Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Little, Brown and Company (2014)
Description
Early studies of the human brain used a simple method: wait for misfortune to strike--strokes, seizures, infectious diseases, horrendous accidents--and see how victims coped. In many cases their survival was miraculous, if puzzling. Observers were amazed by the transformations that took place when different parts of the brain were destroyed, altering victims' personalities. Parents suddenly couldn't recognize their own children. Pillars of the community became pathological liars. Some people couldn't speak but could still sing. Sam Kean explains the brain's secret passageways and recounts forgotten tales of the ordinary people whose struggles, resilience, and deep humanity made modern neuroscience possible.--From publisher description. The author of the best-seller The Disappearing Spoon offers fascinating tales of the brain and the history of neuroscience.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
In today’s world, there are many ways to look at the brain and how it functions but, in the past, doctors and scientists had to depend on personal observation. In The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons, science writer Sam Kean, gives us a fascinating looks at both the unfortunate folk whose
Kean looks at such phenomena as phantom limbs and syndromes like Cotard’s in which sufferers are convinced they are dead. Among the anecdotes Kean relates is that of King Henry II of France in the 16th c. who began to have seizures and bouts of paralysis after being injured by a lance through his eye during a jousting match. Oddly, only one side of his body was affected. His doctors considered opening his skull but, given that he was the king, that seemed a tad dangerous for all concerned so, instead, they examined the brains of executed prisoners. Henry eventually died of a brain hemorrhage but his case hinted at what later doctors would discover, that the two sides of the brain control different functions. And then there’s the case of Phineas Gage whose skull and brain were pierced by a tamping iron in an industrial accident. Gage remained conscious and seemingly unfazed throughout the ordeal of having it removed but, afterwards, his personality changed completely.
Kean’s chatty and often humourous way of describing scientific discoveries not only makes the science accessible to all but it makes it a whole lot of fun to read. However, he doesn't just relate anecdotes but he humanizes these patients making them more than their misfortunes and the learning they provide, something that science writers too rarely do.
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maladies, syndromes, and injuries led to a better understanding of the brain and the doctors and scientists who treated and learned from them.Kean looks at such phenomena as phantom limbs and syndromes like Cotard’s in which sufferers are convinced they are dead. Among the anecdotes Kean relates is that of King Henry II of France in the 16th c. who began to have seizures and bouts of paralysis after being injured by a lance through his eye during a jousting match. Oddly, only one side of his body was affected. His doctors considered opening his skull but, given that he was the king, that seemed a tad dangerous for all concerned so, instead, they examined the brains of executed prisoners. Henry eventually died of a brain hemorrhage but his case hinted at what later doctors would discover, that the two sides of the brain control different functions. And then there’s the case of Phineas Gage whose skull and brain were pierced by a tamping iron in an industrial accident. Gage remained conscious and seemingly unfazed throughout the ordeal of having it removed but, afterwards, his personality changed completely.
Kean’s chatty and often humourous way of describing scientific discoveries not only makes the science accessible to all but it makes it a whole lot of fun to read. However, he doesn't just relate anecdotes but he humanizes these patients making them more than their misfortunes and the learning they provide, something that science writers too rarely do.
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LibraryThing member TheBookJunky
This book is a delightful tour around the brain with a knowledgeable and gently humorous guide who never loses focus but is quite prepared to be diverted if there is a chance to enrich the story.
The dueling neurosurgeons of the title represent both Paré and Vesalius (the founder of modern anatomy)
The book is populated with famous characters from the annals of medical history. They’re all here: Vesalius, Cajal, Golgi, Broca, HM, Penfield, etc., but they are not dusty relics in a history museum. They come alive because Kean describes not just their feats but how their actions propelled forward various concepts and understandings of anatomy and medicine, based on case histories that are vividly and engagingly described. While his tone is frequently light and humorous, he nonetheless stays within bounds and always respects the humanity of the patients.
The evolution of medical thinking is illustrated with these fascinating stories. He has achieved the ideal pop science narrative that seamlessly marries case histories to fundamental neurological concepts.
(Received as ARC via NetGalley from Little, Brown & Co.)
The dueling neurosurgeons of the title represent both Paré and Vesalius (the founder of modern anatomy)
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who were called upon in 1559 to treat King Henri of France who, while jousting, had suffered a penetrating wound to his eye and brain. Thankfully we have now in pathology more sophisticated tests for examining tissue than what was used by the royal surgeon Paré: “He developed tests to distinguish between fat… and oozing bits of fatty brain tissue (fat floats on water, brain sinks; fat liquefies in a frying pan, brain shrivels.)” And we have more sophisticated treatments now too, than the potion of rhubarb and charred Egyptian mummy force-fed to poor Henri. The famous surgeons didn’t manage to save the King, and together they performed his autopsy; the briefly described procedure is quite similar to modern day technique. They did deviate from the usual procedure in that this time they didn’t lop the head off to remove the brain. We don’t do that either nowadays in the autopsy suite.The book is populated with famous characters from the annals of medical history. They’re all here: Vesalius, Cajal, Golgi, Broca, HM, Penfield, etc., but they are not dusty relics in a history museum. They come alive because Kean describes not just their feats but how their actions propelled forward various concepts and understandings of anatomy and medicine, based on case histories that are vividly and engagingly described. While his tone is frequently light and humorous, he nonetheless stays within bounds and always respects the humanity of the patients.
The evolution of medical thinking is illustrated with these fascinating stories. He has achieved the ideal pop science narrative that seamlessly marries case histories to fundamental neurological concepts.
(Received as ARC via NetGalley from Little, Brown & Co.)
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LibraryThing member PencilStubs
I got “The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons” because it combines two of my favorite things—science and history! It was definitely a fun and fascinating read that I’m recommending to friends and family, and I plan to read the author’s other two books (one based on chemistry and one on
A ton of neuroscience history is covered in great detail in this book. A few of the stories/concepts were ones I’d heard of before, but most of it was completely new to me and I still learned new things about the stories/concepts I was already familiar with. The ways in which scientists have studied and come to understand the complexities of the brain is amazing, and it’s amazing how the consequences of brain damage are so wide ranging (and sometimes bizarre) depending on where and what’s damaged.
What made this book extra entertaining and captivating was Kean’s writing. I get the impression that this stuff is interesting and enjoyable to him, and it really comes through in the way he describes and explains things with such care and enthusiasm. A lot of the stories cover serious and grim things, but, where appropriate, his writing turns amusing and made me smile.
Buy a copy or borrow it from the library—you’ll be happy you did! :]
Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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biology). A ton of neuroscience history is covered in great detail in this book. A few of the stories/concepts were ones I’d heard of before, but most of it was completely new to me and I still learned new things about the stories/concepts I was already familiar with. The ways in which scientists have studied and come to understand the complexities of the brain is amazing, and it’s amazing how the consequences of brain damage are so wide ranging (and sometimes bizarre) depending on where and what’s damaged.
What made this book extra entertaining and captivating was Kean’s writing. I get the impression that this stuff is interesting and enjoyable to him, and it really comes through in the way he describes and explains things with such care and enthusiasm. A lot of the stories cover serious and grim things, but, where appropriate, his writing turns amusing and made me smile.
Buy a copy or borrow it from the library—you’ll be happy you did! :]
Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member VGAHarris
Delightful writing and commentary on the evolution of the science of the brain. A number of amusing examples on what happens when the brain goes haywire with various pathologies and malfunctions. Also includes a number of biographical sketches of the neurosurgeons who forged new paths contributed
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so much to the field. Show Less
LibraryThing member jimocracy
I learned a lot from the wealth of information about human brains but what I really enjoyed were the anecdotes. The author did such a great job of telling these stories that, at times, I was absolutely riveted and couldn't sleep until I read through the story.
LibraryThing member knightlight777
An interesting book on maybe one of our most important and still in many ways mysterious topics, the human brain. Sam Kean takes a look at the components that make up this vital organ and ties in array of intriguing and in some cases amusing stories related to each. It has a tendency to wander all
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over the board but on balance is an enjoyable journey into this endlessly fascinating facet of our lives. It made be wonder how much we will eventually come to understand as time progresses. So far as we had seen with the challenging venture to duplicate the real brain through computers and robotics not too easy. Show Less
LibraryThing member hhornblower
My wife loves reading about brain related abnormalities and related scientific research, so when I saw this book, I didn't hesitate to get it for her. Needless to say, she loved it and said I should read it, which I did. The first thing that struck me, was why I had never heard of Mr. Kean before.
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He is an engaging, extremely talented author who manages to pull off a conversational writing style that would fall flat in less skilled hands. Sam Kean is to Biology as Neil DeGrasse Tyson is to Planetary Science, someone who is able to take an otherwise difficult, complex subject and explain it in a simple, interesting and captivating way. If you're at all interested in the human brain (and even if you're not) you should pick up this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member anyaejo
Too many gross details not related to neurology, like how most men who are hung apparently orgasm, and then not much discussion how what was actually wrong with the guy's brain....
LibraryThing member melydia
This can be a rather alarming read at times, since the history of neuroscience has largely advanced through the study of horrible injuries. That said, it's pretty fascinating, if a bit macabre in parts. If you liked The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks and would like to delve more
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into the physiology of the brain, this may be a good book for you. Show Less
LibraryThing member muddyboy
This book is a thoroughly researched and almost what I thought I would never say about the topic of neurosurgery and brain disorders - an entertaining piece of writing. If you think this book would be dry. It is not. It is enhanced by a great amount of anecdotal information about the lives of
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patients both famous and obscure and the doctors who made breakthroughs treating them from the seventeen hundreds to the present day. If you have any curiosity about the wonders of how the brain works, read this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member murderbydeath
Most of us have that friend, the one that tells great stories. Not the tall-tale kind of stories. This friend can sit down with a beer of wine after work and tell you all about their day and make it entertaining and interesting, even if you don't really understand what they do.
Imagine this friend
Lest my description above makes it sound too shallow without enough science, let me stress that the science is here; Kean uses these anecdotes to introduce or illustrate the neuroscience. He succeeds in taking an incredibly complex creation and making the higher levels of its architecture understandable, even for those of us who do not have Ph.D's or M.D.'s.
He has asterisks throughout the text that connect to a Notes section at the back. These include anecdotal asides, clarifications, and suggestions for further reading. If you read the book, these are not to be missed because there's a lot of stunning information here (lobotomobile). There's also a Source list and an index.
I've been a fan of Kean's since he wrote The Disappearing Spoon but I think this one is his best written yet. I went 4.5 stars because I could have done without the details of animal experiments and I skipped those sections, but otherwise I'd unreservedly recommend this book to anyone who has a slight interest in the human brain but doesn't want the interest smothered with dry academic writing.
Imagine this friend
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is a neurosurgeon or neuroscientist and you'll have this book in a nutshell. Kean fills this book full of fascinating, true anecdotes of horrible things that happen to the human brain and how scientists have used these opportunities to learn more about the our grey (and white) matter and what separates the brain from the mind. He does this all in a very easy, laid-back way, without any silver-spoon language. This whole book is a chat about brains over beer in a pub. Which has just taken my mind to: if you had this chat in Wales, you could have a chat about brains over a few pints of Brains at the pub (it's a beer brand in Wales). But I digress...Lest my description above makes it sound too shallow without enough science, let me stress that the science is here; Kean uses these anecdotes to introduce or illustrate the neuroscience. He succeeds in taking an incredibly complex creation and making the higher levels of its architecture understandable, even for those of us who do not have Ph.D's or M.D.'s.
He has asterisks throughout the text that connect to a Notes section at the back. These include anecdotal asides, clarifications, and suggestions for further reading. If you read the book, these are not to be missed because there's a lot of stunning information here (lobotomobile). There's also a Source list and an index.
I've been a fan of Kean's since he wrote The Disappearing Spoon but I think this one is his best written yet. I went 4.5 stars because I could have done without the details of animal experiments and I skipped those sections, but otherwise I'd unreservedly recommend this book to anyone who has a slight interest in the human brain but doesn't want the interest smothered with dry academic writing.
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LibraryThing member chellerystick
I enjoyed listening to this book and there were some new bits and pieces for me in here, and some linkages across stories that are often not foregrounded elsewhere. Sam Kean seems to be a pretty good writer.
I mostly listened to this while fixing suppers, so the audiobook's exhortations to print the
I mostly listened to this while fixing suppers, so the audiobook's exhortations to print the
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PDF to look at the rebus at the beginning of each chapter were not very helpful. (I'm sure that repetition would also be very annoying to anyone with poor or absent vision.) The narrator also had some bizarre pronunciations (dropping the g in paradigmatic, for example). I'll have to check the library listing to figure out who the narrator was. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristymk18
This book is as entertaining as it is educational. With interesting historic anecdotes, Kean delves into the fascinating world of neuroscience and sheds light on the human brain.
LibraryThing member awomanonabike
This is a history book of neuroscience told through the lives of people who have suffered brain damage in one form or another. One reviewer compares Kean favourably to Bill Bryson but I disagree. Kean has written a very readable book about the brain and how scientists have worked out, to a degree,
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how it works but he lacks Bill Bryson’s empathy. If you can get round the adolescent humour, there is lots of very clear explanations of complex neuroscience here, and maybe it’s just that his sense of humour doesn’t travel across the Atlantic. I don’t know. Is it ever right to refer to a person in a vegetative state as a vegetable? Show Less
LibraryThing member BoundTogetherForGood
This is full of anecdotal neurosurgery cases. It was interesting but did not grab me in the way I expected that it would.
LibraryThing member drmaf
I don't think I enjoyed this as much as Keon's other books, perhaps because the subject material was always an uncomfortable reminder that catastrophic brain malfunction can happen to anyone. The cases of HM, who lost the ability to make and keep new memories, Phineas Gage, whose personality
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changed when a steel rod was driven right through his head and other unfortunates are graphic and disconcerting. Still the book remains engrossing, and reminds us how little we know about the clump of grey and white matter we all carry round in our skull. Show Less
LibraryThing member JessicaReadsThings
Pretty sure this is now my favorite Sam Kean book. It feels more accessible than his previous books, which I think might be related to this book's content. As interested as I am in the periodic table (the subject of his first book), the brain is so much more fascinating because it is what makes
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"all this" possible (by that I mean the reading of the book, this review of the book, the fact that this site even exists to review the book, etc.). Kean is always an engaging writer and this is no different. He treats both scientists,patients, and nameless victims with the same respect, all while plumbing the depths of their various obsessions, injuries, and madnesses. Essential reading for anyone who loves a good science read. Show Less
LibraryThing member asukamaxwell
This combines both the humoristic but informative tone of Mary Roach with the technical but comprehensible style of Oliver Sacks.
To tackle the mysteries of the brain and its parts, the author uses a series of vignettes from the historic to the contemporary. Stories of those suffering from
That is not to say there aren't a few unavoidable dark parts, but then again if you're a true history reader, you know you can't just read the cheery bits. If you wish to try it, I do recommend this book, there's a ton of quality information here!
To tackle the mysteries of the brain and its parts, the author uses a series of vignettes from the historic to the contemporary. Stories of those suffering from
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schizophrenia, synesthesia, ghost limbs, and kuru (which I believe I heard about in Anthropology class), just to name a few. The book also covers the history and evolution of neuroscience itself. Ambroise Paré, Andreas Vesalius, Camillo Golgi, Ramon y Cajal, Otto Loewi, Paul Bach-y-Rita, Wilder Penfield, and Phineas Gage can all be found here.That is not to say there aren't a few unavoidable dark parts, but then again if you're a true history reader, you know you can't just read the cheery bits. If you wish to try it, I do recommend this book, there's a ton of quality information here!
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LibraryThing member Castlelass
The subtitle gives the best description of what to expect from this book. Sam Kean traces the history of neuroscience by providing examples of major advances, including brain traumas, experiments, accidental discoveries, and the causes of each. He includes fascinating stories from history. The
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science is explained in an easily understood manner. It is an informative and entertaining combination of science and history. This book will appeal to anyone interested in how the human brain works. Show Less
LibraryThing member scottjpearson
Research into the human brain comprises an exciting frontier of knowledge today, yet most scientific accounts can dryly bore the average reader. And frankly, a lot of scientists and doctors can benefit from reading narratives of human stories behind scientific discoveries. To fill this gap, Sam
This book opens and closes with perhaps the most famous case in the history of neuroscience: The story of Phineas Gage. While managing railroad construction in the mid-19th century, this man improbably had a spear shoot through the front of his skull. His left eye was disabled, and the spear bore a hole in the left-rear frontal lobe of his brain. It flew out immediately, and he survived to tell the tale. Despite many witnesses, medical professionals initially did not believe his tale but confirmed it through witnesses and its effects. Gage lived for over a decade after this freak accident, but his personality changed dramatically in unanticipated ways. At the time, we knew little about brain functioning, but his unique case has taught neurologists lessons for almost 200 years.
Striking human tales like this fill each chapter of Kean’s book. They go into great detail to explain specific lessons of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology that we’ve learned from the stories. Thus, this book describes a history of neurology from the perspective of affected patients who gave us further understanding. The main limitation of this book is that each chapter is somewhat self-contained. It’s hard to keep an overall narrative going throughout the entire book. The attempt is made, but it’s just not too pronounced. Like many subjects in medical science, the minutiae, even those of lively stories, can sometimes prevent the reader from seeing the big picture.
Because this history spans the humanities and the sciences, many audiences can benefit from this work. Budding neuroscientists and medical students can bring some of their dry scientific studies to life. Those involved in the care of neurological patients can benefit from understanding the human impacts of their profession. The curious public can learn about the emerging field of neuroscience. Authors can engage their imagination with scientifically verifiable stories of human quirks. Finally, we all can learn greater compassion for those whose brains may not work quite like the rest of us yet share common human dignity.
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Kean chronicles in this book the many functions of the human brain – and of parts of the human brain. He teaches basic neuroscience with the noteworthy interpersonal backstories of how those insights were gleaned through human mishaps. In so doing, he entertains, enlightens, and engages a wide audience of health professionals, scientists, and students of the human condition.This book opens and closes with perhaps the most famous case in the history of neuroscience: The story of Phineas Gage. While managing railroad construction in the mid-19th century, this man improbably had a spear shoot through the front of his skull. His left eye was disabled, and the spear bore a hole in the left-rear frontal lobe of his brain. It flew out immediately, and he survived to tell the tale. Despite many witnesses, medical professionals initially did not believe his tale but confirmed it through witnesses and its effects. Gage lived for over a decade after this freak accident, but his personality changed dramatically in unanticipated ways. At the time, we knew little about brain functioning, but his unique case has taught neurologists lessons for almost 200 years.
Striking human tales like this fill each chapter of Kean’s book. They go into great detail to explain specific lessons of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology that we’ve learned from the stories. Thus, this book describes a history of neurology from the perspective of affected patients who gave us further understanding. The main limitation of this book is that each chapter is somewhat self-contained. It’s hard to keep an overall narrative going throughout the entire book. The attempt is made, but it’s just not too pronounced. Like many subjects in medical science, the minutiae, even those of lively stories, can sometimes prevent the reader from seeing the big picture.
Because this history spans the humanities and the sciences, many audiences can benefit from this work. Budding neuroscientists and medical students can bring some of their dry scientific studies to life. Those involved in the care of neurological patients can benefit from understanding the human impacts of their profession. The curious public can learn about the emerging field of neuroscience. Authors can engage their imagination with scientifically verifiable stories of human quirks. Finally, we all can learn greater compassion for those whose brains may not work quite like the rest of us yet share common human dignity.
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Awards
AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books (Finalist — 2015)
PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award (Longlist — 2015)
SB&F's Best Books (2014)
The A.V. Club best books (2014)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Non-Fiction — 2014)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — Nonfiction — 2014)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014
ISBN
0316286486 / 9780316286480