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The One You Get: Portrait of a Family Organism
In The One You Portrait of a Family Organism , Jason Tougaw marries neuroscience and family lore to tell his story of growing up gay in 1970s Southern California, raised by hippies who had "dropped out" in the late sixties and couldn't seem to find their way back in. "There's something wrong with our blood," the family mantra ran, "and it affects our brains"―a catchall answer for incidents such as Tougaw's schizophrenic great-grandfather directing traffic in the nude on the Golden Gate Bridge, the author's own dyslexia and hypochondria, and the near-death experience of his notorious jockey grandfather, Ralph Neves.
With shades of Oliver Sacks and Susannah Cahalan, this honest and unexpected true story recasts the memoir to answer some of life's big "Where did I come from," "How did I become me," and "What happens when the family dog accidentally overdoses on acid?"
With shades of Oliver Sacks and Susannah Cahalan, this honest and unexpected true story recasts the memoir to answer some of life's big "Where did I come from," "How did I become me," and "What happens when the family dog accidentally overdoses on acid?"
- GenresMemoir
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 12, 2017
11 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 25, 2017
Unlike any memoir I've read before, in a very good way. And that is saying something.
August 25, 2017
I was lucky enough to get a galley of this memoir. And if you follow me here, then you know I NEVER write reviews. I just don't take the time. Life is short...I just star it...no explanation. But I wanted to just write here how much I enjoyed reading this book. It's so well written and such a great story and so personal, but also very universal. I highly recommend picking this one up. What a great new voice.
December 3, 2017
An extraordinary memoir that kept me up late reading and thinking about what neuroscience holds for me. In the process I gained a new understanding of my own traumatic childhood experiences and another layer of personal healing. I will read "The One You Get" again, soon. This holiday season, if you want to give a true gift to a friend or family member, give this book.
March 29, 2017
One of the perks of interning for a publishing company is reading gems like these that haven't come out yet.
September 2, 2017
Incredibly compelling memoir, I couldn't put it down! A heartfelt account of his idiosyncratic and often heartbreaking experiences as a child growing up with chaotic adults, the author brilliantly weaves in humor along with neuroscience and psychological insight to make sense of it all. Highly recommended read!!
October 19, 2017
I liked this book, but I don't really care about this book. I was reading it and thinking why am I reading this? I don't know who any of these people are, I'll never meet any of them, why the hell am I wasting my time reading this? so, that's it. A completely forgettable book that's well written.
I won this from a goodreads giveaway.
I won this from a goodreads giveaway.
December 1, 2017
As I read this I found myself struggling and celebrating with so many emotions and thoughts. How can I be aghast and humbled at the same time? Why do the author's truths make me laugh and cry and give me a boner? How can I be envious of his upbringing and grateful for mine in a single breath? How can I be so inspired I could run a marathon and so wiped out that I want to sleep all weekend? What an anomalous story. And a remarkable rebuke to the Flower Power kids. Howard Jones! I have so many reactions I could write a book about this book. And it is exquisitely written.
August 29, 2017
In this utterly unique memoir, we get a portrait, not only of the boy, but also of the the man who is using a set of tools, including social theory and neuroscience, to disentangle the strands that make the self. Whether we are shocked by the conditions of his young life―addiction, abuse, mental illness, mosh-pit erections―is up to us. Tougaw's just trying to get to the bottom of it all.
October 22, 2017
This beautiful memoir is at once loving, brutal, and inventive. Tougaw combines gripping narrative with insights gleaned from psychology, literary theory, and a rigorous steeping in New Wave music-suturing these all together into a book unlike any other I've read.
August 28, 2018
This memoir is a wild ride through the 70s and 80s in an experimental family with mental illnesses. It’s a singular exploration of how family affects brain chemistry and what to do with those influences later. It’s highly relatable while telling one child’s story from the inside.
August 25, 2017
I've been waiting for this one for some time. Can't wait to finally dig in...
September 29, 2017
Loved this intimate memoir that explores family, sexuality and how are stories become true. Also just enjoyed the flavor of life in Southern California during the 70's - 80's.
October 6, 2017
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
One of the best memoirs I've read. Highly recommended.
One of the best memoirs I've read. Highly recommended.
October 23, 2017
A truly unique memoir that examines how memories are made and how the brain behaves.
March 20, 2018
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I saw jason Tougaw read an excerpt of this book at an event and knew I had to read this book. It is part memoir, part scientific exploration. He's able to weave the two together seamlessly, imbuing both with style. His life has not been an easy one, but he details it with humor, grace and a healthy distance.
March 27, 2018
A fantastic memoir that I can not stop recommending. The author weaves neurology/science alongside the memories and experiences being told to refine the moments in the story which enriches the work immensely. A great book
Want to read
September 28, 2017LA Times, September 24, 2107
May 17, 2018
We selected this memoir/non-fiction as a book club of five women. It absolutely generated a lot of discussion and exploration into a world beyond the ordinary.
The inclusion of theories and details of neuroscience (i.e. how the brain works) provided an evidenced based investigation of how a group of family members can go so off the edge. I learned an enormous amount about our amazing brains.
This was a touching story of resilience. We all agreed that it was as not an easy reading experience but a valuable one. Nobody said it was gong to be easy.
The inclusion of theories and details of neuroscience (i.e. how the brain works) provided an evidenced based investigation of how a group of family members can go so off the edge. I learned an enormous amount about our amazing brains.
This was a touching story of resilience. We all agreed that it was as not an easy reading experience but a valuable one. Nobody said it was gong to be easy.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews