by: Oliver Sacks
Goodreads description:
If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the stories of patients struggling to adapt to often bizarre worlds of neurological disorder. Here are people who can no longer recognize everyday objects or those they love; who are stricken with violent tics or shout involuntary obscenities; who have been dismissed as autistic or retarded, yet are gifted with uncanny artistic or mathematical talents. If inconceivably strange, these brilliant tales illuminate what it means to be human.
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓 1/2
Call me a medical hobbyist, but I love psychology books! I love to diagnose people’s mental conditions given the very limited amount of knowledge I have on it 😉. This book was super interesting- a tad bit clinical. It was written by the same doctor that wrote Awakenings – remember the Robin Williams/Robert Deniro tear jerker from 1990? This book is a REAL oldie, but goody. It was published in 1984 and it shows/seems dated.
Holly says: 🤓🤓🤓1/2
Yes, this is the Oliver Sacks of “Awakenings” fame – played by Robin Williams in the movie. This book reads somewhat like an abnormal psychology textbook, with a little humor and empathy added. Case studies of Sacks’ patients suffering from various and unusual neuropsychological disorders run the gamut, from highly disturbing to somewhat humorous, my favorite patient being Natasha K. with Cupid’s Disease. For a closet and wanna-be clinical psychologist, this was a fascinating read, but definitely not for everyone.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 