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Sunday, February 14, 2016

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons by Sam Kean

by:  Sam Kean
published by:  Little Brown and Co
publish date:  May 6, 2014

Early studies of the functions of the human brain used a simple method: wait for misfortune to strike-strokes, seizures, infectious diseases, lobotomies, horrendous accidents-and see how the victim coped. In many cases survival was miraculous, and observers could only marvel at the transformations that took place afterward, altering victims' personalities. An injury to one section can leave a person unable to recognize loved ones; some brain trauma can even make you a pathological gambler, pedophile, or liar. But a few scientists realized that these injuries were an opportunity for studying brain function at its extremes. 

I was as interested in reading this book as I was The Disappearing Spoon.  I'm glad I finally got around to it.  Neurology is one of my favorite topics.  

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons goes through the history of brain surgery and everything we know about how the brain works.  It was a really fascinating book filled with lots of little stories.  This book is very readable with layman language and anecdotes that everyone can understand.

Fans of TedTalks, people in the medical field, anybody even interested in medicine would love this book.  I highly recommend Sam Kean's books.


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