Reviews tagging 'Ableism'
The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks
28 reviews
hammock_napper's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
There is some hugely out of date and offensive language, especially in the final chapters of the book.simone_ebony's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
3.5
It took me a while to get used to this style of writing, but Oliver Sacks is definitely a great author. I think he manages a great mix of information and description to properly convey people's lives and conditions. I did think the outdated language and attitudes, although obviously appropriate for the time, did affect my enjoyment of the book, as did the pace.
Though what really surprised me about this book was that it's not really a neuroscience book as was said when I was recommended this. There's actually very little scientific content, but rather the appeal is that you get to see the clinician's perspective and the thought processes that led to a lot of conclusions in early neuroscience.
Though what really surprised me about this book was that it's not really a neuroscience book as was said when I was recommended this. There's actually very little scientific content, but rather the appeal is that you get to see the clinician's perspective and the thought processes that led to a lot of conclusions in early neuroscience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
kat_smith24's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Though the language is outdated and paternalistic, this book offers a surprisingly nuanced approach to (at the time) rarer neurological disorders.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Dementia
seven_of_nein's review against another edition
2.75
Some interesting case studies here but Sacks can't seem to help but pity and other his patients at almost every turn. He writes about them in dramatic prose, often as if they are afflicted by the most tragic states of being imaginable—usually with the assumption that "fixing" them is the goal (i.e. making them "normal"). He even muses on multiple occasions as to whether some patients have "lost their souls", which reeks of eugenics. Sacks does occasionally show a better understanding of the neurodivergent than his colleagues at the time but that seems to have been a low bar to clear. His empathy feels woefully held back by some deep sense of inequality between himself and his patients. He's also an adept writer but parts of these stories seem like they are embellished. Not that these patients and their conditions weren't real but much of the dialogue and narrative particularities seem dramatized. Writings by the patients themselves would have been more enlightening.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
dangerloid's review against another edition
4.0
some word choices were made
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
otteraxandbadger's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism
uses the r-wordominousevent's review against another edition
It was interesting to learn a bit about things that can happen to brains, but I really don’t like the way Sacks talks about his patients (as if they are specimens, in many cases not really fully human), and some of his theories seem to be supported by nothing more than his affection for his own ideas. Not recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Mental illness and Medical content
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
navayiota's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
At the start of the book, I was 100% sure this would be a 5 star read. Even though the words used for the patients are now considered slurs, the doctor still handled them with care and compassion, and recognised the ableism that is often present in neurodivergent people's lives. That was surprising to me, since even nowadays I hear doctors completely invalidate me, others, our experiences and trauma. I was so prepared to love this book. And I still love the first 15 or so chapters, those will always be dear to me, but damn, it really went downhill in the last couple of chapters... It felt like they were written by a completely different person. So condescending and dismissive, and it was incredibly hard to get through. Little moments of compassion still came through, but it felt like searching in the trash for food that hasn't rotted. It was really disappointing and somewhat triggering to hear about people who weren't that different from me being called stupid and basically a waste of time and resources. I felt betrayed, since I had come to really like and trust the author. I'm not even sure how I feel about what the book ends on, I agree that society often decides an autistic person is useless and doesn't even give them the chance to show their skills and interests, to earn their place in society, but the way it was said felt so patronising. As if a disabled person is completely unable to do this by themselves, and need someone else to first give them permission. I understand that all this was written during a time where people were locked up simply for being different, so it definitely would have been a lot harder to do things by themselves back then.. but I feel like context could have been added. (the edition I listened to was released in 2019 and there were other edits in it, so I don't see why this couldn't have been one of them) I think this should be mandatory reading for people who want to learn about the struggles of neurodivergent people in the past, and recommended reading for people interested in psychology. The language used is pretty understandable but still scientific, and I can recall most of the disorders easily. This is well written, and I like it even though I'm disappointed with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, and Forced institutionalization