The Man Who Wasn't There: Tales from the Edge of the Self

WINNER OF THE NAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS Award-winning science author Anil Ananthaswamy reveals the bewildering neuroscience connecting brain, body, mind and society by examining a range of brain disorders in the tradition of Oliver Sacks. Along his journey he meets with those who suffer from 'maladies of the self', interviewing patients, psychiatrists, philosophers and neuroscientists to understand how our identities are changed by Asperger's, autism, Alzheimer's, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and many other mental conditions to get at the heart of what makes us human. The Man Who Wasn't There is a magical mystery tour of scientific analysis and philosophical pondering, now utterly transformed by recent advances in cutting-edge neuroscience. ***PRAISE FOR THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE*** 'A compelling and entertaining look at the last untapped mystery... science journalism at its best.' Daniel J. Levitin, author of The Organized Mind 'The gallery of personal, often tender, portraits of patients is impressive and reminiscent of the writings of Oliver Sacks... A skilled science journalist, Ananthaswamy excels at making theoretical concepts and experimental procedures both comprehensible and compelling.' Science 'Linking experiences with experiments, and individuals with numbers, Ananthaswamy bridges that gap convincingly.' Nature 'It is an astonishing journey and an ambitious book, bringing together cutting-edge science and philosophy from West and East. You will not be quite the same self after reading it.' New Scientist 'An excellent if unnerving book: 'you' turn out to be more fluid than 'you' thought.' New Scientist, CultureLab