The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery
By Sam Kean
Read by Henry Leyva
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1 Format: CD
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$45.00
ISBN: 9781478901211
From theauthor of the bestseller The DisappearingSpoon comes this tale of the brain and the history of neuroscience. Earlystudies of the functions of the human brain used a simple method: wait formisfortune to strike—strokes, seizures, infectious diseases, lobotomies,horrendous accidents—and see how the victim coped. In many cases survival wasmiraculous, and observers could only marvel at the transformations that took placeafterward, altering victims’ personalities. An injury to one section can leavea person unable to recognize loved ones; some brain trauma can even make you apathological gambler, pedophile, or liar. But a few scientists realized thatthese injuries were an opportunity for studying brain function at its extremes. With lucidexplanations and incisive wit, Sam Kean explains the brain’s secret passagewayswhile recounting forgotten stories of common people whose struggles,resiliency, and deep humanity made modern neuroscience possible.
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Summary
Summary
A New York Times bestseller
Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
Longlisted for the 2015 PEN Literary Award
Barnes & Noble's Biggest Books, May 2014
A 2014 Library Journal Editor’s Pick
From theauthor of the bestseller The DisappearingSpoon comes this tale of the brain and the history of neuroscience.
Earlystudies of the functions of the human brain used a simple method: wait formisfortune to strike—strokes, seizures, infectious diseases, lobotomies,horrendous accidents—and see how the victim coped. In many cases survival wasmiraculous, and observers could only marvel at the transformations that took placeafterward, altering victims’ personalities. An injury to one section can leavea person unable to recognize loved ones; some brain trauma can even make you apathological gambler, pedophile, or liar. But a few scientists realized thatthese injuries were an opportunity for studying brain function at its extremes.
With lucidexplanations and incisive wit, Sam Kean explains the brain’s secret passagewayswhile recounting forgotten stories of common people whose struggles,resiliency, and deep humanity made modern neuroscience possible.
Editorial Reviews
Editorial Reviews
Details
Details
Available Formats : | CD |
Category: | Nonfiction |
Runtime: | 12.62 |
Audience: | Adult |
Language: | English |
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