Available as Hardback
Leading neurologist Masud Husain shares seven fascinating and surprising cases of brain disorders from across his career – and what they can teach us about our own brains
What makes us who we are? Is it our background that creates our identities? Or our families, where we lived, how we were brought up and educated, the jobs we’ve held? Yes, all of the above, but more fundamental than any of these is our brain.
This is never more evident than if we lose even a single one of our cognitive abilities. People who develop a brain disorder can find that their identity, their sense of self, can undergo dramatic changes. Through the stories of seven of his patients, acclaimed Oxford University neurologist Masud Husain shows us how our brains create our identity, how that identity can be changed, and sometimes even be restored. Among the people we encounter is a man who ran out of words, a woman who stopped caring what others thought of her and another who, losing her memory, started to believe she was having an affair with the man who was really her husband.
These compelling human dramas reveal how our identities are created by different functions within the brain. They show how modern neuroscience can help to explain the changes in behaviour that occur when our perception, attention, memory, motivation or empathy are altered. By understanding how our brains normally function, neurologists are bringing hope to patients with brain disorders and illuminating the human experience. The resulting journey will ignite new ideas about who we really are and why we act in the ways we do.
“A terrifying but fascinating book, Our Brains, Our Selves by Masud Husain shows how our identities hang by slender neurological threads. Each story is fascinating in its own right; together, they form a thought-provoking book that exposes the precariousness of our sense of self. If Husain’s writing is an indication of his clinical care (which I suspect it is), then he is an intelligent, empathetic and perspicacious doctor. [… ] A worthwhile read”
new Scientist
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“[A] funny, fascinating book … Above all, the book is a reminder of how mysterious the workings of the human brain are [and] builds a powerful case for supporting people whose brains havebecome unruly, rather than isolating them”
daily Mail
“An extraordinary book – one of a kind – as beautifully written as it is deeply humane and scientifically fascinating. This book is as brilliant as anything written by Oliver Sacks, a real-life medical detective story that is life-enhancing and beautiful”
Ian Robertson, Author Of How Confidence Works
“This masterful book, written by an internationally eminent neurologist, combines gentle humour with deep scientific insight. If you have any interest in the brain and the structure that makes us what we are, this is an essential read. Through personal experience, fascinating case studies and the science of the brain, this book leads you gently by the hand through the most complex structure in the known universe”
Russell Foster, Author Of Life Time
“A beautifully written, moving story of how your brain creates and sometimes changes your sense of who you really are. Science writing reminiscent of the best of Oliver Sacks”
Camilla Nord, Author Of The Balanced Brain
Masud Husain
Masud Husain is Professor of Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford and Professorial Fellow at New College, Oxford. Unusually, he works across departments of neuroscience, brain imaging and psychology to understand cognitive functions in both healthy people and patients with brain disorders. Masud is Editor-in-Chief of Brain, a leading international journal of neurology. First established in 1878, Brain is widely considered to be the most influential publication in the field, with its monthly editorials being a key source of authoritative perspectives.
@MasudHusain | masudhusain.org