This book touched my heart and stimulated my brain in equal parts.

Absolutely fascinating book!

The narrative style kept me on my toes every single moment. Jil is not only a stroke survivor, and a great teacher, but she also uses the most exquisite, descriptive, rich language I have ever heard. I recommend this audiobook to all those English students since they can learn, as I did, how a great presentation should be made. Simply, a knockout.

I had a hemorrhagic stroke in 2002 and this book mirrored so many of my own experiences. I am so deeply thankful to Jill Bolte Taylor for her help in bringing some of my own memories back to me in a way that was very healing. In addition I gathered much strength from her thoughtful examination of the mind body connections. I am deeply grateful for her insight. We still have so much to learn.
It is a huge gift to have this book on Audioble for those of us who have had a stroke and still find reading print a laborious and slow task.

Dr. Taylor will tell you that her stroke left her a babbling invalid; I will tell you that not that much has changed, unfortunately.

After reading the NYT piece on the book, I expected a serious, scientifically corroborated, well, "insight" into living a better life. Only a *very* small portion was actually about her said "insight"; which turned out to be mostly out-dated right-brain/left-brain claptrap and from there descended into even more spuriousness about "drawing angels" and other such bunk.

Anyone with a cursory knowledge of neuroanatomy, or anyone expecting more than the usual self-help cliches, will find only agitation, and not the promised (and I wish you could hear my imitation of Taylor's droning here, b/c it is dead-on) "deep... inner... peace."

I was disappointed after seeing so many favorable ratings. There is a lot of rambling on, the book is too long, I had to resort to listening at two-times the normal speed and even then some of it was too much rambling about peace, love and how great she felt, (like a liquid). It all sounded like something someone told me about a happy LSD experience. The Dr. does have something good to say but rambles on about it too long.

The important parts I took away are stroke symptoms and the need to get immediate medical care should this happen to you or one you love, the need to be patient, kind and comforting to a stroke victim. They might not be able to speak, but they maybe able to understand what you are saying. There maybe someone in there who is struggling to express themselves. If speaking does not work, singing might. And of course let’s all make the world a more peaceful loving place.

I just summed up the book for you.

Recommend everything about the book except the narration. This is a perfect example of a time when the author should not have read her own book. Otherwise, a painless (for the reader) way to learn a great deal about the workings of the brain. But, boy, what a way to research!