by V. S. Ramachandran (neurology)
First published 1981
Dr. Maya Patel encounters patients whose neurological conditions reveal the hidden workings of consciousness. A man loses the ability to recognize faces but can still read emotions. A woman's phantom limb responds to mirror therapy in unexpected ways. A stroke patient denies his paralyzed arm belongs to him. Through these clinical encounters, Patel discovers how the brain constructs reality from fragments of sensation and memory. Each case challenges her understanding of perception, identity, and what makes us human. The stories weave together neuroscience and human experience, showing how damaged brains illuminate the mysteries of normal consciousness.
Genres: psychology, neuroscience, brain, medical, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: case-studies, medical-mystery, unreliable-narrator
446 pages · Hardcover · John Wiley & Sons
Content warnings: medical-trauma, mental-illness