The Gift of Pain: Why We Hurt and What We Can Do about It

If ever there was a book that deserves accolades, this is it. And yet no amount of superlatives could express just how wonderful this book is and what it does to you. It is not so much a book about pain as a book about life. It evokes a sense of gratitude for life that will stay with you for life. How fortunate it makes you feel when you read about both the misfortune and the courage of others. And how the true meaning of life becomes apparent. Without ever telling you what to think, Dr Brand makes you think. He makes you realise that life, with all its challenges, is the great gift. There were times when reading this book that I found myself so moved emotionally that I had to stop reading, almost as if I had to take a deep breath and contemplate what I had just read. And then, slowly, I'd pick the book up again and re-read that moving passage before continuing on. This book is a journey more than a read. It is a journey you will never forget. Please buy it.

I learned about Paul Brand's work through "Soul Survivor" by Philip Yancey. I have always loved Yancey's work, and he described how Brand had greatly influenced Yancey as a young man, showing him a true picture of servanthood and love in the mold of Jesus. I ordered "The Gift of Pain" to learn more about Brand and I was not disappointed. Brand describes his childhood as a missionary kid in India, and as a young medical student in WWII England. The book is autobiographical, but more than that, because it weaves in some of Brand's spiritual revelations as well. As the title suggests, much of this book is devoted to the issue of pain. Although we try and avoid pain as much as possible, Brand came to welcome pain as a gift from God. It warns us when we are endangering ourselves, putting the members of our bodies in situations that could be harmful. Leprosy, Brand discovered, is not a disease that rots flesh, but instead dulls nerves. The damaged bodies of lepers are a result of self-inflicted injuries (i.e., stepping on nails, touching something too hot) not from leprosy itself. There are so many lessons to be learned about how we view pain in this book. Also... there is an interesting afterword that compares AIDS as the modern day leprosy.... very interesting.

The book gives a very insightful look into why we have pain and why it's important for maintaining good health. I found it easy to read (I almost couldn't put it down!) and very informative. I think it's a must-read for anyone in the medical profession or anyone who suffers reccurent pain of any kind.

In this combination memoir/medical ruminations - originally published under the title Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants - Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey share Dr. Brand's work as a physician, with reflections from a lifetime of thinking about pain. It is natural for Dr. Brand to explore the subject of pain, for in a career as a surgeon working among leprosy patients, he has seen the devastating effects that come upon people who lack pain - damaged feet, fingers, noses, or eyes, often leading to infection, misery, and death. Part one of this book traces Dr. Brand's path into medicine. Part two explores his career in pain, and part three shares how Dr. Brand has learned to befriend pain, seeing it as a gift, an essential requirement for health. As a Britain who has spent roughly one third of his long life in England, one third in India, and one third in the United States, Dr. Brand's life on three different continents have given him first-hand glimpses of how people view pain. People of any philosophical or religious persuasion will enjoy this ecumenical book, especially since it addresses an issue common to us all. The writing is not overly technical or heavy, and numerous illustrations/stories make this a very readable book. I found the book helpful for understanding the dual nature of pain ("For good and for ill, the human species has among its privileges the preeminence of pain,"), and appreciated the helpful discussion about learning to cope with it.

You don't have to be a physician, philosopher, or theologian to enjoy reading Paul Brand and Philip Yancey's thoughtful comments about pain, the gift nobody wants. Most of us view pain as our nemesis, something to be avoided or at least minimized, and yet our lives depend upon its presence in ways we seldom stop to think about. We need to feel pain, for example, when we handle something too hot, lest we burn ourselves, we need muscular pain to let us know if we are building our bodies up or tearing them down, and we need the painful discomfort of dryness to cause us to blink our eyes and keep them moist. Whether you are in perfect health or suffering physically, this book is quite useful in helping us appreciate - and cope with - something that is so essential, yet noxious. This book draws richly from the well of common daily life, with many of the stories and examples coming from Dr. Brand's experiences as an English missionary surgeon in India. The writing style is fluent so that reading it is both easy and enjoyable. The approach is ecumenical, so people of any philosophical or religious persuasion should not feel uncomfortable with the author's background. I recommend this book highly.