The Brain Under Siege

by Howard L. Weiner

1 in 6 people suffer from brain diseases like MS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. Now, a Harvard neurologist takes you inside the brain under attack—and illuminates the path to a cure.

Multiple Sclerosis. Parkinson’s Disease. Alzheimer’s. ALS. Chances are, you know someone with a neurologic disease. Because the brain controls so much and is integral to our identity, the diseases that affect it are uniquely devastating both to patients and families.

And because it remains the most mysterious of our vital organs, treating the brain is an ongoing puzzle.

In The Brain Under Siege, Howard Weiner likens the brain to a crime scene, showing readers how “clues” point to causes and suggest paths to a cure. He takes readers on a journey through the latest technological advances, exploring which routes of investigation have gone cold and which have led to breakthroughs. Readers couldn’t ask for a better guide: A professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic diseases, Weiner is an internationally renowned expert, who pioneered immunotherapy in MS and is currently investigating an Alzheimer’s vaccine.

Informative and engaging, this groundbreaking book tells the story behind the science—painting a picture of the discoveries, setbacks, false leads, and victories on the front lines of brain research. Weiner also offers unique insight by exploring the experiences of the brave patients and families who make cutting-edge clinical trials possible.

Both a clear-eyed assessment of where the science stands and a gripping and poignant narrative of the dramatic pursuit for a cure, The Brain Under Siege is a must-read for patients, families, and anyone interested in unraveling the mysteries of the brain.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Health

368 pages, Hardcover

Published October 26, 2021

Reviews

[Bharath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brain health is thankfully receiving more and more attention. The major diseases which this book discusses – Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) & Glioblastoma leaves people and families shattered. I myself have seen the impact it has had with people I know. I have thankfully also seen people valiantly fighting back (even in a case of the generally deadly Glioblastoma which a friend overcame) with conventional and alternate remedies to not allow their lives to be completely derailed. Nevertheless, the toll these conditions exact is huge. There are also well known stories of people like Stephen Hawking who battled ALS (thankfully it is a disease which does not degrade cognitive ability allowing him to continue making valuable contributions to science & society).

This book is extremely detailed in its coverage (far more than what I anticipated) and is very comprehensive. There are sections for each of the five major conditions with descriptions of early & later symptoms, the impact to the brain (referred to as the crime scene), current knowledge of the causes & potential treatment options. It has been difficult to determine the underlying root cause in most cases. As it stands today, there are good treatment options for halting the progression of MS with people now able to get on with their lives. The others are more difficult, though great progress has been made and we will over the next few years see more drugs on the market. Almost all these have some connection with the immune system & the gut microbiome is often crucial. It is also theorized that at least Parkinson’s potentially originates in the gut before travelling to the brain.

The level of detail at times makes for tedious reading as the descriptions are dense and difficult to assimilate. However, the book is packed with very vital information which all of us need to know about. One significant drawback is that nutrition information is largely absent. This is important from a prevention point of view but has only sketchy coverage. I realized somewhat recently that nutrition is a separate discipline by itself from disease diagnosis & treatment, though vital. So, I am not very surprised at the absence of such information in this book. I would recommend the excellent books – ‘Brain Food’ by Lisa Mosconi and ‘How Not to Die’ by Michael Greger, which covers what this book does not.

I also liked the positive tone the book strikes on battling these conditions. A recommended read.

My rating: 4.25 / 5.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a free electronic review copy.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me quite a lot of time to finish it. And that´s because it´s incredibly detailed.
First, you have to know that this is not a light book for someone who likes to read popular science. This is more for people who do have either a strong interest in the subject or have a scientific background. I have a genuine interest in medicine without a proper education in this field, yet I didn´t feel overwhelmed by all the details and had no problems with understanding the subject, meaning it´s not a scientific hard-to-swallow paper.
Secondly, I am absolutely astounded by how up-to-date all the informations are. The author speaks about therapies available in the past, those currently in use, and ongoing research.
Fascinating read. One of the best medicine books I have come across.
Big thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. More please

[CallahansBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

By likening the fight against Alzheimer’s and other afflictions to a detective’s method, Dr. Howard Weiner makes “The Brain Under Siege” surprisingly dramatic. A neurology professor at Harvard Medical School, Weiner treats the brain as a crime scene and physiological details as clues to guide an “investigation.”

Written for a layperson, readers needn’t fear a taxing amount of jargon or 27-letter words. Expect to find a creative approach to a complicated subject. Being one of the most inscrutable areas of medical science, for decades the brain has absorbed the attention of some of the world’s sharpest doctors. As they move inch by inch toward more sophisticated treatments, the imagination of these physicians is as encouraging as their progress is painstaking.

Just by virtue of its subject the book isn’t necessarily breezy to read. But one’s brain will be a little better for having done so.

[Brian Pond · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an informative and incredibly dense book. The author clearly lived through the formative years of treatment development for MS and has a wealth of knowledge in his field. Despite my interest in the diseases discussed in this book and my background as a medical professional, I had a hard time completing it—the amount of information often feels overwhelming and makes finding the key points difficult, which slows progress, which unfortunately waned my interest. On a single page, just the number of new names of drugs, researchers, their studies, and the facilities at which they worked can be boggling and difficult to keep straight. On the flip side, I can totally see how a book this packed with info would be of interest and value to anyone who is or has a loved one suffering from one of these diseases. For the general interest reader though, it’ll most likely be a slower read, brought to a close by shear determination.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alzheimer’s. Multiple sclerosis. Parkinson’s. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Glioblastoma. You’ve all heard of them. Maybe you know someone who has been diagnosed or maybe you yourself have been diagnosed. Maybe you don’t know anyone who has been diagnosed, but you’ve read about it in the news or books or The New York Times. That’s because these five neurological illnesses are terrorizing our world. Dr. Weiner gives an in-depth account of these five illnesses that affect the brains of millions of people in our society. He does an excellent job of explaining these diseases on a cellular and molecular level basis to give his readers a full understand what happens in these diseases under a microscope. He also mentions how scientists are constantly working to “find a cure” for these diseases. It is really hard to completely cure a disease, so they are really looking to just halt the disease process. As a neurologist himself, he has been a witness of what these diseases do to patients and families afflicted. He has also been the friend and family member of people with some of these diseases, giving him a personal account to how these illnesses torture people. Although this was a great book, I felt that some points were redundant and I found the chapters to be really long, which made it harder to get through. It was also heavy on scientific vocabulary, but there is a helpful glossary at the end of the book that makes it tolerable. This is a great book for patients, families, scientists, doctors, and anyone who is interested in learning about the complexities and mysteries of neurological disorders and the nervous system. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Wether you are looking to expand your knowledge is brain disorders or just wanting to investigate further into a specific condition. This book explains 5 most common brain conditions; ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, Glioblastoma, MS, and Alzheimer’s. It is easy to read for the non medical experts and a good resource to expand your current knowledge for those interested in medical care.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I agree this book needed editing for a general reader, I believe a patient with any of these diseases would be well informed by the relevant chapters. A well-informed patient is a better patient in all respects.

[Aidan 18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

highly recommend if your interested in a relatively deep dive into brain diseases. obviously not spoiling so yee, but very informative in terms of the roots, treatments, processes etc. of brain diseases such as MS, alzheimer’s, ALS, parkinson’s etc.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed, well-narrated dive into the causes of five of the most common diseases of the brain. Dr. Weiner lays out each disease like a crime scene with culprits and developments that show promise in working toward managing symptoms, slowing progress, or finding a potential cure. Very insightful, I have shared short excerpts with my students as the author does a great job of highlighting the nature of science and the importance of perseverance.