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jarrahpenguin 's review for:
An Anthropologist on Mars
by Oliver Sacks
An Anthropologist on Mars is an engaging collection of seven neurological case studies that illustrate a supposed paradox - that what is perceived as disability or neurological deficit can result in amazing adaptations that make it a kind of gift. For example, a painter sustains a brain injury that makes him unable to see colour, and after a period of initial depression and disorientation, begins to appreciate his new way of seeing, and to reproduce it in black and white art.
The most famous case outlined in this book is of Temple Grandin, the renowned animal scientist and autism spokesperson. But the case I found most compelling was that of Virgil, a man in his fifties blind since childhood, who regains vision through surgery and finds his entire identity and way of life destabilized.
Sacks weaves together his subjects' case histories and stories of his visits with excerpts from medical, scientific, historical, psychoanalytic and classic literature. At times it gets a little bogged down in the history of research of a particular condition, but overall it remains accessible.
I don't doubt Sacks' good intentions towards his subjects - his goal was clearly to get a "normal" audience to understand his subjects' experiences and think about them as more than their disability or condition. In a few cases it's clear Sacks provided some useful treatment and advice to the people he writes about - such as the colourblind artist he studies or Greg, "the last hippie" - a man whose brain tumour dramatically affected his memory, personality and sense of time.
However, there were moments that gave me pause from an ethical perspective. Ultimately he is profiting off stories of people who, in some cases, can't fully consent to this or appreciate his words (Greg being the best example). This becomes especially problematic when he uses his expert status to override their voices. For example he describes some subjects somewhat condescendingly (e.g. his references to Virgil's weight and ill health) and questions the wisdom of friends and families who actually observe the subjects on a more regular basis (e.g. questioning Margaret's faith that Stephen Wiltshire experiences emotions).
While these may all be fair medical observations, I would have been interested to know more about conversations Sacks would have had with the subjects and their advocates before publishing their stories.
The most famous case outlined in this book is of Temple Grandin, the renowned animal scientist and autism spokesperson. But the case I found most compelling was that of Virgil, a man in his fifties blind since childhood, who regains vision through surgery and finds his entire identity and way of life destabilized.
Sacks weaves together his subjects' case histories and stories of his visits with excerpts from medical, scientific, historical, psychoanalytic and classic literature. At times it gets a little bogged down in the history of research of a particular condition, but overall it remains accessible.
I don't doubt Sacks' good intentions towards his subjects - his goal was clearly to get a "normal" audience to understand his subjects' experiences and think about them as more than their disability or condition. In a few cases it's clear Sacks provided some useful treatment and advice to the people he writes about - such as the colourblind artist he studies or Greg, "the last hippie" - a man whose brain tumour dramatically affected his memory, personality and sense of time.
However, there were moments that gave me pause from an ethical perspective. Ultimately he is profiting off stories of people who, in some cases, can't fully consent to this or appreciate his words (Greg being the best example). This becomes especially problematic when he uses his expert status to override their voices. For example he describes some subjects somewhat condescendingly (e.g. his references to Virgil's weight and ill health) and questions the wisdom of friends and families who actually observe the subjects on a more regular basis (e.g. questioning Margaret's faith that Stephen Wiltshire experiences emotions).
While these may all be fair medical observations, I would have been interested to know more about conversations Sacks would have had with the subjects and their advocates before publishing their stories.