Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
And Finally summary
Matters of Life and Death
16 mins
Brief summary
'And Finally' by Henry Marsh is a memoir that reflects on his life experiences working as a neurosurgeon. Through his poignant stories, he reflects on the highs and lows of his career and the impact it had on his personal life.
Table of Contents
And Finally
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
A Sick Doctor
A phenomenon occurs among many new medical students – they become hypochondriacs, at least temporarily. They’re convinced they have at least a dozen of the different maladies they’re studying. Eventually, they outgrow the phase and delude themselves in the other direction by believing that doctors don’t get sick, only patients do.
That’s still the mindset for Dr. Henry Marsh when he volunteers for a brain scan study at the age of 69, four years after he retired from full-time practice. Marsh is a well-known British neurosurgeon who specializes in removing cancerous brain and spinal tumors. When he views his own brain scan after a volunteer study, he’s stunned. Since he’s a doctor – and a clever one at that – and doctors don’t get sick, he expects his brain to appear young and vibrant. Instead, it’s aged and shriveled just like a normal human brain.
That same sense of invincibility has also kept Marsh from scheduling a prostate exam, even though he’s been experiencing prostate issues for 25 years. His vague plan to see a colleague for the exam is delayed again by the onset of COVID-19. The pandemic pushes thoughts of decreased urine flow to the back of his mind.
When he finally sees his colleague in the fall of 2020, the exam reveals a firm prostate that calls for more tests. Marsh is hesitant, the former doctor clinging to his immune status, but eventually, he relinquishes. The results aren’t good.
Marsh’s blood work shows he has a prostate-specific antigen or PSA level of 127, which is extremely high. Even in men with prostate cancer, the average PSA is below 20 and very few ever reach 100. Marsh conducts some hasty internet research and reads that most men with a PSA over 100 will be dead within two years.
He’s referred to an oncologist at a well-known London hospital, the Royal Marsden. The oncologist there has more bad news. As Marsh feared, he has prostate cancer. And with his PSA so high, there’s a 70 percent chance the cancer has metastasized and spread beyond the prostate. They’ll need more tests, but if it has spread, treatment is essentially pointless, and the cancer will likely kill Marsh within two years. The internet may have been right.
Want to see all full key ideas from And Finally?
Key ideas in And Finally
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is And Finally about?
And Finally (2022) is about a doctor becoming a patient. The process is painful for neurosurgeon and author Dr. Henry Marsh but in the end, he finds acceptance and understands what truly matters.
And Finally Review
And Finally (2022) is a captivating memoir by Henry Marsh that takes readers on an emotional journey of a renowned neurosurgeon. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- With honest and raw storytelling, it provides a rare glimpse into the challenging world of neurosurgery and the impact it has on both patients and doctors.
- Marsh's deep reflections on life, mortality, and the complexities of the human brain make this book thought-provoking and intellectually stimulating.
- The author's vulnerability and self-awareness create a compelling narrative that keeps readers engaged, ensuring that the book is never dull or predictable.
Who should read And Finally?
- Anyone transitioning to a new stage of life
- People with questions about aging
- Those whose lives have been touched by cancer
Categories with And Finally
Book summaries like And Finally
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
And Finally FAQs
What is the main message of And Finally?
The main message of And Finally is...
How long does it take to read And Finally?
The reading time for And Finally varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is And Finally a good book? Is it worth reading?
And Finally is a worthwhile read that offers...
Who is the author of And Finally?
The author of And Finally is Henry Marsh.
What to read after And Finally?
If you're wondering what to read next after And Finally, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Reversing Alzheimer's by Heather Sandison
- The Plant Paradox by Steven R. Gundry
- A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
- The Joy of Connections by Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer
- With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix
- Partnering by Jean Oelwang
- Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson
- Savor by Thich Nhat Hanh and Lilian Cheung
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
- How to Stop Procrastinating by Steve Scott