The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons written by Sam Kean is a collection of stories throughout history that depicts the discovery, symptoms, and shifts in the fundamental understanding of the brain and brain injuries. Within the pages of this book, Kean does a masterful job explaining the intricacies of the brain, providing captivating stories to stimulate the reader, all while encapsulating valuable information on the brain. The book is written from a scientific perspective, invoking brain traumas and disorders of the past to illustrate the brain’s labyrinthine complexity. Through his entertaining commentary and descriptive, often shocking stories, Kean is able to tackle five aspects of the human brain; the gross anatomy, cells senses and
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Hardships stemming from a B1 deficiency in Japanese POW camps called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This syndrome leaves prisoners with the inability to recall memories however when asked about previous occurrences, individuals will lie and be able to tell elaborate stories to conceal their lack of consciousness. In explain these five aspects of the brain, Kean is able to provide significant information on the brain and its capacity to both adapt, and succumbed to injury while maintaining an upbeat, lighthearted literary tone that makes reading easy to understand and …show more content…
For the causal reader, the gripping stories of the past traumas is enough to grasp the attention of anyone. Coupled with the fascinating descriptions of the inner workings of the brain, The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons becomes a book that any individual could read with great pleasure. Having been enthralled by the stories and description within the book, the content only helped increasing my sensitivity to individuals with brain deficits. Given the seemingly random way in which brain injury can occur (by stroke, injury from a joust, drugs or in the case of the Papua New Guinea tribe, eating diseased brain), it becomes evident that anyone, at anytime, could be subjected to a brain injury of their own. In reading this book, this truth becomes increasingly apparent and ultimately, sensitivity to individuals with these traumas and disorders for me, was increased. The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons does a fantastic job touching on the different aspect of the brain through clever, well researched historical events. Unlike a scientific textbook, this composition was able to contribute valuable information on the brain, through the traumas and hardships of individuals with brain injuries. This provides a well articulated, enjoyable introduction into the brain and it’s endless
Hardships stemming from a B1 deficiency in Japanese POW camps called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This syndrome leaves prisoners with the inability to recall memories however when asked about previous occurrences, individuals will lie and be able to tell elaborate stories to conceal their lack of consciousness. In explain these five aspects of the brain, Kean is able to provide significant information on the brain and its capacity to both adapt, and succumbed to injury while maintaining an upbeat, lighthearted literary tone that makes reading easy to understand and …show more content…
For the causal reader, the gripping stories of the past traumas is enough to grasp the attention of anyone. Coupled with the fascinating descriptions of the inner workings of the brain, The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons becomes a book that any individual could read with great pleasure. Having been enthralled by the stories and description within the book, the content only helped increasing my sensitivity to individuals with brain deficits. Given the seemingly random way in which brain injury can occur (by stroke, injury from a joust, drugs or in the case of the Papua New Guinea tribe, eating diseased brain), it becomes evident that anyone, at anytime, could be subjected to a brain injury of their own. In reading this book, this truth becomes increasingly apparent and ultimately, sensitivity to individuals with these traumas and disorders for me, was increased. The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons does a fantastic job touching on the different aspect of the brain through clever, well researched historical events. Unlike a scientific textbook, this composition was able to contribute valuable information on the brain, through the traumas and hardships of individuals with brain injuries. This provides a well articulated, enjoyable introduction into the brain and it’s endless