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Our Brains, Our Selves: What a Neurologist’s Patients Taught Him About the Brain
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Expected 14 Apr 26What makes us who we are? Is it our background that creates our identities? Or our families, where we lived, how we were brought up and educated, the jobs we’ve held? Yes, all of the above, but more fundamental than any of these is our brain.
This is never more evident than if we lose even a single one of our cognitive abilities. People who develop a brain disorder can find that their identity, their sense of self, can undergo dramatic changes. Through the stories of seven of his patients, acclaimed Oxford University neurologist Masud Husain shows us how our brains create our identity, how that identity can be changed, and sometimes even be restored. Among the people we encounter is a man who ran out of words, a woman who stopped caring what others thought of her and another who, losing her memory, started to believe she was having an affair with the man who was really her husband.
These compelling human dramas reveal how our identities are created by different functions within the brain. They show how modern neuroscience can help to explain the changes in behaviour that occur when our perception, attention, memory, motivation or empathy are altered. By understanding how our brains normally function, neurologists are bringing hope to patients with brain disorders and illuminating the human experience. The resulting journey will ignite new ideas about who we really are and why we act in the ways we do.
This is never more evident than if we lose even a single one of our cognitive abilities. People who develop a brain disorder can find that their identity, their sense of self, can undergo dramatic changes. Through the stories of seven of his patients, acclaimed Oxford University neurologist Masud Husain shows us how our brains create our identity, how that identity can be changed, and sometimes even be restored. Among the people we encounter is a man who ran out of words, a woman who stopped caring what others thought of her and another who, losing her memory, started to believe she was having an affair with the man who was really her husband.
These compelling human dramas reveal how our identities are created by different functions within the brain. They show how modern neuroscience can help to explain the changes in behaviour that occur when our perception, attention, memory, motivation or empathy are altered. By understanding how our brains normally function, neurologists are bringing hope to patients with brain disorders and illuminating the human experience. The resulting journey will ignite new ideas about who we really are and why we act in the ways we do.
288 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 8, 2025
Husain gives a modern version of Oliver Sacks here, wisely choosing not to update the formula of individual case studies combined with basic medical explanations too much. He is a skilled storyteller, and his subjects come to life. He also covers more common conditions, like Alzheimers, alongside the rarer. He makes a valiant effort to make the book upbeat - we have a few who can resume normal life - despite the somewhat unsettling subject matter. And unlike Sacks, his subjects come from, and are indicative of, modern London, making this feel like a more diverse representation of illness than perhaps we often get. I'm not as sure that the attempts to weave in a sense of time through fleeting references to Syria (incurred by his habit of using a newspaper to help understand how patients percieve the world) worked as well, but I appreciate the attempt. Id you like Sacks, you'll like this, and it would make a handy gift for anyone with a friend diagnosed with dementia or acquired brain injury, for example.
June 22, 2025
I absolutely loved Our Brains, Our Selves – it felt like a modern-day continuation of the kind of work Oliver Sacks made so compelling (an absolute fave of mine). Masud Husain brings real empathy and clarity to complex neurological conditions, blending vivid patient stories with science in a way that’s both informative and deeply human. From memory loss to delusions and everything in between, each chapter gave me a new appreciation for how fragile and fascinating our brains really are. It’s the kind of book I’ll be recommending to anyone remotely curious about the mind. Insightful and beautifully written.
April 13, 2025
This was a relatively straightforward read, and I quite enjoyed the individual stories within each chapter.
Overall it didn’t quite gel for me - a series of individual diagnoses but no more.
Overall it didn’t quite gel for me - a series of individual diagnoses but no more.
May 12, 2025
Engaging, informative, fascinating, great storytelling.
December 21, 2025
People with Parkinson’s disease have slowness of movement, rigidity and tremor. They lose the swing of their arms when they walk, they may develop poor balance and a stooped posture. However, we now appreciate that there are several neurological conditions which have some of these Parkinsonian features, but which are not Parkinson’s disease.
‘It’s a bizarre thing to explain to someone, but my right arm and leg have been acting kind of strangely.’ ‘In what way?’ She hesitated. ‘I can be reading in bed and suddenly realise that I don’t know where my right hand is, but if I look at it, it will be there. The same can happen with my right leg. I can be sitting on the bus and become unaware where it is. Before I know it, someone has tripped over my foot because it is in the middle of the aisle.’
A compelling read. This work details 7 different cases of neurodegeneration caused by a multiplicity of factors. As I was reading, I could think of at least 3 people I know who suffer one or other of these conditions and relate to what Husain explains are the social consequences of the loss of a specific indentity construct. The author follows in the footsteps of Oliver Sacks in popularising brain conditions and explaining them to the layman. At the same time he has his own style and his many asides on his own daily thoughts on the tube on a park bench in his office make this read very relatable. And very humane.
‘It’s a bizarre thing to explain to someone, but my right arm and leg have been acting kind of strangely.’ ‘In what way?’ She hesitated. ‘I can be reading in bed and suddenly realise that I don’t know where my right hand is, but if I look at it, it will be there. The same can happen with my right leg. I can be sitting on the bus and become unaware where it is. Before I know it, someone has tripped over my foot because it is in the middle of the aisle.’
A compelling read. This work details 7 different cases of neurodegeneration caused by a multiplicity of factors. As I was reading, I could think of at least 3 people I know who suffer one or other of these conditions and relate to what Husain explains are the social consequences of the loss of a specific indentity construct. The author follows in the footsteps of Oliver Sacks in popularising brain conditions and explaining them to the layman. At the same time he has his own style and his many asides on his own daily thoughts on the tube on a park bench in his office make this read very relatable. And very humane.
September 27, 2025
I am forever impressed by how the brain works, and it's fascinating to see what happens when the brain _doesn't_ work.
This book describes seven patients with seven different neurological conditions. I would've loved to see more! The book requires no prior knowledge of the brain/neuroscience. It's written in a very accessible way, with some tidbits of history in there as well. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I'd heartily recommend this to anyone who's looking for a solid science read.
This book describes seven patients with seven different neurological conditions. I would've loved to see more! The book requires no prior knowledge of the brain/neuroscience. It's written in a very accessible way, with some tidbits of history in there as well. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I'd heartily recommend this to anyone who's looking for a solid science read.
December 15, 2025
In the same vein as The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by the great Dr Oliver Sacks, one of my all-time favourite books. Loved the insightful tangents as well as following patients from diagnosis to follow-up. It's surreal to think that something as amorphous, abstract & large as our personality is dependent on a small patch of cells & synapses and that damage to a tiny area can dramatically change who we are.
April 26, 2025
A book which could have been really great, but lacks depth or breath in the subject matter to be especially worth recommending.
An Oxford University neurologist, Masud Husain's book aims to use seven case studies from his own clinical practice, to demonstrate truisms about the nature of self. If someone is minded to read this book, the conclusion does a really neat job of summing up all the main parts of the whole book. That is not a criticism, though it does speak to the substance within the body of the book. There are examples here of people forgetting the name of things, people experiencing drastic personality changes, and people unable to control their own limbs. Some of them contain interesting facts about neuroscience, though none of them leave a particularly strong impression other than "the brain is very complicated".
Indeed, a lot of this book is impressionistic. Husain tells stories about people rather than analysing situations. It is a good book for offering a range of views on how brain trauma impacts peoples lives, how randomly it can affect people and the frightening effects of what happens. However it did not really offer much actual teaching or knowledge about how the brain works or functions. It lacks a clear delineation of the science behind what is going on, and the social impact of what is happening. In many ways, that is a progressive approach to take, as one of the consequences is that biology and society are very obviously shown to interact to an almost inseparable level.
It is difficult to tell here what may have been editorialised, but the book does come across as slightly confused. At times Husain will go from explaining how a character has forgotten who her partner is, to lengthy explanations on the history of hot chocolate. Similar things happen when Husain takes time to explain the British partition of India or the unsubstantiated lies of the pro-Brexit campaign. It's the kind of thing a reader might suspect as an intrusive editor or overzealous publisher wanting to include, but on the other, this could easily be the author taking the opportunity to try to add substance to what may otherwise comfortably fit within 100 pages.
Overall, this is not a book I would recommend very strongly. I had hoped it would offer a more substantial explanation of neurology and brain trauma, but it ends up being remarkably soft. That said, I'm not sorry to have read it, there is nothing materially wrong with Husain's approach here, and it would be to each reader to decide how effective the book is in what it is trying to accomplish.
An Oxford University neurologist, Masud Husain's book aims to use seven case studies from his own clinical practice, to demonstrate truisms about the nature of self. If someone is minded to read this book, the conclusion does a really neat job of summing up all the main parts of the whole book. That is not a criticism, though it does speak to the substance within the body of the book. There are examples here of people forgetting the name of things, people experiencing drastic personality changes, and people unable to control their own limbs. Some of them contain interesting facts about neuroscience, though none of them leave a particularly strong impression other than "the brain is very complicated".
Indeed, a lot of this book is impressionistic. Husain tells stories about people rather than analysing situations. It is a good book for offering a range of views on how brain trauma impacts peoples lives, how randomly it can affect people and the frightening effects of what happens. However it did not really offer much actual teaching or knowledge about how the brain works or functions. It lacks a clear delineation of the science behind what is going on, and the social impact of what is happening. In many ways, that is a progressive approach to take, as one of the consequences is that biology and society are very obviously shown to interact to an almost inseparable level.
It is difficult to tell here what may have been editorialised, but the book does come across as slightly confused. At times Husain will go from explaining how a character has forgotten who her partner is, to lengthy explanations on the history of hot chocolate. Similar things happen when Husain takes time to explain the British partition of India or the unsubstantiated lies of the pro-Brexit campaign. It's the kind of thing a reader might suspect as an intrusive editor or overzealous publisher wanting to include, but on the other, this could easily be the author taking the opportunity to try to add substance to what may otherwise comfortably fit within 100 pages.
Overall, this is not a book I would recommend very strongly. I had hoped it would offer a more substantial explanation of neurology and brain trauma, but it ends up being remarkably soft. That said, I'm not sorry to have read it, there is nothing materially wrong with Husain's approach here, and it would be to each reader to decide how effective the book is in what it is trying to accomplish.
May 7, 2025
Excellant
Easy yo read and understand the brain through case studies. The writing is absorbing and descriptive wirh a good background of clinical information. An excellant read.
Easy yo read and understand the brain through case studies. The writing is absorbing and descriptive wirh a good background of clinical information. An excellant read.
March 15, 2025
Excellent in many ways. Accessible and very knowledgeable
December 8, 2025
I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Masud Husain in his capacity as narrator. On the one hand, this book is precisely what I was looking for in terms of a greater understanding about the different areas of the brain and how damage to a particular region can affect the way we behave and our sense of identity. On the other hand, he has this bizarre habit of shoehorning in totally irrelevant information about himself that reeks of narcissism. He also has an obsession with the Syrian Civil War, which is brought up in every chapter but has only the most oblique relationship to the topic of the book.
The concept of the book is a clever one, using a series of neurological cases to elucidate the functions of the brain, then progressing to the way brain function affects identify and sociological behaviors.
I found the neurological aspects very interesting, especially learning about the brain and how it is affected by stroke or disease. Husain explains these beautifully and succinctly - it's during these moments that he really shines as an author. The sociological aspects, unfortunately, are less interesting, and you could pretty much summarise the conclusions as 'having issues with brain function can be isolating' - well, duh. It's only in the last chapter that it begins to get some depth, but it certainly isn't woven into the fabric of the book.
I couldn't help but think back to the Emperor of Maladies, written by Siddhartha Mukherjee - who, incidentally, is a narrator I was quite happy to spend time with. His work is the gold standard to which I hold this type of popular medical science book, and by contrast there are a number of shortcomings in Our Brains, Our Selves.
That said, I would still have no qualms recommending this book to anybody interested in learning more about neuroscience.
The concept of the book is a clever one, using a series of neurological cases to elucidate the functions of the brain, then progressing to the way brain function affects identify and sociological behaviors.
I found the neurological aspects very interesting, especially learning about the brain and how it is affected by stroke or disease. Husain explains these beautifully and succinctly - it's during these moments that he really shines as an author. The sociological aspects, unfortunately, are less interesting, and you could pretty much summarise the conclusions as 'having issues with brain function can be isolating' - well, duh. It's only in the last chapter that it begins to get some depth, but it certainly isn't woven into the fabric of the book.
I couldn't help but think back to the Emperor of Maladies, written by Siddhartha Mukherjee - who, incidentally, is a narrator I was quite happy to spend time with. His work is the gold standard to which I hold this type of popular medical science book, and by contrast there are a number of shortcomings in Our Brains, Our Selves.
That said, I would still have no qualms recommending this book to anybody interested in learning more about neuroscience.
December 23, 2025
How Brain Changes Rewrite Us: A Fascinating, Frightening Tour of Identity, Personality, and Relationships
Masud Husain’s "Our Brains, Our Selves" is an absorbing and sometimes unsettling exploration of how fragile identity becomes when the brain is even slightly altered. The overall conceit of the book is both intriguing and engaging, raising several interesting ideas about what makes us who we are, yet it remains accessible and easy to read for non-specialists.
The book circles a deceptively simple question: what makes us who we are? I find myself returning to it constantly. Our personal traits define us, both in our own eyes and in the eyes of others, yet their origins remain obscure. Our traits also shape how others respond to us and how we find a place within our particular web of relationships; this book shows how alterations in those traits can abruptly endanger those very bonds. The prospect is deeply disquieting. Is it possible to wake up one day as someone fundamentally different? Told through a series of short case studies, each chapter is compelling in its own right; together, they form a thought‑provoking portrait of how precarious our sense of self can be.
Two examples are especially memorable. David, a once-driven young professional transformed into someone eerily apathetic after tiny strokes to his basal ganglia, shows how motivation itself can vanish when a single network fails. Anna, assaulted as a teenager and later plagued by an “alien” hand she cannot fully control, vividly illustrates how even one injured brain region can estrange a person from her own body. Throughout, Husain’s humane storytelling and clear explanations make this frightening material mesmerizing rather than merely clinical.
Masud Husain’s "Our Brains, Our Selves" is an absorbing and sometimes unsettling exploration of how fragile identity becomes when the brain is even slightly altered. The overall conceit of the book is both intriguing and engaging, raising several interesting ideas about what makes us who we are, yet it remains accessible and easy to read for non-specialists.
The book circles a deceptively simple question: what makes us who we are? I find myself returning to it constantly. Our personal traits define us, both in our own eyes and in the eyes of others, yet their origins remain obscure. Our traits also shape how others respond to us and how we find a place within our particular web of relationships; this book shows how alterations in those traits can abruptly endanger those very bonds. The prospect is deeply disquieting. Is it possible to wake up one day as someone fundamentally different? Told through a series of short case studies, each chapter is compelling in its own right; together, they form a thought‑provoking portrait of how precarious our sense of self can be.
Two examples are especially memorable. David, a once-driven young professional transformed into someone eerily apathetic after tiny strokes to his basal ganglia, shows how motivation itself can vanish when a single network fails. Anna, assaulted as a teenager and later plagued by an “alien” hand she cannot fully control, vividly illustrates how even one injured brain region can estrange a person from her own body. Throughout, Husain’s humane storytelling and clear explanations make this frightening material mesmerizing rather than merely clinical.
September 12, 2025
There are knowledge-enhancing stories in this book to learn about how some crucial aspects of the quality of our lives seriously depend on our brains functioning without anomaly. There are seven cases of brain anomalies here that the author took care of and shares his enlightening neuroscience insight. His prose is attention grabbing and easy to understand with proper neuroscience background provided for each case of brain anatomy discussed. It is also pleasant to know that there is cure or alleviation for each of the ailments. The author also adds a bit more charms to this book by some narratives of dramatic trials and tribulations of his patients.
One treasure from this book is to learn that neurologists have several simple physical, neurological, and cognitive test methods to check their patients for any deficiencies that we the general public can also use to test ourselves. Do not miss all these tests.
Funny, when reading about the case of frontal lobe dysfunction in which the afflicted becomes "disinhibited", suddenly the image of D. J. Trump emerges into my mind!?! Some brain doctor should have had his brain scanned and analyzed for the sake of sensibility and democracy! Actually, his entire cabinet should be subject to the analyses!
These cautionary neurological tales serve to remind readers not to wait until the pond dries up to realize its consequences (in may cases, they cannot even realize it!). Learning and practicing healthy foods, healthy lifestyle is the most valuable skill to acquire for sustaining our life quality.
In the end, this book enables readers to see that weird behaviors have their root causes in the brain's health. The only thing I hope some more from this book is that the author provided some more cases. For those who want to digest more on this same mind blowing neuroscience, I highly recommend this book: Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique which also discusses several same brain anomalies as Dr. Husain's book but with much more about brain science as this book is quite thick. This book also adds even some more insights into the earnest importance of our brain: Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain. The case of Texas University Shooter in 1966 is so mesmerizingly enlightening. This last book is very much in the sale vein as Dr. Husain's book, only more mind-blowing cases of brain anomalies: Matter of Mind: A Neurologist's View of Brainbehavior Relationships. All these books enable readers to recognize and understand so many weird behaviors, from the fatal to the annoying!
One treasure from this book is to learn that neurologists have several simple physical, neurological, and cognitive test methods to check their patients for any deficiencies that we the general public can also use to test ourselves. Do not miss all these tests.
Funny, when reading about the case of frontal lobe dysfunction in which the afflicted becomes "disinhibited", suddenly the image of D. J. Trump emerges into my mind!?! Some brain doctor should have had his brain scanned and analyzed for the sake of sensibility and democracy! Actually, his entire cabinet should be subject to the analyses!
These cautionary neurological tales serve to remind readers not to wait until the pond dries up to realize its consequences (in may cases, they cannot even realize it!). Learning and practicing healthy foods, healthy lifestyle is the most valuable skill to acquire for sustaining our life quality.
In the end, this book enables readers to see that weird behaviors have their root causes in the brain's health. The only thing I hope some more from this book is that the author provided some more cases. For those who want to digest more on this same mind blowing neuroscience, I highly recommend this book: Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique which also discusses several same brain anomalies as Dr. Husain's book but with much more about brain science as this book is quite thick. This book also adds even some more insights into the earnest importance of our brain: Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain. The case of Texas University Shooter in 1966 is so mesmerizingly enlightening. This last book is very much in the sale vein as Dr. Husain's book, only more mind-blowing cases of brain anomalies: Matter of Mind: A Neurologist's View of Brainbehavior Relationships. All these books enable readers to recognize and understand so many weird behaviors, from the fatal to the annoying!
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December 23, 2025Masud Husain’s "Our Brains, Our Selves" is an absorbing and sometimes unsettling exploration of how fragile identity becomes when the brain is even slightly altered. The overall conceit of the book is both intriguing and engaging, raising several interesting ideas about what makes us who we are, yet it remains accessible and easy to read for non-specialists.
The book circles a deceptively simple question: what makes us who we are? I find myself returning to it constantly. Our personal traits define us, both in our own eyes and in the eyes of others, yet their origins remain obscure. Our traits also shape how others respond to us and how we find a place within our particular web of relationships; this book shows how alterations in those traits can abruptly endanger those very bonds. The prospect is deeply disquieting. Is it possible to wake up one day as someone fundamentally different? Told through a series of short case studies, each chapter is compelling in its own right; together, they form a thought‑provoking portrait of how precarious our sense of self can be.
Two examples are especially memorable. David, a once-driven young professional transformed into someone eerily apathetic after tiny strokes to his basal ganglia, shows how motivation itself can vanish when a single network fails. Anna, assaulted as a teenager and later plagued by an “alien” hand she cannot fully control, vividly illustrates how even one injured brain region can estrange a person from her own body. Throughout, Husain’s humane storytelling and clear explanations make this frightening material mesmerizing rather than merely clinical.
The book circles a deceptively simple question: what makes us who we are? I find myself returning to it constantly. Our personal traits define us, both in our own eyes and in the eyes of others, yet their origins remain obscure. Our traits also shape how others respond to us and how we find a place within our particular web of relationships; this book shows how alterations in those traits can abruptly endanger those very bonds. The prospect is deeply disquieting. Is it possible to wake up one day as someone fundamentally different? Told through a series of short case studies, each chapter is compelling in its own right; together, they form a thought‑provoking portrait of how precarious our sense of self can be.
Two examples are especially memorable. David, a once-driven young professional transformed into someone eerily apathetic after tiny strokes to his basal ganglia, shows how motivation itself can vanish when a single network fails. Anna, assaulted as a teenager and later plagued by an “alien” hand she cannot fully control, vividly illustrates how even one injured brain region can estrange a person from her own body. Throughout, Husain’s humane storytelling and clear explanations make this frightening material mesmerizing rather than merely clinical.
October 26, 2025
An interesting insight into the brain and how it works it, it also explores what determines “self” and important skills that make us accepted by society.
As someone who has moved to live in another country it really resonated with me how much language represents a part of yourself and how hard it is to portray yourself without it. Not only that but its hard to integrate into the new society and it can be very isolating. Interestingly it also links to motivation which was inhibited in another patient the author described. When I couldn’t communicate in the language of my new country I also became extremely shy and it was hard to motivate myself to do simple tasks. It’s really interesting to read in this book about patients where only one specific aspect of their brain/personality is inhibited because in reality everything is interconnected.
As someone who has moved to live in another country it really resonated with me how much language represents a part of yourself and how hard it is to portray yourself without it. Not only that but its hard to integrate into the new society and it can be very isolating. Interestingly it also links to motivation which was inhibited in another patient the author described. When I couldn’t communicate in the language of my new country I also became extremely shy and it was hard to motivate myself to do simple tasks. It’s really interesting to read in this book about patients where only one specific aspect of their brain/personality is inhibited because in reality everything is interconnected.
November 11, 2025
Hussain takes the reader through seven cases he has seen in his practice as a neurologist. Each is less of a detective story and more of a puzzle than he and his patient (or their family) are trying to solve together. As he works the problem he discusses the history of neurology, its treatments, and the wider meaning of self.
As the immediate diagnoses come through, and people begin to treat their original issues, Hussain talks about the wider implications of their new selves and what it means to integrate into society as someone with a condition. In some cases treatments are easy and results are clear. In others, Hussain shows us how changes in the brain can change our "selves" for everyone around us.
As the immediate diagnoses come through, and people begin to treat their original issues, Hussain talks about the wider implications of their new selves and what it means to integrate into society as someone with a condition. In some cases treatments are easy and results are clear. In others, Hussain shows us how changes in the brain can change our "selves" for everyone around us.
November 2, 2025
Trying to copy Oliver Sacks.
Half of the book is comprised of medical cases which are heavily "dramatised" at best and most likely completely fabricated. They are full of pointless details not relevant to the medical aspects that the author is trying to explain and randomly splattered with purple prose about foreboding skies.
The other half is complaining about how evil and racist UK is. At one point it complains about how few doctors there are in Pakistan. This book is written by a Pakistani doctor. Living in the UK. I don't know what neurological disorder stops you from seeing the irony of this but the good doctor should investigate himself.
Half of the book is comprised of medical cases which are heavily "dramatised" at best and most likely completely fabricated. They are full of pointless details not relevant to the medical aspects that the author is trying to explain and randomly splattered with purple prose about foreboding skies.
The other half is complaining about how evil and racist UK is. At one point it complains about how few doctors there are in Pakistan. This book is written by a Pakistani doctor. Living in the UK. I don't know what neurological disorder stops you from seeing the irony of this but the good doctor should investigate himself.
October 11, 2025
Well written and interesting
This is an explanation of the origin of self using 7 case studies of people who have suffered different impairments in their brains. Each case is different but all are described in such a way that they capture your interest and empathy. The relationship between self identity and social identity is examined in terms of the effects of each the personality changes induced by the brain pathology and each case is firmly placed in its own historical perspective. I found this book to be fascinating and really well written. Highly recommended.
This is an explanation of the origin of self using 7 case studies of people who have suffered different impairments in their brains. Each case is different but all are described in such a way that they capture your interest and empathy. The relationship between self identity and social identity is examined in terms of the effects of each the personality changes induced by the brain pathology and each case is firmly placed in its own historical perspective. I found this book to be fascinating and really well written. Highly recommended.
March 27, 2025
I picked this up as I have booked to see Masud Husain talk at the Stratford Literary Festival. I suppose it wasn't quite what I was expecting /hoping for, however it was very interesting - fascinating really to understand how differently problems with the brain can cause people to behave. The case studies are very moving and it certainly encourages the reader to be more open minded and sympathetic.
November 30, 2025
3.5 stars. A very interesting book on the brain and how it affects our identity and our place in society. Husain looks at seven different cases and how the loss of a certain part of the brain affects the patient, their family, and friends and then explains the related part of the brain, how it can be treated and a bit on the history of treatment of mental illness in London. Overall, a very interesting book that I would recommend.
June 22, 2025
This is a book to make us all think, and it certainly does. I enjoyed the stories and learning about the mechanics of the brain. I felt it needed a little more summing up as 'so what' came to mind on completion. Or maybe that's the point, due to the brain's complexity? That said, definitely worth a read
March 8, 2025
Brilliant and accessible writing! (Read paperback version).
June 6, 2025
4.75*
July 18, 2025
Fascinating insight into the things that can go wrong with your brain, slightly terrifying too.
August 21, 2025
Compared to other similar works, I really appreciated the human approach towards the patient, the outsider, and the migrant. I’m not sure if it’ll be published in Spain."
December 8, 2025
Scathing review of Socrates's theory for dying in the Phaedo, was there a punch pulled?
December 17, 2025
Fantastic
What a breadth of knowledge in a consumable and approachable medium. I wish this book hadn't ended and would love to read more books from this author.
What a breadth of knowledge in a consumable and approachable medium. I wish this book hadn't ended and would love to read more books from this author.
November 11, 2025
Fascinating book about how brain injuries can affect an individuals' behaviour. In a series of case histories, the author explains the injury and part of the brain affected and how he was able to treat it. I enjoyed his descriptions around his patients their backgrounds and his day-to-day life and his background as an immigrant.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews