Family Circle Reviews The Scalpel and the Soul:

Funny, irreverent, earthy, big-hearted, honest, real -- just some of the adjectives that describe Allan J. Hamilton, MD, neurosurgeon and author of The Scalpel and the Soul. Dr. Hamilton has written a series of short, pithy first-person essays that tie together his childhood experiences, medical training, unusual and uplifting relationships with patients, and his own very human doubts, fears, and triumphs. As he tells the stories of special medical cases, the reader witnesses his growing understanding of human consciousness, hope, and wonder. Surprisingly for his profession, he's frank about the many mistakes he made over the years as a neurosurgeon, and how all his experiences educated his sense of what's spiritual and important.

Dr. Hamilton ends the book with 20 useful lessons for anyone dealing with doctors, hospitals, and health crises. For example, Rule No. 6 is, "Ask your doctor to pray with you. There are a lot of docs who can't bring themselves to pray for help, so ask them to sit down with you." Rule No. 12: "Develop your own healing rituals. These can be as mundane as praying and meditating each day or as creative as smearing bear grease and herbs on oneself." Rule #19 is "Assign someone to be your guardian angel. Give someone in your family the assignment of writing down everything that's done to and for you. It's their job to make inquiries of the medical staff, to review medications, and to be a general pain in the ass."

A Harvard-educated neurosurgeon who operated for as long as his own body was strong enough, Hamilton has created a second career developing and running a center to train doctors to avoid making errors. His energy, apparently, is irrepressible. Certainly he has created a memoir that gives a fresh perspective on the human condition.

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One Spirit Club Review

A Harvard-educated neurosurgeon reveals his remarkable experiences—in and out of the operating room—with apparitions, after-death survival…and the miracle of hope.

For many physicians, supernatural intrusions are often disturbing because they are trained to disregard the unexplainable. But for patients, life-threatening illness or surgery can bring dormant spirituality to life. The Scalpel and the Soul explores how premonition, superstition, hope and faith can change outcomes, validate spiritual manifestations physicians see every day and empower patients to voice their spiritual needs when seeking medical help.

This exhilarating examination of the life-giving powers of the soul will make a lasting impact on your own life.

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