The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
By Oliver Sacks
In his most extraordinary book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks recounts the stories of patients lost in the bizarre, apparently inescapable world of neurological disorders.
These are case studies of people who have lost their memories and with them the greater part of their pasts; who are no longer able to recognize people or common objects; whose limbs have become alien; who are afflicted and yet are gifted with uncanny artistic or mathematical talents. In Dr Sacks’s splendid and sympathetic telling, each tale is a unique and deeply human study of life struggling against incredible adversity.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Mistook-Wife-Picador-Classic/dp/0330523627
I was introduced to this book by a phD Sociologist at the care home I volunteer at as we were engaging in Tai Chi therapy for the residents. This is a concise and pithy introduction to neurology with a myriad of case disorders discussed. it discusses very little to do with brain tumours, but have no fear as “Do No Harm” by Dr Henry Marsh discusses haemangioblastomas and oligodendrogliomas of the like in a beautiful narrative detail. The cover title in fact is one of the cases itself: prosopagnosia, where there are deficits in the fusiform gyrus brain region (which is often discussed when it comes to autism). Contralateral neglect is also discussed with an enlightening discussion of an “infinity” food plate where the food never gets finished – this can be depicted mathematically by taking the sum of the sequence (Sigma 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 and so on – this inevitably mirrors Zeno’s dichotomy paradox, depicting how neurology can be simultaneously medical and philosophical. There is a succinct discussion of phantom limbs – I would suggest in terms of wider reading looking at the mirror experiment pioneered by Dr Ramachandran which can actually diminish the notion of a phantom limb by the manipulation of the lack of proprioception. And of course, if you are interested in proprioception, then be sure to look at the Meniere’s disease section of the book as proprioception in the latissimus dorsi muscles compensates for vestibular dysfunction following a labryinthectomy. I have linked a biocalculus essay based on Meniere’s disease which I wrote in which I devise a hypothetical differential kinematics model coupled with some normal distribution – I guarantee that it is worth your time. “The twins” is an interesting anecdote for the humanitarian mathematicians interested in the neurology behind savant-magic.
On a whole, Oliver Sacks has partly contributed to my decision of pursuing a career in medicine. This is definitely the first book you should start of with. Further reading would include “Migraine”, “Awakenings” and “Musicophilia”. My friend told me that “Connectome” is a good book, and I would certainly recommend Dr Henry Marsh’s “Do No Harm” and “Admissions”.
I absolutely agree – this book might not provide a huge amount of practical insight into conditions you will regularly come across in neurology, but it is (above all) interesting! Excellent recommendations re. Dr Ramachandran’s research – I think he has also done a lot of work on the mirror neuron system?
^^ Also be sure to check Oliver Sack’s TedTalk on Charles-Bonnett syndrome – a condition where blind people perceive that they can see due to vivid hallucinations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgOTaXhbqPQ
Anil Seth further elaborates on the concept of hallucination – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyu7v7nWzfo
Blindsight would also be a great condition to look up – being able to see and yet not knowing that they can see (essentially a visual agnosia). It is unfortunate that Oliver Sacks is no longer with us, as he was a dedicated neurologist who loved his patients, and they loved him as well. This can be clearly depicted in the Awakening’s documentaries on YouTube (and the film of course) – this is based on his decision of utilising L-Dopa as a treatment for encephalitis lethargica – sleeping sickness – it was a risky decision and after a couple of years of faltering he decided to go for it. He rescued so many lives “from the dead”.
Atleast his legacy remains with us disguised as his writing.
Fantastic resources, thanks for adding to the discussion!
This book is an eye-opener to any aspiring doctors. The unique mental conditions explained here are interesting while also highlighting the signficance of the brain in controlling our perception of reality (visually and in terms of sound). The truly supernatural nature of some cases demonstrate that there is a lot we still do not understand about the brain. It has also shown me that brain damage can lead to bizzare symptoms, increasing my empathy towards patients.