foreverday's review against another edition
4.0
Overall rating: 3.5
This book was pretty much like Oliver Sack's but with attempts at explaining the issues. This added a different layer of interest to it, however a lot of the science went over my head and it also felt a little bit like 'well, this is my theory' and not a lot of experimentally proved conclusions. However, I did enjoy reading it and he put forward some interesting speculations.
This book was pretty much like Oliver Sack's but with attempts at explaining the issues. This added a different layer of interest to it, however a lot of the science went over my head and it also felt a little bit like 'well, this is my theory' and not a lot of experimentally proved conclusions. However, I did enjoy reading it and he put forward some interesting speculations.
harshita_139's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars only because it took my 2.5 years to finally finish this book. I've gotten so used to seeing this one on my "Currently Reading" list, but I am not going to miss that feeling, haha! ;)
Overall, it was a wonderful read. I learnt so many new things. But for some reason, Chapter 12 (Do Martians See Red?) was so difficult to read?! (Especially the part about 'self') But honestly, the rest of the book was really great, so I will definitely read his other works.
Overall, it was a wonderful read. I learnt so many new things. But for some reason, Chapter 12 (Do Martians See Red?) was so difficult to read?! (Especially the part about 'self') But honestly, the rest of the book was really great, so I will definitely read his other works.
mythreyiramesh's review against another edition
4.0
This was the first book by Prof. VS Ramachandran on his experiments as a neuroscientist and a brain detective and it is a fascinating read.
The book talks in detail about the different curious quirks of the brain that gets unearthed by the ingenious experiments by Prof. Ramachandran and his students on the patients who come to him with some disorder in their brain.
The repeated point that's highlighted by him throughout this book as well as his other works is that, when some part of the brain is affected, it doesn't lead to an overall blunting of the person's mental abilities. Instead, a very specific function gets disturbed, which hints that the function was somehow related to the respective part of the brain. This is his approach towards neuroscience, which has led to many dazzling discoveries of the brain and its working, most of which have been talked about in this book.
The only reason I am giving it a 4/5 and not 5/5 is because I felt the last part of the book was rather heavy and it took me a while to get through. But a great read overall, highly recommended.
The book talks in detail about the different curious quirks of the brain that gets unearthed by the ingenious experiments by Prof. Ramachandran and his students on the patients who come to him with some disorder in their brain.
The repeated point that's highlighted by him throughout this book as well as his other works is that, when some part of the brain is affected, it doesn't lead to an overall blunting of the person's mental abilities. Instead, a very specific function gets disturbed, which hints that the function was somehow related to the respective part of the brain. This is his approach towards neuroscience, which has led to many dazzling discoveries of the brain and its working, most of which have been talked about in this book.
The only reason I am giving it a 4/5 and not 5/5 is because I felt the last part of the book was rather heavy and it took me a while to get through. But a great read overall, highly recommended.
wanderlustsleeping's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting, informative, and easy to follow along, even with all the medical jargon!
I will say though the last chapter didn't seem to flow as easy in this regard as the rest of the book did, but I won't hold it against the author haha.
I would definitely recommend this book to those interested in the topic!
I will say though the last chapter didn't seem to flow as easy in this regard as the rest of the book did, but I won't hold it against the author haha.
I would definitely recommend this book to those interested in the topic!
kikoleon's review
4.0
Un neurólogo abordando la mente desde ángulos novedosos con experimentos sobre la percepción háptica, por ejemplo, y planteando hipótesis estimulantes que aplica en la clínica con resultados sorprendentes. El caso, por ejemplo, de los miembros fantasma aberrantes o que causan dolor es sumamente interesante.
Si te gusta Oliver Sacks es muy probable que este libro te encante.
Si te gusta Oliver Sacks es muy probable que este libro te encante.
haifay's review against another edition
4.0
A book full of quirky case studies about the brain? I am sold! Usually, I tend to fixate on every single concept I cannot grasp and often end up losing the big picture. But this was a smooth read and very entertaining! V.S.R takes you through a process of discovery as he studies the brains of people with bizarre neurological disorders. I loved how he daringly venture into terrains of philosophy offering his hypothesis on consciousness, nature of self, the whole sense-making of human existence.
I must say this really got me questioning the richness of our intimate mental life, I mean when a brilliant neuroscientist teases you about how your grasp of reality, your freewill and awareness is simply the activity of these little specks of jelly in your head, you are in for some existential crisis, but on second thought, you could also free yourself from one!
If you are still not convinced about picking up the book, read it for the fun cases, a man who mistook his wife for a hat, another dude who mistook his foot for penis (yeah, you read that right and he claims to have had tremendous orgasms too!), about the 'God helmet', and several more. There is also a series on VSR on YouTube where he recreates many of the tests with patients, definitely check it out.
I must say this really got me questioning the richness of our intimate mental life, I mean when a brilliant neuroscientist teases you about how your grasp of reality, your freewill and awareness is simply the activity of these little specks of jelly in your head, you are in for some existential crisis, but on second thought, you could also free yourself from one!
If you are still not convinced about picking up the book, read it for the fun cases, a man who mistook his wife for a hat, another dude who mistook his foot for penis (yeah, you read that right and he claims to have had tremendous orgasms too!), about the 'God helmet', and several more. There is also a series on VSR on YouTube where he recreates many of the tests with patients, definitely check it out.