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He waves the philosophical, literate, and aesthetic with the physiological, trying to mete out the underlying wholeness and spirituality of human beings. I loved this book. Sachs. His concern is not mind/body splits, but the wholeness we find despite all odds against it and the clinical conditions that often limit one's ability to find or recognize our true selves.If I needed a neurologist, I would want a Doctor like Dr. It consists of clinical tales by a neurologist. He discusses his patients, always with a concern for their humanity, uniqueness, and quality of life.
Does it annoy me. Does it make navigation difficult. Whichever of these you pick, the left and right pages need to contain DIFFERENT information so that the reader can find, re-find or locate their place in the book - the last page they were reading if they put the text down. So, that established, the upper titles act as form of navigation for the reader, a universally adhered to rule (unless you are David Carson et al). YES.My advice to any potential reader is to buy another imprint, there are lots out there. Point in contention, titles. It simply tells me TWICE, the title of this chapter. If all publishers had vastly different systems of layout, style and protocol, then reading would become increasingly difficult and tiresome.
The one star does not refer to the text, which I have only partially read. No. not the title of the story I am reading.When I noticed this I was quite taken aback at the utter stupidity of the publishers in allowing this decision to pass numerous committee stages, and for what ultimate purpose was it agreed. NO. So then, editors at Picador, why did you in your ultimate wisdom (can you sense my sarcasm there) decide to put the SAME chapter title on BOTH the left AND the right page. Pray tell, what inspired such divergence from the established protocol. The one star is for the retarded publishers at Picador. When publishing a work of any genre, there are universal guidelines that publishers and editors MUST follow.
Yes. Does it give me extra information. Does in add to my reading experience. Does it aid me in any way, shape or form. E.g., I am reading the first story and the title piece to the book, and I look up to see the information on the upper page, and what does it say.
Does it detract from the enjoyment of reading. Choose one my a publishing house that follows publishing protocol and etiquette, and not one that wants to re-write the rules because they appear to have nothing better to do with their time. Yes. These give the reading public a sense of cohesion and makes them able to pick-up and read any text by any publisher. No.
NOTHING. On the upper portion of a page there are one of four basic options: i) author's name (not recommended), ii) book title (also, not recommended), iii) chapter (recommended),iv) sub-group, such as single story title in a collection of short stories (necessary). Especially when all it serves to do is disorientate the reader and render navigation redundant.
The way Sacks uses the abnormal to enlighten and probe the normal challenges the very definition of those terms. I read and re-read this book a number of years ago.
His readable style without becoming too simplistic is definately his forte (much like Ramanchandran). We can really appreaciate the complexity of the human mind/body by reading books like this and it also gives us a good foundation for further study/reflection. I thought I've heard it all after reading Phantoms in the Brain by Ramanchandran and Musicophilia by Sacks. This is a relatively short book but the cases it contains will give you something to ponder on for a long time. This book was delightful to read and study. Oliver Sacks has become one of my favorite authors and neurology and the body/mind connection has become one of my favorite topics.
In any case, I enjoyed the book; it was a bit jagged in style, but I think I will blame it on the period in which it was written; first copyright being 1970.I think any person would learn a great deal from reading this thin little volume; good job for Dr. Dr. Sacks teaches us that there is so much more to know about mental disorders; most of us only understand in the most basic vantage point. This book is written in an unusual prose; one that is off-putting in the very beginning, but as the author establishes his pace, the writing improves drastically; as does the story line.Actually, the author is a medical doctor, but he spends microseconds of time defining what he does. Sacks who I hope to read more from in the near future. It is cruel, and I mean to tell you that Dr. The reader is flung into stories of patients and at times, the good doctor uses such demeaning terminology to describe the developmentally disabled. Sacks should never be cruel in order to be kind.The stories are quite facinating and the one I liked most was "WItty Ticcy Ray" in the description of Tourette's Syndrome.
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