportunities and took chances to drive innovation and save lives. Often difficult, uninhibited and fearless, theirs is a field constantly threatened by the risk of public failure. Like those before him, Westaby refuses to draw the line in his search of a lifetime solution to problems of the heart. His determination is unerring - a steadfastness underpinned by his unusual mind. But as we glimpse into the future of cardiac surgery, for all its remarkable scientific advancement, one question remains: within the confines of socialised medical healthcare systems, how can heart surgeons - individuals often hardwired with avoidance of self-doubt, a penchant for glory and a flagrant disregard for authority - truly flourish?

Knife's Edge

Author: Hope Larson
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ISBN: 1466897201
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 228

Book Description
A standalone, adventure-packed companion to the New York Times bestseller Compass South, from the same team who created the Eisner Award-winner Salt Magic. Twelve-year-old twin adventurers Cleopatra and Alexandra Dodge are reunited with their father and realize that two family heirlooms reveal the location of a treasure that is their birthright. When they set sail with Captain Tarboro on the Almira, they know they’re heading into danger —the ocean is filled with new and old enemies, including their nemesis, the infamous pirate Felix Worley. But like a coral reef that lurks below the surface of the waves, trouble is brewing between the siblings. Alex is determined to become a sailor and is happy with his role aboard the Almira, but Cleo—the only girl on the ship—is tired of washing dishes in the galley. In an effort to find her own purpose, she begins studying sword fighting with Tarboro, but neither Alex nor her father approves. Can the twins remain close as they pursue different goals and dreams, or will their growing differences tear the family apart before the treasure can be found? In this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Compass South, Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock once again create an outstanding seafaring adventure with Knife's Edge. A Margaret Ferguson Book

Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon

Author: Rahul Jandial
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0241338719
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 264

Book Description
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER *As heard on Chris Evans' Virgin Radio* 'You're amazing I could talk to you (Rahul) all day' Chris Evans 'This is a gripping new book' The Times World-leading neuroscientist and neurosurgeon Dr Rahul Jandial draws on his years of work with patients suffering from the most extreme cases of brain damage, disorders and illnesses to reveal what they can tell us about the science of the mind. From a languages teacher who has to choose whether to lose her ability to speak Spanish or English after brain surgery, to a former TV exec, now homeless, who discovers that his life-altering despondency is the result of a tumour, to a fainting teen who learns that deep breathing can mean the difference between life or death, these stories uncover the secret workings of the brain. Blending cutting-edge research and beautiful storytelling, Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon is a vital resource on the best ways to boost your memory, control stress and emotions, minimize pain, unleash your creativity, raise smart kids and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. This is a deeply practical and readable book, which will take you on an expedition through the anatomy of the most fascinating - and mysterious - of organs. Rahul's new book Life on a Knife's Edge is out now.

Naked at the Knife-Edge

Author: Vivian James Rigney
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637630778
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 97

Book Description
Naked at The Knife-Edge, Vivian James Rigney’s compelling and often harrowing true account of summiting Everest, offers a unique window into lessons on leadership and what it takes to succeed in any circumstance. Only a relatively small group of individuals has climbed the highest peak on each of the planet’s seven continents. Known as the Seven Summits, it is a feat that typically takes years and an enormous amount of planning, training, and effort, in some of the most inaccessible places on earth. But Vivian James Rigney was determined to do just that. An executive coach and globally recognized authority on leadership and teamwork in business, Rigney relied on skills learned in the corporate world in addition to physical training to attempt these summits. Everest, his seventh and final peak, almost broke him. There, he and his team confronted wild storms lasting for days, near-vertical walls of ice, and a knife-edge ridge with fatal drops on either side. They endured avalanches, sub-zero temperatures, and tragedy unfolding around them. The roller coaster of pain, self-reflection, questioning, and above all, loneliness left Rigney with ego in tatters. It was then he discovered an awakening of what real purpose and legacy actually is. This unique and powerful journey reveals critical wisdom for individuals and leaders in any circumstance, including how to: Overcome the ego trap and get out of your head Triage what you can and cannot control Harness your intuition Create shared purpose and real followership Tap into the power of vulnerability and authenticity In Naked at the Knife-Edge, Rigney uniquely combines the hands-on and reflective approach of one of today’s most respected executive coaches with adventure and a raw and revealing personal story.

On a Knife's Edge

Author: Prit Buttar
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472828356
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 483

Book Description
The battle of Stalingrad was the turning point of World War II. The German capture of the city, their encirclement by Soviet forces shortly afterwards, and the hard-fought but futile attempts to relieve them, saw bitter attritional fighting and extremes of human misery inflicted on both sides. The surrender of General Friedrich von Paulus's army left Germany's eastern armies severely weakened, but the Red Army had suffered enormous losses as it overreached itself in trying to exploit its great victory. The war was not over. Germany would continue the fight, and the battles that took place in the winter of 1942/43 would show the tactical and operational skill of Erich von Manstein and the Wehrmacht as they attempted to avert total disaster. In this title, now available in paperback, a renowned expert on warfare on the Eastern Front reveals the often-overlooked German counteroffensive post-Stalingrad, and how it prevented the whole Axis front line from collapsing. Drawing on first-hand accounts, On a Knife's Edge is a story of brilliant generalship, lost opportunities and survival in the harshest theatre of war.

Knife Edge

Author: Malorie Blackman
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1407048015
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
'Devastatingly powerful' Guardian No one could begin to guess at the depth of the hatred I held for Sephy Hadley. Everything began with her and my brother. And that’s how it would end. Where there has been love, now there is hate. Two families have been shattered by the divided and violent society they live in. Sephy Hadley – a Cross, supposedly powerful and privileged – has bound herself forever to her nought lover Callum McGregor’s family. But Jude McGregor blames Sephy for all the tragedies his family has suffered. And he is determined to force her to take sides, and destroy her life . . . just like she destroyed his. . . Voted as one of the UK's best-loved books, Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses series is a seminal piece of YA fiction; a true modern classic. 'Moving and thought-provoking' Observer

Compass South

Author: Hope Larson
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0374300437
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
This fast-paced graphic novel, set in New York City in 1860, follows twins Alexander and Cleo and their adventures at sea, from the same team who created the Eisner Award-winner Salt Magic.

Running on the Edge of the Knife

Author: Linda Ching
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1105970019
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 219

Book Description
Mui Chiu Dang was a free spirited boy growing up in a country at war. He was handcuffed, beaten, and sentenced to prison without a trial. Never completely losing hope, even when confronted with life-threatening experiences, he believed even his darkest moments were blessings in disguise. He took on each challenge as another personal adventure through life. With nothing but a simple pair of shorts in his possession, he left his entire family behind and joined the exodus from the only country he had known. This story is how one ordinary man responded to an extraordinary period of time in Vietnam and the struggles he faced as a new immigrant in San Francisco. This is his personal story, a tale of survival and of how he maintained his resiliency and sanity when all odds seemed to be against him.

The Knife's Edge: The Ronin Saga

Author: Matthew Wolf
Publisher: Ronin Saga
ISBN: 9780989148313
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 484

Book Description
When legends come to life the world trembles from a single name. Ronin. Once-heroes from a different age, they wield elemental powers ... wind, water, fire, stone, forest, sun, moon, flesh, and metal. At the same time, a young man discovers his best friend with a sword in her stomach, and dark wings sprouting from her back. Guards rush onto the scene, accuse him of the act, and he is forced to flee. In a new world without his memories, Gray must find his way amid legends and darkness, as he wrestles with an elemental power inside himself. A power all too similar to the infamous Ronin ...