The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons
“Science writer Kean delves into the strange ways we’ve learned about the workings of our brains, rejuvenating with invigorating detail anecdotes that otherwise receive only brief textbook mention…Reading this collection is like touring a museum of neuroscience’s most dramatic anomalies, each chapter taking us to a different place and time…Kean’s colloquial language and intimate voice bring all of this series of mini-histories to life—all of which are sure to stimulate a wide range of brains.”
Publishers Weekly
From the author of the bestseller The Disappearing Spoon comes this tale of the brain and the history of neuroscience.
Early studies of the functions of the human brain used a simple method: wait for misfortune to strike—strokes, seizures, infectious diseases, lobotomies, horrendous accidents—and see how the victim coped. In many cases survival was miraculous, and observers could only marvel at the transformations that took place afterward, altering victims' personalities. An injury to one section can leave a person unable to recognize loved ones; some brain trauma can even make you a pathological gambler, pedophile, or liar. But a few scientists realized that these injuries were an opportunity for studying brain function at its extremes.
With lucid explanations and incisive wit, Sam Kean explains the brain's secret passageways while recounting forgotten stories of common people whose struggles, resiliency, and deep humanity made modern neuroscience possible.
Praise