The tragedy of books like these is that the readers are basically the choir to which the author sings. 

Although I was sorry there wasn't a chapter featuring deep brain stimulation, this is the brain surgery book I hoped for!  The memoir isn't particularly well structured and the stories don't always have a well defined arc, but that doesn't matter.  The author is a brain surgeon for god sake, not a Pulitzer winning author.   What is revealed is the challenging world of high risk surgery carry high levels of risk and reward.  Surgeons are notorious for having big egos, and Dr. Henry Marsh is no exception.  His disdain for hospital and healthcare management was as evident as his compassion for his patients.  He candidly talks about his struggles dealing with less than sympathetic patients.  Also, kudos to the best temper tantrum I've seen in a book (following a botched job performed by a trainee).    

I'm sadly disappointed. It seemed as if the author couldn't decide if this was a memoir or a historical account of upper class African American society in 20th century America. The view into Ms. Jefferson's upbringing was unsurprisingly normal to the non POC reader, save for the underlying pressure to be better than the rest, to never slip up, to uphold unrealistic expectations imposed in an Faustian bargain for fair and equal treatment. I found her firsthand personal accounts the strongest part of the book. Unfortunately these were interspersed and often overshadowed with accounts of other historical figures and events leading to a confusing jumble. The subject matter was good, compelling even, but the presentation left me flat.

2016 reading challenge checks the box for 16. A memoir