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4 out of 5 stars
By
Kathy
on
07-18-14
Really fascinating stuff!
Ramachandran addresses various neurological disorders and oddities with his own insights into how these problems might arise. He discusses the roles of the different sides of the brain and how injuries or defects in various structures can affect the patient in really diverse and odd ways. He describes cases of patients who are in denial of a paralyzed limb, those who have lost awareness of the left side of their bodies, those who are savants, those who have religious experiences during epileptic episodes along with many other interesting and some times controversial topics.
Ramachandran is a brilliant neuroscientist who has a very inquisitive and curious mind which leads him to ask questions that other scientists avoid such as the role of the brain in religion or multiple personality disorder. Just the fact that he is not afraid to explore these ideas makes this book even more interesting for me. Much of the presented information is based not only on the brain's physiology but also the author's theories. Often he performs simple accompanying experiments which usually provide support for his theories.
The narration is excellent. I highly recommend this book if brain biology, physiology, disorders, and functioning are of interest to you.
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6 of 6 people found this review helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By
Douglas
on
01-18-14
Wonderful To See...
another book by Ramachandran on Audible! If you liked his Tell-Tale Brain, you will love Phantoms In The Brain. The real life "Dr. House" (he actually seems much nicer in his youtube videos!) of neurology, Ramachandran shares with us his discoveries in the realm (mostly) right-brain damage and disorder--and how he often enough finds insight not only into the neurological structure of personality, but also into care and healing of those afflicted. From the perfectly bizarre Cotard's Delusion to the puzzling (and nearly comical) Capgras Syndrome, Ramachandran takes us on an interesting and often entertaining tour of the very strange things that can go wrong with our brains.
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11 of 12 people found this review helpful
Customer Reviews
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5 out of 5 stars
By
Elena D. Pascal
on
06-28-17
next best thing to Oliver Sacks
Someone on goodreads called this book 'best popular neuroscience book written by someone not named Oliver Sacks' (paraphrasing).
I might be inclined to agree.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful