This is the book I started reading this term, since I can only do short stories while I'm in school mode. Very interesting! Although the last section was a bit off putting due to language - there are certain words we don't use anymore when talking about those with neurological impairments and it was weird/distasteful to see them used.

Other than that, very readable and written for a layperson to understand.

I read (listened to) this immediately after finishing Oliver Sacks' book. It gave a fair synopsis of the book as well as a bit of additional information about Dr. Sacks and his contributions to the field, but didn't do much in the way of analyzing the cases. I think this is mainly for people who don't want to read the book, rather than people who have read it and want additional insight. Also, the narrator was so very, very annoying. She spoke in an "I'm quoting" voice every time she quoted something and it was just horrible and cringeworthy. If you've already read [b:The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales|63697|The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales|Oliver Sacks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1447047702l/63697._SY75_.jpg|882844], I would pass on this and read the wikipedia page on Oliver Sacks instead, and from there decide if you want to go on to read his autobiography since this book didn't really add too much.

I read (listened to) this immediately after finishing Oliver Sacks' book. It gave a fair synopsis of the book as well as a bit of additional information about Dr. Sacks and his contributions to the field, but didn't do much in the way of analyzing the cases. I think this is mainly for people who don't want to read the book, rather than people who have read it and want additional insight. Also, the narrator was so very, very annoying. She spoke in an "I'm quoting" voice every time she quoted something and it was just horrible and cringeworthy. If you've already read [b:The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales|63697|The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales|Oliver Sacks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1447047702l/63697._SY75_.jpg|882844], I would pass on this and read the wikipedia page on Oliver Sacks instead, and from there decide if you want to go on to read his autobiography since this book didn't really add too much.

Qué placer leer a un neurólogo en la tradición del gran Aleksandr Luria, que ve no solamente los "déficits" de las personas con daños cerebrales, sino además busca comprender y hasta compartir los extraños mundos en que viven. Retrata a sus pacientes no como "casos" sino como personas, que a su manera (muchas veces muy extraña) luchan por afirmar su dignidad o simplemente por encontrar una paz huraña. Hará al lector reflexionar mucho sobre su propio cerebro y sus peculiaridades. Para mí, era especialmente intrigante lo que indica sobre la memoria, tanto en los casos de las personas que la han perdido como en los que recuerdan y reviven, como si fuera actualidad, incidentes y detalles de hace muchos años. Además de Luria, te hará querer releer "Funes el memorioso" de Jorge Luis Borges (citado muchas veces por Sacks).

Me recomendaron este libro hace mucho tiempo, pero por pereza nunca llegé a empezármelo. Cuando decidí empezar con él, me llamo mucho la atención las primeras historias, me parecían muy interesantes y curiosas, pero poco a poco se me hizo una lectura pesada, monótona, tenía ganas de abandonar el libro.

Es cierto que es muy interesante el tema que trata, pero la utilización de terminilogía médica y psicológica puede despistar e incluso cansar al lector que no tenga una buena basa de estos conocimientos.

Cuvântul preferat al neurologiei este „deficit”, însemnând o deteriorare sau o incapacitate a funcţiei neurologice: pierderea vorbirii, pierderea limbajului, pierderea memoriei, pierderea dexterităţii, pierderea identităţii şi o mulţime de alte lipsuri şi pierderi ale unor funcţii (sau facultăţi) specifice. Pentru toate aceste disfuncţii (alt termen favorit), avem tot felul de cuvinte privative – Afonie, Afemie, Afazie, Alexie, Apraxie, Agnozie, Amnezie, Ataxie – un cuvânt pentru fiecare funcţie neurologică sau mintală de care pacienţii pot fi parţial sau total privaţi din cauza unei boli, a unui accident sau a unei deficienţe de dezvoltare.
Studiul ştiinţific al relaţiei dintre creier şi minte a început în 1861, când, în Franţa, Broca a descoperit că anumite dificultăţi de exprimare verbală, afazie, apar mereu ca urmare a lezării unei anumite porţiuni din emisfera cerebrală stângă. Aceasta a deschis calea unei neurologii cerebrale care a permis, în câteva zeci de ani, realizarea unei „hărţi” a creierului uman care atribuie capacităţi specifice – lingvistice, intelectuale, perceptive etc. — unor „centri” la fel de specifici din creier. Către sfârşitul secolului a devenit evident pentru mai mulţi cercetători subtili – în primul rând pentru Freud, în cartea sa Afazia – că acest gen de cartografiere era prea simplist, că toate activităţile mintale au o structură internă complexă şi trebuie să aibă o bază fiziologică la fel de complexă. Freud considera că acest lucru e valabil în special pentru anumite tulburări de recunoaştere şi percepţie pentru care a inventat termenul „agnozie”. Ca să înţelegem corect afazia sau agnozia era nevoie, credea el, de o ştiinţă nouă, mai elaborată.