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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
reflective
slow-paced
The case studies were fascinating, but the clinical explanations were pretentious and boring. I listened to this in audiobook, and that was the wrong format, as I couldn't skip ahead past the endless droning of the author about the concepts, other neurologists, studies, etc. I was interested in the various conditions and the adaptations of the people who had them, but not that fascinated by the droning on explanations.
Because I have a son with autism, I was most interested in hearing about the woman who lost her entire sense of proprioception (the sense of your body in space - I might have spelled that wrong, but it's close), as my son has serious issues with that too. He doesn't need to look at his legs to be able to walk, but he certainly stomps all the time just to feel his steps, and has no idea that he is stomping, crashing into walls and people all the time, etc.
I also was interested in the cases of both the "lost mariner" who has no new memories after 1945 (this was written in the 1980s), as that seemed straight out of "50 First Dates" or "Momento" only worse, as he couldn't keep memories from a single hour, let alone a whole day. Also, "witty, ticky, Ray" was an interesting look at people with Tourette's syndrome.
It was extremely tough to read the entire final (fourth) section about people with mental deficiencies, as the terminology and attitudes were so dated, patronizing, and frankly insulting. This book was educational, and worth the read for me. But it was work to make it through this book.
Because I have a son with autism, I was most interested in hearing about the woman who lost her entire sense of proprioception (the sense of your body in space - I might have spelled that wrong, but it's close), as my son has serious issues with that too. He doesn't need to look at his legs to be able to walk, but he certainly stomps all the time just to feel his steps, and has no idea that he is stomping, crashing into walls and people all the time, etc.
I also was interested in the cases of both the "lost mariner" who has no new memories after 1945 (this was written in the 1980s), as that seemed straight out of "50 First Dates" or "Momento" only worse, as he couldn't keep memories from a single hour, let alone a whole day. Also, "witty, ticky, Ray" was an interesting look at people with Tourette's syndrome.
It was extremely tough to read the entire final (fourth) section about people with mental deficiencies, as the terminology and attitudes were so dated, patronizing, and frankly insulting. This book was educational, and worth the read for me. But it was work to make it through this book.
informative
medium-paced
informative
sad
medium-paced
Honestly dropped a star for the last section about developmentally disabled people. crazy how like 50 years ago DOCTORS were calling people "morons" and "simpletons" and the r-slur like it's no big deal. also very casual and uncritical use of savage in passing in a very uncool way.....
overall sacks is an engaging writer and has a knack for bringing readers into these clinical stories with empathic inquiry. HOWEVER. he loses me when he drops the terms moron and "idiot savant" at least once on every page in a chapter. I get that he was probably one of the good ones in this attempt to outline other modes of seeing how people with dev. disabilities exist in and make sense of the world. but it does NOT bear repeating that the subject is a moron over and over, mr sacks! it is just small minded.
overall sacks is an engaging writer and has a knack for bringing readers into these clinical stories with empathic inquiry. HOWEVER. he loses me when he drops the terms moron and "idiot savant" at least once on every page in a chapter. I get that he was probably one of the good ones in this attempt to outline other modes of seeing how people with dev. disabilities exist in and make sense of the world. but it does NOT bear repeating that the subject is a moron over and over, mr sacks! it is just small minded.
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced