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emersonmoore03's review against another edition
challenging
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
spamrisk's review against another edition
4.0
Yo, do you guys like Sacks? This is some more Sacks.
I kind of feel like a jerk with that previous statement, but Sacks is back. He offers an illustrious selection of stories regarding hallucinations, from the commonly experienced Charles Bonnet Syndrome to some of the rarer forms of dissociation with phantom limbs. And to be real with you for a minute, they're fascinating. He cites primary sources, recounts some of his personal anecdotes, and regales you with scientific facts that should be understandable to the average reader.
If you're fascinated by the capabilities of the human mind, you'll love reading Hallucinations. You'll probably learn something you didn't know (preeminent of which, hallucinations, whether visual, olfactory, or tactile, are more commonplace than you previously thought). Sacks' content is supremely interesting, but the 5th star doesn't appear because of my personal feelings for that dry, British writing style.
I kind of feel like a jerk with that previous statement, but Sacks is back. He offers an illustrious selection of stories regarding hallucinations, from the commonly experienced Charles Bonnet Syndrome to some of the rarer forms of dissociation with phantom limbs. And to be real with you for a minute, they're fascinating. He cites primary sources, recounts some of his personal anecdotes, and regales you with scientific facts that should be understandable to the average reader.
If you're fascinated by the capabilities of the human mind, you'll love reading Hallucinations. You'll probably learn something you didn't know (preeminent of which, hallucinations, whether visual, olfactory, or tactile, are more commonplace than you previously thought). Sacks' content is supremely interesting, but the 5th star doesn't appear because of my personal feelings for that dry, British writing style.
jessicajane's review
3.0
Not quite as good as some of Oliver Sacks' other books, but this was nonetheless very interesting. The main takeaway was that hallucinations 'do not belong wholly to the insane'; they are normal under a variety of circumstances. Sacks doesn't really cover schizophrenic hallucinations in this book, since they have been extensively written about elsewhere, and instead devotes a much of the book to the lesser-known, but often more common, hallucinations brought on by loss, be it of a limb, a sense or a person. Understanding how the brain behaves when it misjudges or misinterprets stimulus allows a deeper appreciation of how it works, and how intricate and advanced a structure it is. I was particularly interested by the final chapter on distortions of body image and how phantom limbs can change over time and even be subject to change by outside stimulus. I am once again finishing a book wanting to read 10 more, and Sacks wrote a lot (a quick google suggests I have yet to read 11 of his 16 books), so I'll be kept busy with them for quite a while yet.
ovenbird_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful, fascinating, and thought provoking as always. Oliver Sacks never disappoints!
keen's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
seahorsesister's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating! Page after page I was stunned to learn the many root causes and instances of hallucinations. In true Oliver Sacks style, he blends his personal narrative, with research and a historical perspective that is both fast moving and dense. This is a must read for the generally curious and for anyone who has experienced first hand hallucinations or been a second hand witness to their influence.