The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales: Amazon.co.uk: Oliver W Sacks: Books

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Private Life of the Brain (Penguin Press Science)

by Susan Greenfield

4.5 out of 5 stars (2) �6.47

An Anthropologist on Mars

by Oliver Sacks

4.0 out of 5 stars (4) �5.74

Awakenings

by Oliver Sacks

3.2 out of 5 stars (5) �6.48

Phantoms in the Brain: Human Nature and the Architecture of the Mind

by V.S. Ramachandran

4.5 out of 5 stars (11) �5.98

The Diving-bell and the Butterfly

by Jean-Dominique Bauby

4.6 out of 5 stars (63) �4.38

› Explore similar items

Product Description

Presents a series of stories about men and women who, representing both medical and literary oddities, raise fundamental questions about the nature of reality.

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)

neuroscience

psychology

oliver sacks

neurology

clinical psychology

brain

abnormal psychology

awakenings

white oak book club

tourettes

the man who mistook his wife for a hat

Customer Reviews

29 Reviews

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, accessible and thought-provoking, 1 Aug 2003

By	"samanthas-bookshelf" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador) (Paperback)

This book is written in a beautifully accessible and entertaining style; it is also moving, funny and tragic in equal measures.

Consisting mainly of short stories relating patient 'oddities' that the author has treated in his long career as a neurologist it manages to come across as anything but a list of dry case histories. The inclusion of the emotions of the patient as they deal with their difficulties and the reactions of the author keep this book human rather than academic.

Although this is a recommended book for undergraduate students of various disciplines, it should not be discounted as a mere informative reader because of that. Anyone interested in stories of the human condition or those with a fascination/awe of the human brain will find this intriguing, engaging and interesting.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A classic with some reservations..., 11 April 2006

By	John B (Nuneaton, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador) (Paperback)

I can understand some of the critical reviews about this book but there is no doubt that it justifiably remains a classic and well worth reading - it was the first book of its kind and is for anyone interested in strange neurological case histories. Maybe the language is a bit dated but it was written a good few years ago. A more recent book that I've just read in a similar genre is 'Classic case studies in psychology' by Dr. Geoff Rolls - it contains different chapters on some of the best known cases in psychology (Genie, Phineas Gage, HM, David Reimer, and so on). It's a very easy and enjoyable read and most of the cases are perhaps better known than the ones in 'The Man who mistook his wife...' I notice that Amazon have paired it with Sach's book as a perfect partner so they must agree that the two are complementary. Both are well worth a read.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful, 12 Oct 2000

By	"jim_mchugh_@hotmail.com" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador) (Paperback)

This is a truly brilliant book, and one of the main inspirations which caused me to enter medicine in the first place. I agree with the Welsh reviewer that the amount of technical jargon in the book might frustrate a non-medic, but remember, these are genuine neurological patients being discussed in medical terms that would be of interest to both the specialist and general reader - the reason that the book is so universally readable is because of Sacks' wonderful empathy and determination (partly inherited from the great Russian neuroscientist Alexander Luria) that patients should be managed and documented as people first and cases second - a view which is sadly far from universal among neurologists. For those interested by this book, the work of V.S. Ramachandran addresses many similar issues (including bizarre stories to tell your mates in the pub!)

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 29 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking
Very, very interesting and thought provoking. An insight into how complex a machine the brain is and how it can go wrong in the strangest of ways but in the process sometimes... Read more

Published 4 hours ago by R. H. Clements

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Sensitive, witty and honest, a delight to read whether you are interested in neurology or not. Brilliant.

Published 29 days ago by Lauren N. Davies

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating book that everybody should read
This is a book that everybody should read to get a better idea of mental problems that can happen to all of us, but may seem scarey to outsiders when you don't understand. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Mrs. Harriet Walters

1.0 out of 5 stars Follow the format!
The one star does not refer to the text, which I have only partially read. The one star is for the retarded publishers at Picador. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Andrew W

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but probably more for people with medical background
I really enjoyed the first half of the book "losses" but am finding the chapter on "excesses" a bit harder to get into. Read more

Published 6 months ago by JCS

4.0 out of 5 stars A wondrous look at some broken people
A fascinating review of a few extreme cases of neurological dysfunction. These are people whose brains are dysfunctioning in a way that has profound effects on their conscious... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Vexen Crabtree

5.0 out of 5 stars GOOD READ
WHAT A GOOD BOOK THIS IS A SELECTION OF TRUE STORIES AND AS A NURSE I DEAL VERY OFTEN WITH PATIENTS WITH CONFUSION AND THIS BOOK IS TYPICAL OF MY PATIENTS GOOD READ ESPECIALLY FOR... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Mrs. J. M. Taylor

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply amazing...
Well maybe not all that simple, but truly amazing. This is one of the first (and to my mind best) of the popular science books. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Mr. N. Ireson

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
Fairly well written, and as someone who has no prior background in this field, it was easy to understand and descriptive enough to be interesting. Read more

Published 19 months ago by K. Koh

3.0 out of 5 stars A little disappointing
An interesting book though I have to admit I didn't enjoy the writing style. I find Sacks to be overly academic (I'm in the medical field myself) and his use of technical jargon... Read more

Published 20 months ago by Ibrahim Ali

› See all 29 customer reviews...

Listmania!

enjoyable psychology: A list by "rhiannonfay"
Brain Computer Interfaces: A list by "deirdrehac"
My favourite books: A list by Penelope Wilcock "writer"

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject

Feedback

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.

	88% buy the item featured on this page: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales 4.2 out of 5 stars (29)
	8% buy The Diving-bell and the Butterfly 4.6 out of 5 stars (63) �4.38
	1% buy Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain 3.8 out of 5 stars (16) �5.37
	1% buy An Anthropologist on Mars 4.0 out of 5 stars (4) �5.74

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales (Paperback)

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Product details

Product Description

Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Customer Reviews

Customer Discussions

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Listmania!

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject

Feedback

Your Recent History