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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
The good parts of this book were when Sacks's earnestness and excitement about his work came through. I really love hearing him on the radio, and he's such a great guy. So, I thought I would like this book a lot better. But it just feels so pieced together and rambly. In each chapter, we get a brief look at an interesting patient (many of whom he only met once or twice) then a long-winded and transition-scarce meditation on the case. I have friends who really love this book, and I don't doubt that a lot of my trouble getting through it came from my personal preference for tight prose and a more structured whole. I had heard such good things about the book and was disappointed that is was such a chore for me to get through.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
A collection of true stories that, while sometimes tragic, unveil the beautiful and powerful mysteries of the human mind and body. This is a book of accounts of strange illnesses that somehow, through the voices of the patients and their doctors, manages to be a hopeful, encouraging book about the human spirit.
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
A very interesting and enlightening three star read about various patient stories (a little House-esque in nature) regarding rare and more common neurological disorders such as stuttering, dementia and autism to name but a few.
Some accounts I found more riveting than others. One of these being a man with Tourette’s who chooses to take something to alleviate his tics but at weekend lets them loose as he is also an excellent ping pong player among other things. This stuck with me and I found it interesting as he describes being on medication as “lacking energy, enthusiasm, extravagance and joy”.
That part of his identity has been controlled or temporarily has disappeared. Quite frankly, that he has lost his mojo although to this day he still manages it. This gave me two different minds: frustratation and anger that he felt the need to eliminate or suppress a part of himself to fit in to society.
This was a real education and I would recommend to all.
Some accounts I found more riveting than others. One of these being a man with Tourette’s who chooses to take something to alleviate his tics but at weekend lets them loose as he is also an excellent ping pong player among other things. This stuck with me and I found it interesting as he describes being on medication as “lacking energy, enthusiasm, extravagance and joy”.
That part of his identity has been controlled or temporarily has disappeared. Quite frankly, that he has lost his mojo although to this day he still manages it. This gave me two different minds: frustratation and anger that he felt the need to eliminate or suppress a part of himself to fit in to society.
This was a real education and I would recommend to all.
emotional
informative
slow-paced
English is not my native language, and although I'm used to reading in English it made reading this book a bit harder than expected. The anecdotes are interesting, but the language used was quite technical at times.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced