The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat
Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks was “one of the great clinical writers of the twentieth century” (The New York Times) who in this novel “recounts the case histories of patients lost in the bizarre, apparently inescapable world of neurological disorders”.
I found this novel interesting but very outdated. The contents is almost 30 years old! I skipped over most of the scientific parts, discounting them as outdated, but some of the observations by Oliver Sacks
In my typical fashion, I mainly enjoyed the stories of the abnormal brains and chemicals that created interesting humans. I never knew so many interesting things could be created by brain abnormalities.
This for me highlighted the importance of music and math intertwined. The man who could no longer identify basic things, not even his wife (who he thought was his hat!), could make it through life by singing songs to remind him what to do. The men who couldn’t remember anything within the space of 2 minutes found solace in music and prayer.
I picked this as I was at a relative’s house and I wanted something different to read. Was it the right choice? I still benefited from reading it, even if it was just to perk my interest in neurological disorders once more.
