Patient H.M.
A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets
by Luke Dittrich
Random House Publishing Group - Random House
Random House
Nonfiction (Adult), Science
Pub Date 09 Aug 2016
I was enchanted with the details and the history of neurosurgery in this book. The author, being the grandson of the doctor in focus, provides a great insight into the life of that grandfather and the development of his surgical skills.
Another aspect is the history of the lobotomy: surgical, via accident, or medication. The author reviewed the stories of Broca and Tan, as well as Phineas Gage and the sister of JFK, in a compelling, storytelling way which will appeal to high school and college students.
I recommend this book for teachers and students who are interested in studying the brain, accidents involving the brain, and surgery.
Amazon.com Review Dan Ariely on Survival of the Sickest MIT professor Dan Ariely has become one of the leaders in the growing field of behavioral economics, and his bestselling book debut, Predictably Irrational, has brought his ideas--and his ingenious experiments and charming sense of humor--to a much wider audience. With the simplest of tests (often an auction or a quiz given under a few conditions) he shows again and again not only that we are wired to make irrational decisions in many situations, but that we do so in remarkably predictable ways. I have always been puzzled by the way in which genetic diseases have managed to survive throughout the ages. How could it be that these diseases were able to withstand the evolutionary process, where only the most fit survive, and continue to be transferred from one generation to the next? Survival of the Sickest provides a thought provoking yet entertaining explanation to this puzzle. In this insightful book Dr. Sharon Moalem demonstra...

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