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askmrtalbot's review against another edition
3.0
Jill Taylor is a renowned brain scientist who had a massive stroke due to a golf ball sized clot in the left hemisphere of her brain at 37 years old. It was the best thing that ever happened to her.
Taylor's story came to me through a TED talk that another teacher showed me while we both were teaching One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Much like Chief, her brother is schizophrenic, which led her to study the brain as a means to find out why his perception of the world differs from that of everyone else. Her stroke gave her the opportunity to study the effects from a unique perspective and discover that the impairment a stroke entails also allowed her the chance to reboot her personality.
Taylor provides a great deal of insight into how the brain works, something she always studied in theory but discovered in practice when the clot essentially silenced the left half of her brain. The left hemisphere is the language center of the brain, but, more importantly, it's the part of the brain that puts everything we see or experience into context. Conversely, the right hemisphere is all about experiencing the present moment, taking in the here and now in such a way that Taylor compares the time when the stroke silenced her left hemisphere to experiencing Nirvana. Since her left side could not provide the context of the past, present or future, she no longer knew where the borders of her body ended and the rest of the world began. She goes into great detail about how her life was changed by the stroke, both in taking the 8 years to fully recover and noting the ways in which she consciously made decisions to avoid the emotional baggage that hounded her pre-stroke.
While the content of the book is fascinating, the layout and structure take away from the whole. The last four to six chapters really drag as she gets into flowery descriptions about letting the right brain take over and leaving the left brain behind every once in awhile. A better editor could have spread out the experience of the stroke and subsequent recovery over the course of the book with the chapters on how best to establish a right brain connection interspersed in between as a way to bring things together in a more cohesive way. Plus, toning down or getting rid entirely of how appreciative she feels towards each of he individual cells would have increased my enjoyment and decreased my frustration at the repetitiveness of her writing.
Still, it's a fascinating story that allows someone to experience the kind of empathy needed when dealing with someone who has had a stroke, and her guide for doing so in the back of the book will be invaluable for anyone suffering through the experience.
Taylor's story came to me through a TED talk that another teacher showed me while we both were teaching One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Much like Chief, her brother is schizophrenic, which led her to study the brain as a means to find out why his perception of the world differs from that of everyone else. Her stroke gave her the opportunity to study the effects from a unique perspective and discover that the impairment a stroke entails also allowed her the chance to reboot her personality.
Taylor provides a great deal of insight into how the brain works, something she always studied in theory but discovered in practice when the clot essentially silenced the left half of her brain. The left hemisphere is the language center of the brain, but, more importantly, it's the part of the brain that puts everything we see or experience into context. Conversely, the right hemisphere is all about experiencing the present moment, taking in the here and now in such a way that Taylor compares the time when the stroke silenced her left hemisphere to experiencing Nirvana. Since her left side could not provide the context of the past, present or future, she no longer knew where the borders of her body ended and the rest of the world began. She goes into great detail about how her life was changed by the stroke, both in taking the 8 years to fully recover and noting the ways in which she consciously made decisions to avoid the emotional baggage that hounded her pre-stroke.
While the content of the book is fascinating, the layout and structure take away from the whole. The last four to six chapters really drag as she gets into flowery descriptions about letting the right brain take over and leaving the left brain behind every once in awhile. A better editor could have spread out the experience of the stroke and subsequent recovery over the course of the book with the chapters on how best to establish a right brain connection interspersed in between as a way to bring things together in a more cohesive way. Plus, toning down or getting rid entirely of how appreciative she feels towards each of he individual cells would have increased my enjoyment and decreased my frustration at the repetitiveness of her writing.
Still, it's a fascinating story that allows someone to experience the kind of empathy needed when dealing with someone who has had a stroke, and her guide for doing so in the back of the book will be invaluable for anyone suffering through the experience.
sequoia1024's review against another edition
4.0
I think I heard about Dr. Jill's story quite some years ago and was immediately intrigued (a neuro-anatomist suffering and recovering from a stroke in her brain! and all the things she noted and shared with us!), but somehow didn't get the chance to read her book. Finally saw it on some reading list and decided to have a go. I really enjoyed the first 1/2-2/3 of the book, and found it fascinating of her description of several systems going offline on the day of stroke (balance, language, math...; visual and auditory sensation becoming too much to bear). I also like her experiences and suggestions about the healing process, like how she's not stupid but now a lot of things have to be relearned -- for example, the visual ability to segregate foreground and background; the sense of color -- there you can realize how many brain functions we take for granted.
Another major topic is more like a spiritual awakening for Dr. Jill. Since her stroke is in the left hemisphere, her right hemisphere took over afterwards. She experienced such euphoria as connected with the whole universe, pure inner peace, fascination of every tiny thing...etc. (now I wonder whether psychedelics inhibit more left hemisphere?) At this point I'm no longer a stranger to such descriptions so I believe her. The part I have a bit of reserve is, while I do think many, maybe most, of us definitely will benefit from these experiences, I don't think it will solve all the problems. Hence I find the last couple of chapters kind of underwhelming.
Overall still a good read. And I like her song of asking you to donate your brain for research after you die. I'll definitely consider it:)
Another major topic is more like a spiritual awakening for Dr. Jill. Since her stroke is in the left hemisphere, her right hemisphere took over afterwards. She experienced such euphoria as connected with the whole universe, pure inner peace, fascination of every tiny thing...etc. (now I wonder whether psychedelics inhibit more left hemisphere?) At this point I'm no longer a stranger to such descriptions so I believe her. The part I have a bit of reserve is, while I do think many, maybe most, of us definitely will benefit from these experiences, I don't think it will solve all the problems. Hence I find the last couple of chapters kind of underwhelming.
Overall still a good read. And I like her song of asking you to donate your brain for research after you die. I'll definitely consider it:)
lorddad's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a mixed bag for me. Reading the premise (a neuroscientist has a stroke and is able to describe what happened to her mind as it was happening) sounded amazing. And the first half of the book really was amazing, wherein she describes the various parts of the brain, how they affect our perception of the world, our own sense of self, and her feelings the day of the stroke itself and how she started feeling disconnected from her body and lost the language and abstract thought areas of her mind.
The latter half of the book is devoted to her recovery and how she felt with only the perception of the world through the right hemisphere as her guide. She gets incredibly touchy-feely which, based on how she described the parts of the brain in the first half, makes perfect sense. It's also a little too saccharine for my personal taste. I could relate some of my own life issues and recovery to what she described in this half of the book, such as choosing to avoid negative looping brain circuits, the power of positive self-talk and forgiving yourself. But describing how she thanks her cells for working hard stepped over the line into a bit of corniness for me.
She also briefly mentions Reiki, Fung Shui, Acupuncture and Prayer as things that medically "work" and that we don't scientifically understand how. I'm skeptical of all those things and would argue whether they "work" or if they provide a mental placebo instead.
Overall I would still recommend the book to others because of the insights into the brain the first half provides, and for the positive mental and emotional exercises she describes in the second half during her recovery. It's information everyone could use. Just be prepared for a bit of silliness.
The latter half of the book is devoted to her recovery and how she felt with only the perception of the world through the right hemisphere as her guide. She gets incredibly touchy-feely which, based on how she described the parts of the brain in the first half, makes perfect sense. It's also a little too saccharine for my personal taste. I could relate some of my own life issues and recovery to what she described in this half of the book, such as choosing to avoid negative looping brain circuits, the power of positive self-talk and forgiving yourself. But describing how she thanks her cells for working hard stepped over the line into a bit of corniness for me.
She also briefly mentions Reiki, Fung Shui, Acupuncture and Prayer as things that medically "work" and that we don't scientifically understand how. I'm skeptical of all those things and would argue whether they "work" or if they provide a mental placebo instead.
Overall I would still recommend the book to others because of the insights into the brain the first half provides, and for the positive mental and emotional exercises she describes in the second half during her recovery. It's information everyone could use. Just be prepared for a bit of silliness.
bookfrogcc's review against another edition
5.0
This is a moving story of one woman's eight-year recovery after a debilitating stroke. Not only is it a gripping personal story, but she does a fantastic job of explaining how the brain works in a way that simultaneously is understandable, but doesn't make you feel like a fourth-grader.
jackiedotson's review against another edition
1.0
This book was horrible. She made the experience of having a stroke sound “cool”. I was also very disappointed hearing a scientist talk about being “one” with the universe and spewing other spirituality talk. Her explanation of how the brain works was very good as was her tips on how to talk to stroke survivors. Aside from that, I was extremely disappointed in this book.
_fu's review against another edition
1.0
The only thing that allowed me to make it through this insipid piece of drivel was that I didn't feel entitled to give it a horrible review without having read the entire book. Please allow my suffering to prevent yours. Consider it a small part of fulfilling the bodhisattva vow.
This appears near the end of this book:
I trust with my right hemisphere’s heart consciousness that this book will now flow from your hands into the hands of someone who may benefit from it.
Not a chance.
This appears near the end of this book:
I trust with my right hemisphere’s heart consciousness that this book will now flow from your hands into the hands of someone who may benefit from it.
Not a chance.
khand_books's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, amazing. As a neuro nurse that sees stroke patients daily it’s amazing to hear her perspective and what she needed. I will take this book with me and share it with those who need it. I will also, as Jill says, remember to “step to the right” as I move forward choosing how I live my life.
bermudaonion's review against another edition
2.0
When neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor had a stroke, she remembers the details and shares them and her recovery process in MY STROKE OF INSIGHT.
Since my husband had a stroke, I’ve been doing everything I can to help him in his recovery and I picked this book up thinking I would learn the tools that helped Bolte Taylor in her recovery but I was wrong. She details the actual brain hemorrhage (memories she recovered in therapy) and explains that her mother was invaluable in helping her recover but some things just didn’t add up for me. For instance she said her mother had to help her learn to walk and drive again and also stated she wasn’t eligible for physical or occupational therapies. She implies that she was able to recover completely because she worked hard and willed it to happen and she perpetuates the right brain/left brain myth. The ending of the book was almost like a self help book and it was a little too “woo woo” for me - I’m all for appreciating my body and what it does but I don’t plan to thank my cells anytime soon.
I debated on whether to give MY STROKE OF INSIGHT one star or two and decided on two because the fact that Bolte Taylor continued to recover for eight years gives people hope and encouragement.
Since my husband had a stroke, I’ve been doing everything I can to help him in his recovery and I picked this book up thinking I would learn the tools that helped Bolte Taylor in her recovery but I was wrong. She details the actual brain hemorrhage (memories she recovered in therapy) and explains that her mother was invaluable in helping her recover but some things just didn’t add up for me. For instance she said her mother had to help her learn to walk and drive again and also stated she wasn’t eligible for physical or occupational therapies. She implies that she was able to recover completely because she worked hard and willed it to happen and she perpetuates the right brain/left brain myth. The ending of the book was almost like a self help book and it was a little too “woo woo” for me - I’m all for appreciating my body and what it does but I don’t plan to thank my cells anytime soon.
I debated on whether to give MY STROKE OF INSIGHT one star or two and decided on two because the fact that Bolte Taylor continued to recover for eight years gives people hope and encouragement.
annalbellettierekuyper's review against another edition
1.0
I would very much prefer to watch her being interviewed by Oprah some twenty years ago. Even when she gets to what actually happened that morning, i think she tried to fill up the narrative too much. Too much for me to take in.