Professor Chris O'Brien died last night in Sydney's RPA hospital. As a cancer clinician and then as a patient with brain cancer he changed policy, attitudes and lives within and without the health system. His book Never Say Die is worth a read even if you have never, or imagine you never will, come up against cancer in your life.

Dr Charlie Teo, the extraordinary neurosurgeon who not only was friends with O'Brien but operated on him a number of times, is also worth reading about. Susan Wyndham has written a book, Life In His Hands: The True Story of a Neurosurgeon and a Pianist, detailing one of Teo's most incredible patient's, Aaron MacMillan, a 24 year old classical pianist, and his road through a tragic diagnosis and onto Teo's operating table.

And while we are on the surgical side of things, Gabriel Westons' Direct Red is from a female surgeons point of view detailing what it takes to become a surgeon (and a female one) and is full of beautiful writing, insights and empathy for all the players from patients through to harassed, over-tired and arrogant specialists. And Mohamed Khadra's book Making The Cut: A Surgeon's Stories of Life on the Edge is a revelation of how it feels to stand in the operating theatre every day amid the swirl of health politics and difficult choices regarding patients treatments.

And for a related read, try Jill Bolte Taylor's My Stroke of Insight. She wasn't a surgeon but she was, at 37 years old, a renowned brain scientist when a blood vessel burst in her brain. My Stroke of Insight is her memoir of reconstructing herself - from walking and talking to her identity - the long road back to a new self. It is a compelling and fascinating read.