The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales

Rating:
Summary: It will change the way you think of the concept of "self".
Review: I first picked up this book about five years ago when browsing in the Science section of a local bookstore. I was taken by the strangeness of the title. Later, I got ahold of the Audio version of the book, which my wife and I played during a long vacation drive.

The book consists of a collection of reasonably short clinicial stories of some of the patients that Dr. Sacks has come across in his work as a Neurologist. Sound dry? I assure you, it is not.

With facination, and great humanity, Sacks recounts the stories of people, who, because of one deficit (injury or progressive malady) or another have had their personalites, perceptions, or senses profoundly altered. Taken one at a time, the stories are quirky, yet compassionate, illustrations of the symptoms of various neurological maladies and the people who struggle with them. There's the story of the patient who suffers from an inability to conceive of his own legs as part of his own body. There's the sad and lonely tale of a man who us unable to form long term memories and lives in a constantly shifting world that is perpetually only a few minutes old. There's a recounting of the visions of the ancient Saint Hildegard, whose migrane headaches appeared to her to be visions of heaven.

Taken together, one gets a awe inspring sense of how who and what we are is controlled by the processes of the brain and also a sense that there are certain universal human prepensities- such as the struggle for "wholeness" or a desire for the sublime.

This is one of my favorite books. I frequently loan one of my two copies to friends. I highly recommend the somewhat abridged Audio version as well, as Dr. Sacks voice adds a layer of facination to the tales.

Rating:
Summary: An Enriching Experience
Review: This book is incredibly well written and easy to follow along with being very informative in a compassionate manner.
The format is logical and keeps the reader interested. There are four parts: the first Losses, the second Excesses, the third Transports and the fourth the World of the Simple. Each section contains stories of Dr. Sacks' clients that broaden the understanding, appreciation and knowledge of our senses.
Oliver Sacks wonderfully touches the emotional core of the reader with his clients' stories. This book opens the door to a subject not often publicized. All of Dr. Sacks' patients have one thing in common-each has lost or never had a particular sense which disables him from functioning in what we consider normal reality. This book illustrates the struggles and worries of these patients and the doctors who treat them.
Not only does Dr. Sacks create vivid images of the patients' "deficits", but he conveys the second problem of treating a psychological disorder. After a "dysfunction" is identified and a treatment determined, the patient and the doctor must decide whether or not to proceed. Often this "dysfunction" is not a disturbance to the patient . If the treatment will completely free him of it, the patient feels as though a part of him is lost and might not want the treatment at all.
Reading this book is an enriching experience and gives great perspective of both the clients of the psychological world and those who treat them. Oliver Sacks obviously cares for each of his patients. And if nothing else, this book will make your heart smile.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book of case studies on the diseases of the mind
Review: This is a layman's journey into the case studies of nureological problems. The book is written in a clear style that makes each case a story rather than a statistic. If you've ever wondered about diseases of the mind, this is the book for you.

It's not really a good book to read before bed as some of these people have problems that could make one want to stay up and talk about it with someone else.