Monday 29 November 2010

'THE MAN WHO MISTOOK HIS WIFE FOR A HAT ' BOOK REVIEW (Assignment 4)



‘THE MAN WHO MISTOOK HIS WIFE FOR A HAT’ is an insightful and exciting book which looks into the workings of the brain, and the strange things that can happen when a part of our brain, (that we possibly didn’t even know we had) stops working. It is a story of a collection of meetings with such patients.

Dr Sacks wants to show the reader the person and their identity and how this is affected by their brain disorder. He does this my talking about their brain problems in a congratulatory way. I believe he is questioning with this book, if we are what our brain makes us. Or can our identities still shine through even though we may not be able to over come some of the hindrances’ it places on us.

Because the author of this book is a physician who specializes in matters of the brain he backs up most of his statements with his primary research of the patients he speaks of in this book. Sacks is extremely aware of others in his field and surrounding fields and uses their studies and analysis to conclude his own findings. Sacks takes nothing for granted, as this is a book about pure primary research.


Sacks uses language throughout the book that respects the people he has studied in it. The come across as heroic human beings instead of freaks which could have easily happened. Sacks really know the importance of the self and even as a brain doctor can separate the self from the brain. I think we are forced to draw our own conclusion of this book through our selves and with our brain, very smart.


If we all thought like Dr Sacks we’d be great human beings and have a lot more respect for one another. He has the deepest respect for every one of his patients no matter how helpless they are. This is a book that really makes you stop and think about the world and the self, and yourself within the world. Humans are very complex beings and I don’t believe anyone will ever know fully how we work. Although this book comes close. The point of it isn’t to point and stare at a collection of freaks but to dwell on what they can teach us about others and ourselves. I recommend that everyone read this eye-opening book.

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