Have you ever wondered what a sandwich sounds like?

Not much to it, is there?

Unless, of course, it's a Walker's sandwich.

Mmm, that is good.

Now that's what Asani should sound like.

Go all crisp in with walkers.

Delicious.

Hi there, I'm Jason Gatz and you're listening to Think Again, a Big Think podcast.

Since 2008, Big Think has been sharing big ideas in small, powerful doses from the most creative

thinkers of our time. The Think Again podcast takes us right out of our comfort zone.

We surprise some of the smartest people you know with ideas they're not prepared to discuss.

I'm very happy to be joined today by Dr. James Doty.

He's a neurosurgeon and the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University.

His new book is called Into the Magic Shop, a neurosurgeon's

quest to discover the mysteries of the brain and the secrets of the heart. Welcome to think again,

James. Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Your book begins with an amazing

description of prepping a little boy for brain surgery. You write movingly about reassuring him that it's going to be okay,

but you also write very graphically about the operation itself.

For example, that peeling the skin off the skull makes it sound like Velcro.

It struck me while reading that, that real compassion involves looking long and hard

at things we'd rather turn away from.

What do you think about that?

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