Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

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

20 reviews

s_mj_f's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content

thechocolatefinger's review against another edition

informative reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Ableism and Medical content

It has good intentions but it’s old so it uses the r slur and it has incorrect assumptions about autism and learning disabilities, but you can tell the author genuinely supports and humanises them

blymanor's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

A collection of case studies viewed through a slightly outdated lens (that may have been progressive for its time). An interesting look back in time

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism and Chronic illness

Minor: Medical content

dev921's review against another edition

informative fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

jetpackdracula's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Medical content

Moderate: Mental illness and Forced institutionalization

em_the_wallflower's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Suicide

hanjackson's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

2.25

This is a difficult one to rate. It has almost 40 years of raving reviews and is on the '100 books to read before you die' scratch off I have had for 10 years now... But part of me thinks this is on the poster for genre diversity. The one word I can think to describe this nowadays: dated.

I can see why in 1985, Sacks' time as a neurologist and his stories were taboo. However in 2024 it is lacking. The dated language and words when speaking of certain conditions makes it a hard to listen to the book, even though the words we see as insults now were clinically accepted in the 80s.

Definitely an insightful look into the medical past but as a book, hard to make it through -- especially when comparing it to the modern stars of the medical memoir such as Adam Kay and Kathryn Mannix. The book needed to be a tad more self-aware.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Medical content, Dementia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

samcsmith's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, and Medical content

bludgeoned_by_hail's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

A warm, empathetic approach to the harrowing existential horror pit of neuropathology.
While sometimes it may get a bit slow or overly technical for a lay audience, I believe the book balances the tasks of presenting thorough neuropathological case studies, making interesting narratives of them, highlighting the human individuals behind the conditions, and analyzing the broader patterns these cases reflect in science and society with a lot of poise, compassion, and curiosity.
Very recommended to anyone looking to pursue a career in the field.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism and Forced institutionalization

pinkpanther's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Sexual content