Search - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales

The individual case studies in this book were incredibly interesting, but Sacks, I think, has an ego problem that emerges when he spouts his technical medi-speak. That seriously detracts from any enjoyment one can derive from the book.

I first heard about this book when the author, Oliver Sacks, did an interview on NPR (National Public Radio). He had many interesting things to say, including the story that forms the title of this book. Upon reading the story, I was struck by the fact that the retelling of the story has a different tone than the actual printed version: neither bad nor good, just different. Dr. Sacks gave himself a far more active role in the radio version than in the printed version.

Overall, the book's stories are fascinating. However.....a big However: the author writes with a very clinical tone. I've been in the medical field for 22 years and found the going rather heavy at times. The typical layperson will probably do a lot more skimming through the tough stuff, but all in all, it is a fascinating look at what can go wrong in the human mind, yet life goes on.

Another note: The first copyright of this book is 1971; therefore, today's reader may encounter various terms (as applied to race and mental illness) which may be somewhat offensive. Keep in mind that context is everything!

Oliver Sacks is a neurologist that has chronicled patient studies in a very readable, literary way. His attention to humane detail makes his books (The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and An Anthopologist on Mars, in particular) true literature, so much more than dry medical reports. A deep kindness and fondness for humanity in all its magnificient oddity runs through his writing. Included are portraits of people with autism, Tourette's, Parkinson's, etc.