The Mind's Eye

By: Oliver Sacks

Narrated by: Oliver Sacks, Richard Davidson

Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the best-selling Musicophilia (hailed as "luminous, original, and indispensable" by The American Scholar), an exploration of vision through the case histories of six individuals - including a renowned pianist who continues to give concerts despite losing the ability to read the score, and a neurobiologist born with crossed eyes who, late in life, suddenly acquires binocular vision, and how her brain adapts to that new skill. Most dramatically, Sacks gives us a riveting account of the appearance of a tumor in his own eye, the strange visual symptoms he observed, an experience that left him unable to perceive depth.

In The Mind's Eye, Oliver Sacks explores some of the most fundamental facets of human experience: how we see in three dimensions, how we represent the world internally when our eyes are closed, and the remarkable, unpredictable ways that our brains find new ways of perceiving that create worlds as complete and rich as the no-longer-visible world.

©2010 Oliver Sacks (P)2010 Random House Audio

Another great one!

I love hearing Oliver Sacks's voice in his audiobooks. My husband and I have been through many of his books and this is the first I know of where he read a whole chapter. This book is intriguing, insightful and will make you ponder sight in a way you may have never done before.

Not his best

Maybe he's running out of material but this one didn't hold my interest as much as "The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat"

What is Prosopagnosia? How does it affect life?

In a review by “The Guardian” it alludes “we are all close to being someone else.” The 3 lb. mass---aka the brain---is explored fully with Dr. Sacks and thus the opaque is made pellucid. Even now posthumous author Sacks humble words and melodic British accent resonates in my ear (via audible) and "The Mind’s Eye” embodied ichor.

My pre-med studies in anatomy and physiology at Oxford had not prepared me in the least for real medicine. Seeing patients, listening to them...questions about the quality of life and whether life was even worth living in some circumstances.

— Oliver Sacks, MD

Reading and listening (via audible) to “The Mind’s Eye” on cases regarding agnosia to prosopagnosia (Dr. P) and patients that seem to imitate “hunchback of Notre dame” characters. Dr. Oliver Sacks has a “au courant” sense of observation—as we discover from his written patient records. One engaging case was Lilian Kallir (concert pianist).

Some would describe Dr. Sacks as man with a Santa Claus beard, yet after witnessing Sacks “writing his notes on his arm” such characteristics embody the human spirit of his genius. “The Mind’s Eye” does not scream and it instructs gently---like the brush of a butterfly wing on bare skin. Brilliant! Buy, ponder and share.

good in parts

The chapter describing his own loss is the most compelling. Other parts are flatter than his other books, simply not as vivid or compelling. Worth it if only for the good chapter

Ehhhhh

Does not stand up to Dr. Sacks previous work. Unfortunately, Dr. Sacks was unable to narrate a large part of the book due to his poor eyesight. While Dr. Sacks still demonstrates his vast intelligence, the stories were not nearly as engrossing as prior work.

Blindness

First, I must admit that I am a fan of Oliver Sacks and have read all of his books. My favorite remains "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat," but this book is unique among his offerings. In this book he has a number of chapters about blindness and its meaning for individuals. He then takes a chapter to describe his own fall into blindness. As always, Sacks combines a knowledge of the literature in neurobiology, psychology and psychiatry to shed light on his personal experience. This book lacks, perhaps, the charm of his earlier books, but it is informative in a much deeper way. It might be helpful to have some background in neurobiology, but it isn't necessary to gain great benefit. The final chapter deals with what he has learned about perception in this context and to what degree to we configure our own reality and world. Very informative. The reading of Sacks and Richard Davidson is very good.

Visual as well as psychological

Along with his usual brilliance oliver sax describes vision and perception is our minds and bodies. As a blind clinician i found this book just as enlighting about my own vvisual quirks just as much as it taught me about psychology. This book was interesting and academic and read well.

Breath of fresh air

Someone who possesses intelligence and insight. Our brains are capable of forming millions of neural pathways, the least of which we are only beginning to understand.

Sack's delivers

This was my 4th Sacks book. This one focuses on the human ocular system. Case presentations are done with great respect to the patients and the human body.

Great stories

I wish that Dr. Sacks had narrated all the stories. His voice is unique and wonderful.