Summary & Study Guide The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

by BookRags

Oliver Sacks is a professor of clinical neurology who has spent years seeing patients. He has compiled some of his more interesting, more personal stories into one volume to share with the world. His goal in writing the book is to present the personal side of neurosis. Often books of this sort are written as a series of case studies full of medical terminology that leaves the average reader frustrated and unwilling to finish the book. Sacks mixes his clinical jargon with a personal empathy for his patients, drawing the reader in and allowing even the most inexperienced reader to gain a better understanding of the lives of the mentally disabled.This study guide includes the following Plot Summary, Chapter Summaries & Analysis, Characters, Objects/Places, Themes, Style, Quotes, and Topics for Discussion.

Genres: Nonfiction

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 29, 2010

Reviews

[Eric Jay Sonnenschein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. Oliver Sacks is a doctor who writes like a poet, exploring the ambiguities within our nervous systems. And because the book is written as a series of case studies, the reader has an opportunity to absorb each one, individually, on a case by case basis, in the way that a physician must do.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great in that the doctor exhibits a lot of compassion and realism about his clients. The only real issue is it's very out of date, I believe this was written late '70's or early 80's.
On the plus side, the doctor does intimate that spirituality, psychology, philosophy, etc all have a large part to play in the human condition and neurology alone isn't enough to undertand that.

[Barbara L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Sacks writes about many cases of rather strange mental problems that he is familiar with. These are very interesting as is the book basically. However I found his use of medical terms hard to follow and not well explained for the ordinary reader.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too clinical at times; out-dated terminology; but very interesting cases of neurological disorders.

[María Alejandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's really interesting and a most read to everyone who's studying the brain and it mysteries.