Oliver Sachs is a Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at Columbia Medical Center. He's also a prolific writer. He writes about quirky brain abnoralities. He wrote "Awakenings" in the 80s. It was made into a movie staring Robin Williams as Sachs and Robert De Niro as a patient. I loved the book and the movie.
But my favorite book was "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat." It's case studies of people who's brains play terrible tricks on them.
Some critics who think he exploits his patients call him The Man Who Mistook His Patients for a Literary Career - but I don't think that.
His work is very readable because it's personal so it gives me grace in the sense that it helps me to know that I'm fallible and my brain will never be perfect. Lately he's written about music and the brain. He, himself, has a disorder of the brain that prevents him from recognizing faces. For some people it's voices. Even faces and voices of folks we know and love.
I was thinking about Dr. Sachs yesterday in church when I looked at several people and thought "Do I know you?" And hearing's more of a problem. Is it my brain or my aging ears?
I'm going to see Dave tomorrow after being apart for two weeks.
I hope I don't get to the airport and mistake him for a hat.
***
But my favorite book was "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat." It's case studies of people who's brains play terrible tricks on them.
Some critics who think he exploits his patients call him The Man Who Mistook His Patients for a Literary Career - but I don't think that.
His work is very readable because it's personal so it gives me grace in the sense that it helps me to know that I'm fallible and my brain will never be perfect. Lately he's written about music and the brain. He, himself, has a disorder of the brain that prevents him from recognizing faces. For some people it's voices. Even faces and voices of folks we know and love.
I was thinking about Dr. Sachs yesterday in church when I looked at several people and thought "Do I know you?" And hearing's more of a problem. Is it my brain or my aging ears?
I'm going to see Dave tomorrow after being apart for two weeks.
I hope I don't get to the airport and mistake him for a hat.
***
