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The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed
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From the author of the bestsellers The Disappearing Spoon and The Violinist's Thumb, fascinating tales of the brain and the history of neuroscience.
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. With lucid explanations and incisive wit, Sam Kean explains the brain's secret passageways while recounting forgotten stories of common people whose struggles, resiliency, and deep humanity made modern neuroscience possible.
- Sales Rank: #21675 in Books
- Published on: 2015-06-09
- Released on: 2015-06-09
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.25" h x 1.13" w x 5.50" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 432 pages
From Booklist
Science writer Kean explores the vagaries and inconsistencies of the human brain via diverting stories that chronicle medical science’s fits and starts. To say these are diverting is, however, an oversimplification since their subjects—primarily unfortunate individuals with brain injuries—command sympathy if not empathy. Yet Kean’s focus is on their contribution to the field of neuroscience along with, in too many instances, the misguided misinformation of the medical professionals who treated them. Take the case of France’s King Henry II. When he lost his right eye plus a bit of his brain to a poorly aimed jousting spear, his physicians’ limited knowledge of the brain’s physiognomy cost him his life. Then there’s President Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, whose undiagnosed bipolar mind was further addled by syphilis and who, naturally . . . thought himself fit for politics. To pick up one of these stories is to lose oneself in them. Where does the brain end and the mind begin? Curious readers will find both brain and mind fully revved up while engaging with this powerfully appealing and thought-provoking work of neuroscience history. --Donna Chavez
Review
Longlisted for the 2015 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
One of Amazon's Best Books of the Year: Science
One of The A.V. Club's Best Books of 2014
A Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist: Nonfiction
"This is Sam Kean's finest work yet, an entertaining and offbeat history of the brain populated with mad scientists, deranged criminals, geniuses, and wretched souls. The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons is one of those books that will have you following your friends around, reading passages out loud, until they snatch the book away from you and read it for themselves. Good luck getting it back."―Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist
"Put your Netflix queue on hold. Sam Kean's The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons will command your full attention from the first page. It's not just an engaging guide to mysteries of existence; it's compelling story-telling for anyone with a taste for the bizarre and metaphysical."―William Poundstone, author of Rock Breaks Scissors
"In tale after tale, best-selling author Kean provides a fascinating, and at times gloriously gory, look at how early efforts in neurosurgery were essentially a medical guessing game.... Entertaining and quotable, Kean's writing is sharp, and each individual story brings the history of neuroscience to life. Compulsively readable, wicked scientific fun."―Kirkus
"Reading this collection is like touring a museum of neuroscience's most dramatic anomalies, each chapter taking us to a different place and time.... Kean's colloquial language and intimate voice bring all of this series of mini-histories to life -- all of which are sure to stimulate a wide range of brains."―Publishers Weekly
"[Kean] proves an able guide, connecting each story with the science behind it, always with an air of enthusiastic curiosity."―Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe
"[Kean's] strength lies in his storytelling, and in the humane combination of humor and compassion toward the strange life histories he pieces together.... Kean has a penchant for the kind of vivid description that makes one want to clutch one's head tenderly close."―Margaret Quamme, Columbus Dispatch
"To pick up one of these stories is to lose oneself in them. Where does the brain end and the mind begin? Curious readers will find both brain and mind fully revved up while engaging with this powerfully appealing and thought-provoking work of neuroscience history."―Donna Chavez, Booklist
"The author's skill in illuminating how the brain functions and malfunctions manifest themselves in people's lives makes for absorbing reading....These avowals ultimately raise weighty, compelling questions about the nature of identity and what it means to be human."―The Wall Street Journal
"Strokes, seizures, accidents: if they don't kill, they can traumatize the brain so badly that an individual's personality can be significantly changed. But, explains New York Times best-selling author of the terrific The Violinist's Thumb, early neuroscientists saw such traumas as an opportunity to study the brain's wondrous workings."―Library Journal, "Barbara's Picks"
"Beyond paying tribute to the scientific advances these patients made possible, Kean humanizes the patients themselves."―Scientific American
"After tackling DNA and the periodic table in his previous books, Kean has moved on to the human brain, which he dissects via dozens of vivid anecdotes.... His subtle meta touches are a heady delight."―Joe McGovern, Entertainment Weekly
"Sam Kean can spin a tale as well as any fiction writer....Kean is a rare writer who approaches science writing as a child would a playground at recess. It's a wide-open field full of possibilities, limited only by the surroundings and what our imaginations can do with them."―PopMatters
"In the capable hands of science writer Sam Kean, stories of brain injuries shine just a bit brighter, illuminating not only the interesting characters delivering bedside diagnoses or lying on the examination table, but general principles of scientific discovery that are still relevant today....Kean breathes life into the patients as well as the physicians and scientists tasked with understanding the injuries."―The Scientist
Kean is "science's premier storyteller, the man who regularly turns the history of science into sagas filled with adventure, mystery, fascinating people, and fun."―The Washington Post
"Entrancing.... Sam Kean burrows into the workings of an organ once deemed as unknowable as the far reaches of the galaxy, and does so with boyish charm, accessible language, a prodigious amount of enthusiasm and the sobering realization that throughout history a catastrophic brain injury has ghoulishly been the neuroscientists best friend."―James Macgowan, Toronto Star
"These stories are entertaining....But they're also illuminating, as Kean shows how each one advanced scientific knowledge."―Washingtonian
"Kean delves into a scientific world before modern technology, and tells the stories of people who had sudden changes in personality, felt phantom limbs, pathologically lied, and experienced other mysteries traced back to the brain. He does so with humor and humanity, making the mind-boggling history of neuroscience a fun read."―Nicole Dubowitz, DCist
"Crammed with curious anecdotes from neuroscience's gory past."―Nature
"Mesmerizing.... With a razor-edged wit and intriguing narrative, the pages are easily devoured, all while Kean explores the deepest labyrinths of the brain."―Mellinda Hensley, Los Angeles Magazine
"Dueling Neurosurgeons will confirm Kean's already-solid reputation as a writer who can make anything understandable and interesting.[...] Although hugely entertaining (perhaps especially so in this era of vampire and zombie fascination), Kean's book contains amazingly clear details about our brains."―Winnipeg Free Press
"Engrossing, cleverly narrated."―Simon Lewsen, The Globe and Mail
"Breezy, informal, entertaining stories that link what we now know of the nervous system to events and personalities of the past."―James W. Kalat, American Psychological Association's PsycCRITIQUES
About the Author
Sam Kean is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Disappearing Spoon and The Violinist's Thumb. His work has appeared in New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, and New Scientist, and has been featured on NPR's "Radiolab" and "All Things Considered."
Most helpful customer reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
EXCELLENT
By faithful reader
Having read both of Sam's other books already, I was really looking forward to his latest. I was NOT disappointed at all! The research is detailed enough to explain neuroscientific processes without leaving us non science majors deep in the weeds. Sam's writing style incorporates humor into the discussion while providing what seems to be (to me) a primer on the evolution of the discoveries and how those were applied in real life to try to improve patients with Neuro issues. Bravo, Mr. Kean. I will be looking forward to more from you. Highly recommended.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Great Science Writing
By Book Shark
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness and Recovery by Sam Kean
"The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons" is an excellent collection of stories in neuroscience. Best-selling author and gifted science writer, Sam Kean, provides readers with a real gem. Kean's great eye for captivating stories about the brain and his expertise in retelling these stories end up helping the readers gain an understanding of how the brain works. This fascinating 377-page book is broken out into the following five parts: Part I. Gross Anatomy; Part II. Cells, Senses; Circuits Part III. Body and Brain; Part IV. Beliefs and Delusions; and Part V. Consciousness.
Positives:
1. Science writing at its best. Kean is climbing the echelon of premier popular science authors.
2. Neuroscience is one of my favorite topics and thrilled that a gifted storyteller handled this book.
3. Great format and approach. Each chapter covers an intriguing story about how the brain works yet it flows beautifully as a whole.
4. Plenty of diagrams of parts of the brain and photos that complement this wonderful narrative.
5. Kean excels at keeping it real. He doesn't oversell what we know and keeps the science well grounded in reality.
6. Wonderful gift of narration that includes a well weaved story based on history and good science.
7. Once again, the impact of religion on science rears its head. "In the early 1200s, the Catholic church had declared that no proper Christians, including physicians, could shed blood; physicians therefore looked down upon surgeons as butchers."
8. Love how theories of neuroscience are introduced some are ultimately debunked and others have staying impact. "These findings led Cajal to propose the "neuron doctrine," one of the most important discoveries ever in neuroscience. In brief, Cajal's neurons were not continuous, but had tiny gaps between them. And they transmitted information in one direction only: from dendrite to cell body to axon."
9. The analysis of famous assassins' brains that lead to interesting discoveries.
10. Sometimes asking the right questions are as important as the answers. "Sorting out cause and effect is tricky with brain chemistry: does depression cause changes in brain chemicals, or do changes in brain chemicals cause depression? The street probably runs both ways. But the balance of evidence does suggest that loneliness, isolation, and a sense of helplessness can all deplete neurotransmitters--can poison the soup and sap vital ingredients."
11. Interesting look at how neurons work. "Overall, just as a wagon wheel will carve a rut into the road after repeated journeys, repeated neuron firings will carve ruts into the brain that make signals much more likely to follow some neural tracks than others."
12. How vision works. "In fact, our vision is so biased toward movement that we don't technically see stationary objects at all. To see something stationary, our brains have to scribble our eyes very subtly over its surface. Experiments have even proved that if you artificially stabilize an image on the retina with a combination of special contact lenses and microelectronics, the image will vanish."
13. A look at how the brain maps the body.
14. An interesting look at a number of interesting diseases involving the brain. "They proposed that kuru, scrapie, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob--which all cause "spongiform" brain damage and can all lie dormant for long periods before roaring awake--were caused by a new class of microbes, which they dubbed `slow viruses.'"
15. Excellent examples of specific damages to the brain and its impact. "But around age ten she began suffering from Urbach-Wiethe disease, a rare disorder that petrifies and kills amygdala cells. Within a few years she had two "black holes" where her amygdalae should have been. She hasn't felt a lick of fear since."
16. Many revelations in this book, here is one of my favorites: "Temporal lobe lesions can flip people's sexual orientations from gay to straight (or vice versa), or redirect their sexual appetites toward inappropriate things: common side effects of Klüver-Bucy include zoophilia, coprophilia, pedophilia, and -philias so idiosyncratic they don't have names."
17. A look at what happens when brain processes go awry. "Some delusions run so deep that they fray the very fabric of the victim's universe. With so-called Alice in Wonderland syndrome--a side effect of migraines or seizures--space and time get warped in unsettling ways."
18. The difference between Broca and Wernicke's area. "Generally speaking, a broken Broca's area knocks out speech production, while a wrecked Wernicke's area impairs speech comprehension."
19. By far the best retelling of the over told story of Phineas Gage (it's practically in every book of popular neuroscience). He debunks some myths pertaining to this story, which I found to be quite refreshing.
20. Works cited and so much more...
Negatives:
1. Very little not to like about this book. I would have added a timeline or a table of the greatest contributors of neuroscience as a nice additional bonus.
2. Kean stays away from controversial issues. There is very little on intelligence and as I recall nothing on gender differences. He touches upon social justice with regards to crime and punishment but I sense he holds back.
3. I loved the retelling of Phineas Gage's story but I felt Kean could have done better with the topic of consciousness.
In summary, what a fun way to learn about how the brain works; this is a beautifully written and well-researched book that is a joy to read. Fascinating stories about ordinary people who went through extraordinary circumstances and Kean retells their stories with mastery. A high recommendation! Get this book.
Further suggestions: "The Disappearing Spoon" and "The Violinist's Thumb" by the same author, "The Mind's Eye" and "Hallucinations" by Oliver Sacks", "The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind" by Michio Kaku, "Braintrust" by Patricia S. Churchland, "The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature" by Steven Pinker, "Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time" and "The Believing Brain" by Michael Shermer, "Who's in Charge? Free Will and the Science of the Brain" by Michael S. Gazzaniga, "Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior" by Leonard Mlodinow, "The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human" by V.S. Ramachandran, "Incognito" by David Eagleman, and "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)" by Carol Tavris.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
You will be telling friends about this book
By Bob W.
Really the history of the study of the brain, the two neurosurgeons of the title appear relatively briefly at the beginning of the book. This is only right, because they were the first neurosurgeons and lived well over 150 years ago. A lot has happened since then, and this book covers every key moment of it, mostly in terms a non-scientist can understand, and with considerable good humor. There's a lot of good historical background, and the stories of many truly bizzare brain ailments, accidents involving the brain, and just plain oddities. Cases of truly odd behavior are covered in excruciating detail. When you finish this book, you will feel, well, brainier.
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