Reviews
Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets by George Newbern, Luke Dittrich
nerdyrev's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't quite know what to expect going into Patient HM. I knew it was about a man named Henry who was stuck in time, so to speak, after a freak bicycle accident. I also knew the book was written by the grandchild of the doctor who treated Henry. What I wasn't ready for was the sheer amount of revelation about how we treated people with mental illness and/or brain injury to advance science. Some of this was the stuff one reads in horror stories, but these were real life, flesh and blood people.
I felt for poor Henry as he was completely unaware of what was happening to him, but also recognize that without him, most of today's modern knowledge would not be around. That is truly the gripping question that sits at the heart of this book- if we didn't do some of the things we did to people, we wouldn't know how the brain works, how it responds to certain things, and we wouldn't have better techniques.
I was glad to have read this book as it reads like a novel of sorts. The story is a fascinating story filled with twists and turns, even up until the end. The amazing this was all of it was true!
I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this book. I received it for free in exchange for an honest review. I gave it 4.5 stars.
I felt for poor Henry as he was completely unaware of what was happening to him, but also recognize that without him, most of today's modern knowledge would not be around. That is truly the gripping question that sits at the heart of this book- if we didn't do some of the things we did to people, we wouldn't know how the brain works, how it responds to certain things, and we wouldn't have better techniques.
I was glad to have read this book as it reads like a novel of sorts. The story is a fascinating story filled with twists and turns, even up until the end. The amazing this was all of it was true!
I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this book. I received it for free in exchange for an honest review. I gave it 4.5 stars.
angstyp's review against another edition
2.0
It started so strong. SO STRONG. But then the wordyness took over and I couldn't keep it open for more than a few pages.
lisaeirene's review
3.0
Very interesting book. I heard about it on a podcast and checked it out for more information. The book reads mostly quick and easy with lots of personal anecdotes peppered in. The only reason I didn't give it more stars is because I felt like it needed some editing. There were definitely parts where I couldn't stay focused/interested in the story.
kristy_k's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second or third book I've read because of the topic being mentioned in [b:The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons|18774002|The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery|Sam Kean|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385349835s/18774002.jpg|26573388]. I think I would have liked this more if I hadn't had previously read books similar to it. This non-fiction narrative intertwines the history of lobotomies with Dittrich's own neurosurgeon grandpa, his schizophrenic grandmother, and the post-lobotomized life of patient H.M
Every time I read one of these stories about how the medical field operated in the past (and probably in some ways still today) it shocks me. You'd think I'd be use to it by now, but hearing about how they used humans with mental illnesses and epilepsy and those who identified as homosexuals as guinea pigs appalled me. I know we learned a lot from it and we have to weigh the cost against the reward. (I will leave that up to the experts to decide if it was worth it.)
I do applaud Dittrich for seamlessly switching between each story line and bringing them all together to create an in depth look at neurosurgery.
Every time I read one of these stories about how the medical field operated in the past (and probably in some ways still today) it shocks me. You'd think I'd be use to it by now, but hearing about how they used humans with mental illnesses and epilepsy and those who identified as homosexuals as guinea pigs appalled me. I know we learned a lot from it and we have to weigh the cost against the reward. (I will leave that up to the experts to decide if it was worth it.)
I do applaud Dittrich for seamlessly switching between each story line and bringing them all together to create an in depth look at neurosurgery.
mpmueller's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
This book may appeal to only a narrow audience: those interested in origins/development of lobotomies, the effects they have on memory, what memory is in general, & the treatment of mental health via neurosurgery. Reading made easy because of author’s personal story woven throughout. Highly recommended for those interested in these topics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Medical content
Moderate: Mental illness