For fans of Oliver Sacks and Henry Marsh, a glimpse into the
fascinating world of modern neurology by a leading expert in the
field.
As a trainee doctor, A. J. Lees was enthralled by his mentors: esteemed
neurologists who combined the precision of mathematicians, the
scrupulosity of entomologists, and the solemnity of undertakers in their
diagnoses and treatments. For them, there was no such thing as an
unexplained symptom or psychosomatic problem--no difficult cases, just
interesting ones--and it was only a matter of time before all disorders
of the brain would be understood in terms of anatomical, electrical, and
chemical connections.
Today, this kind of "holistic neurology" is on the brink of extinction
as a slavish adherence to protocols and algorithms--plus a worship of
machines--runs the risk of destroying the key foundational clinical
skills of listening, observation, and imagination that have been at the
heart of the discipline for more than 150 years.
In this series of brilliant, insightful, and autobiographical essays,
Lees takes us on a kind of Sherlock Holmes tour of neurology, giving the
reader insight into--and a defense of--the deep analytical tools that
the best neurologists still rely on to diagnose patients: to heal minds
and to fix brains.
