Helen Thomson (5)

This is a collection of nine interviews with people who have extraordinary brains – rare neurological conditions that expand on the concept of what the human brain is capable of. It covers total recall, seeing auras, synesthesia including mirror-touch syndrome, and a number of other unusual abilities or sensory disorders. The author is a science journalist with a background in neuroscience and does an excellent job of sharing her knowledge about this topic with writing that is clear and easy to understand.… (mehr)

Science journalist Helen Thomson here explores the complexity of the human brain through encounters with people who have a variety of different rare brain conditions: everything from people who can remember every day of their lives in extraordinary detail, to those who can get lost in their own house, to those who become convinced that they’re dead. This is pretty accessible science, written with a lightness of touch even though some of the subject matter is fairly heavy. Thomson is at her strongest when exploring how these people respond to their conditions and how they affect their daily lives.… (mehr)