cosmobookshelf's review against another edition

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5.0

Anthony David zabiera nas w podróż po nieoczywistych przypadkach zaburzeń, które ukazują niesamowity związek umysłu, podświadomości i ciała. Niektóre opowieści nie mają szczęśliwych zakończeń, wskazując na to, jak mało wiemy o ludzkiej psychice. A jednak Anthony David przed całą swoją karierę medyczną (a jest ona imponująca) stara się zgłębić istotę problemów i ich naturę.

Jednak głównym celem książki nie jest przekazanie wiedzy akademickiej, ale pokazanie człowieka chorego i tego z czym musi się mierzyć, zmniejszenie przepaści niezrozumienia między chorymi, a zdrowymi.

Poznamy w „Spojrzeniu w otchłań” m. in. osobliwy przypadek śpiącej królewny; mężczyzny, który ma wrażenie nieprawdziwości świata i bliskich; kobiety przyjmującej ascetyczny tryb życia do tego stopnia, że jedzenie przestaje być atrakcyjne i potrzebne; chłopca, który systematycznie traci władzę w ciele, choć wyniki na nic nie wskazują. Te i inne przypadku pokazują historię ludzi i rodzin uwikłanych w chorobę.

Oczywiście znajdziemy tutaj wiele przemycanych ciekawostek i wiedzy ogólnej o ludzkim umyśle. Opisy możliwych przyczyn zaistniałych sytuacji. Nie jest to książka trudna. Jest po prostu pouczająca. I empatyczna.

berdreads's review against another edition

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— finish later

elanshellard's review against another edition

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3.0

Honestly I reckon this is a very decent book for the general public, it has interesting cases and illustrates what psychiatry within the NHS is like. I would say that the tone is occasionally lacking and I didn’t like the caricatures occasionally used to illustrate healthcare workers that aren’t doctors.

freddi_dean's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

1.0

peripetia's review against another edition

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4.0

I would rate this more like a 3,5 than a 4, but I'm rounding up because it was by no means a bad book, I just would have liked some kind of an overarching narrative or theme instead of unconnected case studies. The cases were interesting and the writer/neuropsychiatrist seemed very caring and competent at his job, but it just lacked a wider context, in my opinion.

I listened to the audiobook and I didn't really like the narrator, who put me off the writer at first. I think the writer said at one point that he has a Scottish accent, and the narrator was a very posh-sounding English guy, which at times seemed to be at odds with the writer's tone.

whitegore's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

lovelyoutliers's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

This book is a series of vignettes pulled from Tony David’s decades of neuropsychiatric practice and research. I found the first few to be very compelling, insightful, and well-written, but by the end, found that the lack of thread connecting the stories together felt like a collection of beautifully written case reports. 

I work with Prof David at UCL and I think I also enjoyed the rare insight into his life that peeks through in refreshing glimmers. 

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inadequate's review against another edition

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emotional informative medium-paced

4.0

caoilinreads's review against another edition

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3.0

An interesting delve into some of psychiatry’s unsolved mysteries through the worlds and stories of complicated patients. Though it was an engaging and quick read, great for general interesting in psychiatry and for the way it tells each patient’s story. I would love for it to have expanded more it the research and current understanding of the phenomena witnessed, but I have a feeling that would have made it into another book entirely and, in fairness, a lot of the research is yet to be done.

bibielle's review against another edition

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informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

5.0