An Anthropologist on Mars

Seven Paradoxical Tales

Hardcover

English language

Published May 9, 1996 by Ulverscroft Large Print.

ISBN:
978-0-7089-5832-2
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4 stars (13 reviews)

Zeven portretten van buitengewone, neurologische patiënten.

26 editions

Review of 'An Anthropologist on Mars' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Case studies of seven of Sacks' patients illustrate both how fragile the human brain is but also how adaptable - and how little we understand it. Two chapters on patients with autism are very interesting, including Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has a successful profession, runs her own business, and gives talks on what it's like to be autistic. An artist who becomes colour blind mid-career. A blind man whose sight is restored. I found this one particularly fascinating as Sacks points out all the things that sighted people take for granted, but which aren't obvious to the blind, such as the concept of "distance". A sighted person looks at the door across the room and calculates distance based on visual experience; but a blind person can't even conceive of this concept. The blind person will calculate in terms of time: time it would take to walk there, or …

Subjects

  • Essays
  • General
  • Neurology - General
  • Psychology
  • Large Print