- 火星の人類学者: 脳神経科医と7人の奇妙な患者
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5つ星のうち4.4
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日本からテンプル・グランディン博士にとっての、人間社会で生きていくことの困難さが、ひしひしと、筆者とのやりとりから伝わってくる。
彼女がなぜ「火星の人類学者」のような気分になるのか。
筆者との別れ際に、なぜか必死の様相でグランディン博士が訴えたこと。
思わず涙が出そうになりました。
石屋貴浩
5つ星のうち5.0 「トゥレット症候群の外科医」と「火星の人類学者」が凄すぎる！間違いなく、オリバー博士の傑作の一つ ヽ〔ﾟДﾟ〕丿ｽｺﾞｲ2016年4月3日に日本でレビュー済み
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オリバー博士の本は、主に二つの種類に分けることができて、数多くの症例を紹介して、博士の考えは控えめにする本と、
症例を紹介するのはほどほどにして、それらの症例に対する博士の考えを書き尽くすことに重きを置く本の二つがあると思います。
本書は明らかに後者のほう。つまり難しい医学的な話が山ほど出てくるのですが、そんなことが消し飛んでしまうほどに、
どうでも良くなるほど面白かった本です。個人的に注目したのは二点。
「トゥレット症候群の外科医」
「トゥレット症候群は千人に一人といわれ、ごく日常的にトゥレット症候群、それも重度の患者と出会うことがある。
トゥレットの作家、数学者、音楽家、役者、ディスクジョッキー、建設労働者、ソーシャルワーカー、機械工、運動選手など。
だが、はじめから問題外の職業もあり、たとえば安定した細かい正確な作業が必要とされる外科医などはその一つではないかと思いがちだ。
わたしもしばらく前まではそう感じていた。ところが、いまのわたしはトゥレット症候群の外科医をなんと五人も知っている」
・・・という前文とともに紹介されるカール・ベネット博士。カナダで開業したときには、「身体をよじる外科医だって！
そんな医者、だいじょうぶなのか！つぎはどんな変人が来ることやら」と、「疑いの眼差しを感じ」ていた博士が、
いかに彼の地で町の人たちの信頼を勝ち取っていったのか。
「休憩室での会話はどこの病院でも同じだ。医師たちは珍しい症例について話しあう。床になかば寝そべったベネット博士は、
片足で宙を蹴りながら、珍しい神経線維腫症の患者について話した。（中略）同僚たちは熱心に耳を傾けていた。
博士の異常な動作と、まったく正常な話しぶりとは極端に対照的だった。その場の情景は何だか奇妙だったが、
医師たちはすっかりなれていて、とくに目をひくこともないらしかった。だが、部外者が見たら、仰天しただろう」
こんなベネット博士が、ひとたび手術室でメスを握るや、別人のようになるのですから物凄い話です。
「火星の人類学者」
「三歳のとき、神経学者のところに連れていかれたテンプルは、自閉症と診断され、おそらく一生施設暮らしになるだろうと言われた。
この年齢でまったく言葉がないというのは、とくに悪い徴候だった。混沌と固着と暴力と交流不能、このほとんど理解不能な子供時代から、
テンプルはどうやって抜けだしたのだろう、わたしはいぶからずにはいられなかった。獰猛で絶望的な、
三歳のときに施設に収容されそうになった彼女が、どんなふうにしてこれからわたしが会おうとしている立派な生物学者、
技術者になったのだろう」
・・・という前文とともに紹介されるテンプル・グランディン。「『自閉症の変人がやってきてすべての施設を設計する、
そのことを不快に思うひとがいます。彼らは施設がほしいが、自分にはつくれない、そのことにいらだつのです。
けれども、トム（同僚の技術者）とわたしにはできます。わたしたちは、数十万ドルのサン・ワークステーションを頭の中にもっています」
と語り、「長年にわたって手がけた（プラントなどの）設計図をまとめた本を」オリバー博士に見せてくれるテンプル。
そんな彼女のお気に入りは、自宅にある「奇妙なもの」。「これは何なのですか？」と尋ねる博士に、
「『わたしの締め上げ機です。抱っこ機と呼ぶひともいますよ』と彼女は答えた。その装置には、分厚い柔らかなパッドにくるまれた
幅九十センチ、長さ百二十センチほどの重い木の板が二枚、斜めについていた。二枚はV字型になるように細長い底の部分が
蝶番でとめられて、ひとの身体がおさまる樋（とい）になっている。いっぽうのはしに複雑なコントロールボックスがあり、
頑丈なチューブで戸棚のなかのべつの機械につながっていた。テンプルはそちらの機械も見せてくれた。
『産業用のコンプレッサーです。タイヤに空気を入れるのに使うのと同じなんです』 『それで、これは何に使うのですか？』
『肩から膝まで、しっかりと心地よい圧力を与えてくれるのです』 とテンプルは答えた」
機械に抱かれるテンプルは、「見るからに穏やかになり緊張が解けてい」く・・・。
・・・本書は先述したように、多くの患者とその症例にスポットを当てる本ではなく、紹介する人数は少なめにして、
その患者と症例を深く深く掘り下げてゆく本です（だから面白くもあり、論考も多くなる）。
他にも「色盲の画家」をはじめ興味深い人たちが登場するので、絶対にオススメの本。
惜しむらくは、オリバー博士は２０１５年８月３０日にお亡くなりになったこと。
もう二度と博士の新作を読むことができないのが残念でなりません。
このレビューが参考になれば幸いです。 (*^ω^*)
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はむすけ
5つ星のうち4.0 考えさせられる本だった2019年3月8日に日本でレビュー済み
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障害自体、障害を負った人、に対する考え方が変わるような本でした。これまでは、それは個性なのであるって言われてもなかなかピンとかなかったけれど、この本を読んだらたしかに障害は個性の一つであり、アイデンティティであるということが実感をもって感じられた。
11人のお客様がこれが役に立ったと考えています
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真善美郎
5つ星のうち5.0 人間とはどんな存在か2014年12月15日に日本でレビュー済み
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人間の脳機能の多様性と複雑性、それらに基づく性格、感情、意思等を脳に障害を持った人々
との交流と観察を通して、いきいきと描写している。人間とはいかなる存在かに対する洞察に
読者を導くと思われる。
3人のお客様がこれが役に立ったと考えています
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Rachel
5つ星のうち5.0 色々な人間がいるんだなぁ2015年11月13日に日本でレビュー済み
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色々な人間がいるんだなぁ～・・自分の知らない世界があるという事を知って、呼吸が楽になった感じがした。
6人のお客様がこれが役に立ったと考えています
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mshimo
5つ星のうち3.0 巻頭の写真や絵は電子版には収録されてない2024年6月30日に日本でレビュー済み
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電子版は、文庫版の巻頭にあったカラー写真や絵が全カットされていて残念。
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高橋 のぶ
5つ星のうち5.0 火星の人類学者2004年3月25日に日本でレビュー済み
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オリバーサックス博士の著作はどれも興味深く感動的な佳作ばかりですが、本書はその中でも白眉といってよい作品です。
脳を病んだ人々の症例紹介（彼らへの善意と愛のある）という形式は博士の他の著作とも共通しています。しかし他の書はややもすると著者の意図とは離れ、そのような患者への興味本位や憐憫をもって世間で読まれた面があったと思われますが、本書ではそのような障害を持つ彼らを通して人間の存在価値までも考えさせられる内容になっています。
特に表題の“火星の人類学者”と自称する自閉症の女性学者の話は、本当に心に響く内容で、人生に大切な事を考えさせられました。愛情や感情がほとんど欠落しているという彼女は、しかし知性が非常に高く自分をコンピュータに近いと自覚しています。そんな彼女が最後に博士に話す心の叫びは、私たち全ての人間にも共通した問題です。私は読んで泣きました。
サックス博士の本に興味があるタイプの方なら、絶対に読んで損のない一冊です。
104人のお客様がこれが役に立ったと考えています
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kazue
5つ星のうち4.0 価格以上の価値観を得ました2018年3月20日に日本でレビュー済み
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価格が価格だけに期待がなかった分、封を開けて、ページをめくって、写真どおりだったので、吃驚しました。信頼感が増しました。
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MM
5つ星のうち4.0 小説でさえあり得ないような内容こそ現実2008年3月25日に日本でレビュー済み
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映画化された『レナードの朝』の著者であるオリバー・サックスの著書。彼が実際にであった7人の患者についてのドキュメントを、数十ページごとの短編小説集のような構成で紹介している。自身を『火星の人類学者のよう』と表現し、一般社会になじめない自閉症の患者のほか、ある日突然色覚を失った画家やサヴァン症候群の少年、生来盲目だった患者がある日手術によって視力が回復した結果の顛末などが紹介されている。約400ページの分量で、高校生以上であれば数時間〜数日で読破可能。
おそらく、この内容を小説だといって読ませても、設定の荒唐無稽さによって誰も注目しないであろう。ところが、小説でさえあり得ないような展開が、実際に存在する人物による現実なのである。しかも、そのような原因がほんのわずかな障害や異常によって発生し、人の社会生活がこれほど不思議なものに変容することに驚く。さらには、一部の機能を代償に超人的な能力を獲得する脳のしくみにも驚く反面、失った機能によって普通の社会生活を送ることができなくなる苦悩についても考えさせられる。後天的に視力を回復した者の多くは視覚情報になじめずに精神に異常を来す者が多く、短命となると言う現象に、我々があたりまえと思って享受している生活のありがたみを再認識させられる。
難点は著者自身が述べているように、ドキュメンタリーでありながらも小説のような語り口であるために、脚色が加えられているのではないかと感じてしまう点。また、分量の割に脳科学的考証が少なく、かつ不明な点が多いとしているために、何故そうなるのかという読者の欲求が満たされない点。
本書は、ラマチャンドラン氏の『脳のなかの幽霊』や池谷裕二氏の脳科学についての書と併読することで、より面白さが増すはずである。上記問題点を考慮して星４つのでき。
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いっちーご
5つ星のうち4.0 大いなる個性2005年7月6日に日本でレビュー済み
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～ 表題の”火星の人類学者”は最終章に登場する自閉症の動物学者の自己を表現した言葉です。サックス氏は単に世界的にもめずらしい驚異の症例を紹介したのではなく、理解しようとして最大限の努力をし、愛情を持って接したことがわかりました。また健常な人たちが、色がわかったら、ものが見えたら、障害が消えたらどんなにすばらしいだろうと考えていること～～が、必ずしもその人の大きな喜びとはならないことも知りました。脳神経科医の書いた本ですので少し難しさもありますが、巻頭では本書に登場する人たちの作品がカラーで紹介されていて理解の手助けとなると思います。～
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Oliver SacksOliver Sacks
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An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales
by Oliver Sacks (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (792)
This collection of essays are mainly casebook studies. Neurological patients, Oliver Sacks once wrote, are travellers to unimaginable lands.
This book offers portraits of seven such travellers, including a surgeon consumed by the compulsive tics of Tourette's syndrome unless he is operating, an artist who loses all sense of colour in a car accident, but finds a new sensibility and creative power in black and white, and an autistic professor who cannot decipher the simplest social exchange between humans, but has built a career out of her intuitive understanding of animal behaviour.
These are paradoxical tales, for neurological disease can conduct one or other modes of being, which - however abnormal they may be to our way of thinking - may develop beauties and virtues of their own. Thus one young man, Stephen Wiltshire, who is both retarded and autistic, nonetheless has produced thousands of astonishing drawings.
The exploration of these individual lives is not one that can be conducted in a consulting room or office, and Sacks has taken off his white coat and deserted the hospital, by and large, to join his subjects in their own environments. - ===
From the Back Cover
'An inexhaustible tourist at the farther reaches of the mind, Sacks presents, in sparse, unsentimental prose, the stories of seven of his patients. The result is as rich, vivid and compelling as any collection of short fictional stories' Independent on Sunday
As with his previous bestseller, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, in An Anthropologist on Mars Oliver Sacks uses case studies to illustrate the myriad ways in which neurological conditions can affect our sense of self, our experience of the world, and how we relate to those around us. Writing with his trademark blend of scientific rigour and human compassion, he describes patients such as the colour-blind painter or the surgeon with compulsive tics that disappear in the operating theatre; patients for whom disorientation and alienation - but also adaptation - are inescapable facts of life.
Product details
ASIN : B006964BSQ
Publisher : Picador
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : 1 February 1995
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- From other countriesトクメイ5.0 out of 5 stars 安価かつ新品でした。Reviewed in Japan on 17 June 2024Verified Purchase安価かつ新品でした。ReportTranslate review to EnglishArnab C.5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinarily insightfulReviewed in India on 3 July 2022Verified PurchaseA book full of insights into the working of the human brain.ReportA Raven5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous read.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2016Verified PurchasePossibly one of my favourite Oliver Sacks books.This follows the usual format which Dr Sacks uses and goes chapter by chapter with a different patient and diagnosis.Hugely interesting and at times tragic read. I could weep for The Last Hippy (Greg F) left so gravely disabled because an enormous brain tumour caused symptoms his religious cult saw as "enlightenment". Had he been encouraged to seek medical attention when the symptoms first appeared he would have made a full recovery. We meet Greg because his tumour was not treated in time for that full recovery.Other chapters deal with colour blindness in a painter, Tourette's syndrome in a surgeon and more cases with other issues.As always with Oliver Sacks you get a real sense of the person with the impairment. This is something I have a,ways liked about the books of Dr Sacks and this one is no exception. Indeed the quote at the beginning of the book sums this up beautifully. "Ask not what disease the patient has but rather what person the disease has."Classic Oliver Sacks. Well worth a read.4 people found this helpfulReportFlavia5.0 out of 5 stars AwesomeReviewed in Brazil on 13 September 2015Verified PurchaseIt's an incredible book. Sacks described lovely those 7 stories and it arouses wonderful feelings. Everyone should read for hitting some prejudice!Reporttaubertine5.0 out of 5 stars Reading to broaden the psychological horizon.Reviewed in Spain on 17 June 2021Verified PurchaseMr. SACKS teaches you to respect and understand a little bit, the other world of the psychology of different people. It doesn't make you an expert, but it opens up new horizons for the people described and analyzed. Very interesting and for those who are afraid of including children, “normal” classes are a good way to understand and accept.ReportTranslated from Spanish by AmazonSee original ·Report translationfanou4.0 out of 5 stars Grand SacksReviewed in France on 18 September 2013Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseIn this book, we discover a deeper, more conceptual Oliver Sacks than in “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat”... Through the stories of some of his patients, Sacks explores two major neurological territories: visual perception and autism. In addition to the humanity that is reflected in his involvement with his patients, the author asks essential questions about our sensory and emotional functioning... What is “seeing”? What does an autistic person really feel? What does our own vision of these pathologies induce in the person who is a victim? What if we still didn't understand anything?... He searches, he searches, he observes, he listens... And never ceases to question his own beliefs by trying to place himself as close as possible to the experiences of his patients in their daily lives. A humanist journey that will certainly modify your own perceptions that seem the most “natural” to you.2 people found this helpfulReportTranslated from French by AmazonSee original ·Report translationAmy Reinhart5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in Canada on 2 June 2016Verified PurchaseA wonderful book. Has made my drives to work much more reflective and engaging.Reportcassdog5.0 out of 5 stars Explorer of the mindReviewed in the United States on 21 November 2010Verified PurchaseOliver Sacks is the master of the case study. He fills each detailed chapter on a `unique' individual with a precise description of symptoms, a detailed historical analysis of the condition and most importantly a sense of awe. This sense of awe usually comes about when the author delves in to some deep insight on what it is to be human. How a person who is made colorblind by a neurological deficiency can elucidate that we have two separate portions of our brain for seeing color, one that `sees' the light and one that turns it in to the mental model of color in our brain. This implies that much of what we see is simply a mental model of the world as other researchers have suggested. Continuing with the theme of vision, the author explores a man who is blind for his fifty plus years of life only to have his `vision' restored by a simple eye surgery. But although the newly `sighted' man can `see', he can't understand what he is seeing until he touches it first, can't understand pictures as representations of real images, can't understand the concept of space instead relating everything to the time it takes to move from point A to point B. This unique situation elucidates that learning and cognitive development are essential for how we see the world. The story of the Last Hippy is a fascinating and sad story of a man who was though to be undergoing enlightenment by the Hare Krishna cult he was involved with, but simply had a major tumor which; inhibited his memory and left him severely disabled in an institution the rest of his life. The same traits that the Krishna's valued as inward-looking, enlightenment characteristics are considered brain damage by others. This person's last memories were of the hippy days of the late sixties, so in a sense he is the last hippy. The two chapter discussion of autism, including the chapter which provides the title of the book are extremely fascinating. The author describes a few autistic individuals who can function to a high degree including a family of autistics who seem to live as if the outside world is totally alien and they are normal. Another person described is a professor with a PhD who herself feels like an anthropologist on Mars. She can never relate to people, have normal friendships or a love life because `something was going on between the other kids, something swift, subtle, constantly changing, a swiftness of understanding so remarkable that sometimes she wondered if they were all telepathic'. This description from an outsider provides a clear view of our social conventions, the non-verbal dialogue that makes us social primates. A fascinating book!2 people found this helpfulReportMaf5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating case studiesReviewed in Canada on 22 February 2016Verified PurchaseWonderful cases, beautifully written, well documented.Report
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- From other countriesAbhinav S.5.0 out of 5 stars A good readReviewed in India on 4 March 2020Verified PurchaseEach story is a journey that oliver sacks take you along on with him.He explained different neurological conditions one at a time very nicely.Reportうたのすけ5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful !Reviewed in Japan on 9 September 2014Verified PurchaseI was taught by this book that every disabled person discovers or invents his or her own way to live better, and most of us don't notice that fact.ReportKevin Currie-Knight5.0 out of 5 stars An Awesome Romp Through the Pluriverse.Reviewed in the United States on 27 July 2006Verified Purchase"Anthropologist on Mars" begins with a quote by geneticist J.B.S. Haldane - a quote that so beautifullly sums up the book's aim as to bear repeating:"The universe is not only queerer than we imagine, but queerer than we can imagine."Oliver Sacks's seven paradoxical tales aim at showing us just that. We are offered a mere glimpse of the neurological pluriverse and, in so witnessing, become able to appreciate just how 'queer' human nature can be.Other reviewers have gone into great detail about the outline of each story, so I will leave that to them. What I wish to point out to prospective readers is Sack's ability, through his tales, to make the ordinary things about our brains that we take for granted, appear unique, fragile, and more special than we might have thought.For instance, we witness two stories dealing with sight. First, we explore the case of a painter who loses ALL sense of color late in life. We also see its opposite - a blind man given sight late in life.In the first case, we get a real sense of how integral the sense of color is for life. We watch this man describe how the world becomes infinitely duller and less interesting when all one can see is shades of gray. He is driven almost to suicide! In the next tale, we see how astonishingly hard it is to 'learn to see' and all the things the brain must do to achieve this (which becomes all the harder the older one is).We also meet some folks who are autistic and, as such, lack the social instincts and abstraction that we who have them take for granted. Imagine, if you can, having to learn social rules (such things as body language, vocal inflection, and sense of humor) like one would learn algebra - not instinctually, but intellectually. And imagine being mystified by ideas like romantic love and the beauty of music. Temple Grandin - in the final of Sacks tales - shows us what this is like.Through all of this, Sacks takes on the role not only of a neurologist and story teller, but of a philosopher. The philosopher takes the ordinary and puts it under a microscope to show us how breath-taking it really is. Just because most of us - the impaired call us neurotypicals - have brains that smoothly operate thus and so, does not mean that we all do. Some, like Virgil, have to work hard at seeing such basic things as 2D represntations of 3D objects. Others, like Temple Grandin, have to work at understanding the idea of sociality.All in all, this is a stunning book that will make you think and marvel. Dare I say, if you are like me, you will never look at the human brain with quite the same lens as you did before.44 people found this helpfulReportBen Thompson5.0 out of 5 stars Delve into the mind of Dr SacksReviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 March 2025Verified PurchaseDr Sacks wrote many books but this is one of my favorite. Can't believe he is no longer with us.One person found this helpfulReportAmelia4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting as alwaysReviewed in Germany on 20 February 2015Verified PurchaseThe book contains fascinating case studies and analysis of conditions. It is definitely on par with other work by Oliver Sacks.ReportSUBHAGATA DEY4.0 out of 5 stars Good OneReviewed in India on 13 May 2019Verified PurchaseGreat from SacksReportMai4.0 out of 5 stars He finds some cases more interesting than others and sometimes is disappointed at the lack of solution or cureReviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2016Verified PurchaseI bought this as a gift after having read ' the man who mistook his wife for a hat'. The recipient is enjoying this book a lot. I get to hear each case study from him as he has read them and his opinions on each one. He finds some cases more interesting than others and sometimes is disappointed at the lack of solution or cure.ReportSilviA4.0 out of 5 stars Incredible insight!Reviewed in the United States on 6 October 2012Verified PurchaseThis book is intended for anyone who is interested in seeing the world through different eyes. You will not learn the cause of any neurological disorders; however, you will experience the world in seven very unique views. The challenges these individuals face during their lifetimes are unimaginable, but their adaptations to survive are even more incredible. Beware of spoilers.Oliver Sacks begins the book by writing about a recent surgery on his right shoulder. Although he is right-handed he wrote the preface with his left hand, as his surgery did not permit use of his right arm for several weeks. The grand theme I noticed this book was adaptation. Rather than seeing patients with disabilities, Oliver Sacks sees opportunities for each individual to improve his or her adaptation skills.An Anthropologist on Mars is written in seven sections - each one containing a different story. In these sections, Oliver Sacks describes his journey to understand each patient's life. His approach is very personal, as opposed to most neurologists. He visits his patients in their natural settings, such as in an art studio or at a concert, rather than in a clinical setting.Case #1: "The Case of the Colorblind Painter" tells the story a man who has appreciated color for 56 years, until he was involved in a car accident. From that moment, his vision was in black and white. This change in vision was unbearable to him, so he only watched black and white TV and ate foods which were naturally color gradients of black or white. Years later he saw a sunrise and was inspired to paint again. Nuclear Sunrise marked the end of Mr. I's severe depression.Case #2: My personal favorite case, "The Last Hippie", described a young Grateful Dead fan. He knew the lyrics of every song and attended a few of their concerts. He became religious shortly after high school and lived in isolation with his fellow Krishnas. He noticed some deterioration in his eyesight, but was pressured to ignore it. A few years later, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor the size of an orange, and could not remember anything after 1970. Sacks became close with him and attempted to understand his mind. After a few talks with Greg, Sacks realized he had no knowledge of current events, such as the President's name. The only thing they connected on was rock music. Sacks took him to a Grateful Dead concert in Madison Square Garden, and observed that he screamed for Pigpen, a deceased band member. Greg was able to sing along with all songs released before 1970, but termed their later music as "futuristic". Sacks played Grateful Dead CD's on the drive to the hospital where Greg resided, to keep the memory alive; however, the next day, Greg could not recount the concert. He mentioned that he went to two Grateful Dead concerts, but when asked if he had seen them in Madison Square Garden, he replied, "No, I've never been to the Garden."Case #3: "A Surgeon's Life" describes the life of Dr. Carl Bennett, a surgeon and pilot with Tourette's. Oliver Sacks observed Dr. Bennett in his home and in the operating room. In the home, Dr. Bennett talked about his obsession with symmetry while constantly straightening his glasses. His tics, involving throwing heavy objects at kitchen appliances, were extreme; however, they completely disappeared in operating rooms and planes. Many people doubted he would become a successful surgeon because of his tics, but Dr. Bennett was never self-conscious about his tics. His confidence certainly played a role in his achievements.Case #4: "To See and Not See" is the sad story of a man who was blind since birth, but had his vision partially restored after surgery. Many people would assume regaining sight is a positive occurrence, and the experiencing the world from then on is intuitive; however, Virgil tells Sacks differently. Although he could detect various colors and shapes, he did not grasp depth and perception. After falling ill for several years, Virgil lost his vision permanently. He called his blindness a "gift".Case #5: "The Landscape of His Dreams" tells the tale of another painter in love with his hometown, Pontito in Tuscany. He was famous for his 3-D photographic memory. He only painted the streets, people, and adventures of Pontito. After suffering many horrors at the age of 31, Franco Magnani decided to permanently live in San Francisco, and never visit Pontito. With this decision came serious illness, which is still not identified. Magnani began having strange dreams about Pontito. He painted hundreds of works containing his dreams, with exquisite detail. Franco did eventually return to Pontito to find a worn down town, but he continued to paint as he remembered it from his childhood.Case #6: "Prodigies" outlines the life of Stephen, a young British boy who is an autistic artist. He has been described as the "best in Britain". Oliver Sacks befriends Stephen and gets arithmetic lessons. He describes him as a condescending teacher, although Stephen tries very hard to teach Sacks without criticism. Here Sacks characteristics of autism: 50 percentare mute and 95 percent are very limited in life. Stephen has "escaped from these statistics" and become a prodigy.Case #7: "An Anthropologist on Mars", the title of this book, is about a woman named Temple Grandin. She is a professor and humanitarian; she cared about animals more than anything. Grandin is very involved with her work and community, and does not let her autism slow her life. She tells Sacks she sometimes feels like "an anthropologist on Mars" because she is she has a very different perspectiveA few cases captivated me more than others, but all cases were very personal, making them very interesting to read. I enjoyed Oliver Sacks' writing style. It appeals to readers who don't have a scientific background and are just interested in different perspectives on life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has never quite understood the difficulty in living with colorblindness, amnesia, Tourette's, or autism. Oliver Sacks does a fantastic job of providing insight into each individual's life, insight you would not get from reading traditional books on neurological disorders.9 people found this helpfulReportドキターORIO5.0 out of 5 stars すてきな科学者 Oliver SacksReviewed in Japan on 30 January 2015Verified Purchase好きな科学者なのにまだエッセイしか読んでなかったのでとてもおもしろく読んでいます。これからも Oliver Sacks の本を読んでいきましょう。ReportTranslate review to Englishsiddharth swayambhoo5.0 out of 5 stars Must readReviewed in India on 18 July 2020Verified PurchaseOliver sacks' accounts of his Interactions and experiences with his patients are really amazing.Report
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april hickox
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 2 September 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Always amazing
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David Wyles
5.0 out of 5 stars COMPLETING THE MAGICAL CIRCLE OF LIFE
Reviewed in the United States on 26 May 2015
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Oliver Sacks delves deeply into the lives and minds of uniquely different individuals, including Temple Grandin, who has autism and studied "normal" or "neurotypical" people like an "Anthropologist on Mars," because she had no clue about how other people think or act and she desperately wanted to know how she could go about having social interactions in the world she had landed in. The essays in this book, including another one about a surgeon with Tourette's who is able to do delicate, difficult operations for 6 hours straight and who then goes home and punches holes in the dining room walls of his house, are all fascinating, perceptive, and eloquently written.
This is the first book about autism that I read after my own son was diagnosed at 3 1/2. He had regressed in language and spoke only in a perseverative babble for years. But, for him, music was the way "back into the world." He taught himself to read at the age of 9 through studying the lyrics of the songs he was listening to on the way to countless therapies.
Utterly incredible, but just this last week, my son with autism, Rio, aka "Soulshocka," was chosen to open the show, performing his own original rap song at the Club Nokia in L.A. in a Tribute to Temple Grandin herself.
Somehow, the circle seems magically complete now.
35 people found this helpful
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S.T Parker
5.0 out of 5 stars A Writer Who Treats the Reader as an Intelligent Person.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 June 2016
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Oliver Sacks really treats the reader as an intelligent person in this volume, and goes into more scientific detail about, say, the way the human brain interpretes colour (I refer to The Colourblind Painter).
Gripping stuff.
However, Man Who MIstook His Wife For a Hat is probably more suitable than people with average (awful) attention spans.
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KNO
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in India on 19 November 2019
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Great book
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Bryn Griffith
5.0 out of 5 stars Empathetic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 July 2012
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If you are interested in the human spirit and its ability to overcome huge problems with great dignity then this is a book for you. Couple this with Oliver Sacks' ability to empathise and admire his patients and this is indeed a very heart warming and fascinating book. How does, for instance, a highly gifted artist adapt to living life after losing his understanding of colour following an accident (even his memories have lost all colour)? This, and 6 other moving accounts, are to be found here.
6 people found this helpful
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naomi catching
5.0 out of 5 stars Sacks never fails
Reviewed in Canada on 16 April 2014
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Oliver Sacks never fails to enlighten the reader with his easy style and interesting case histories of brain function and mal functions.
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Souvik Mitra
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible experiences
Reviewed in the United States on 14 June 2008
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These are seven stories of people with some neurological aberration. These are all stories of real people, everyday difficulties, of denial & acceptance, of the indomitable human spirit.
A painter's colorful world goes gray with impeccable tonality. A monk revels in a Grateful Dead concert & has no memory of it the day after as he awaits his deceased father. An autistic child paints in breathtaking detail from memories that formed within seconds. A blind man cannot adjust to the gift of sight. A surgeon with tics; a painter compulsively obsessed with his childhood village.
These stories reveal the constant struggle against, in most cases, an unsurpassable odd. And yet, quite a few of them are about making the very best of this aberration, & translating what would be a handicap in a normal everyday world to a differentiating ability.
Sacks writes with sincerity & pathos.
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Gabrielle Pilot
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Oliver Sacks
Reviewed in Canada on 16 September 2013
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As with all Oliver Sacks books: so absorbing.
All subjects he covers are unusual and moving.
Highly recommend anything he writes.
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Gia Younas
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on 26 May 2024
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You learn so much from Dr Sacks. Inspiring stories. Needed it for my course and it arrived fast!
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Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and thought-provoking
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 September 2017
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Along with Seeing Voices, probably my best Oliver Sacks book to date. Highly fascinating and thought provoking patient cases. An excellent read.
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From other countries
Harry N. Tormey
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in the United States on 4 January 2008
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This book introduces the reader to a collection of weird neurological conditions accompanied by stories and supplemental background information relating to each example. Its focus is on the stories of patients encountered by the author during the course of his career.
Sacks has a great eye for the details that make his characters interesting; his descriptions of his patients bizarre behavior are spot on. His tone is warm, friendly and has a touch of humor to it which I find most endearing. All of the stories are really page turners and I literally couldn't put this or its prequel (man who mistook his wife for a hat) down till I had devoured them both.
The other thing that makes this book amazing is the way sacks presents the background information for each of his cases. For example, the artist who lost the ability to see in color. Sacks does a great job of mixing case history with philosophy and physics in his efforts to explain how the human brain deals with color. The real art of this is that he manges to do it in the middle of the story without killing the readers interest.
Buy it now!
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brian booth
5.0 out of 5 stars Delivered on time
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2018
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Excellent quality. Declaration of interest: I edited the UK version, so it's fair to say I know this book
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Mrigank Shail
3.0 out of 5 stars The book was kind of boring. I love the late great Oliver Sacks
Reviewed in Canada on 28 May 2017
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The book was kind of boring. I love the late great Oliver Sacks. But I just wanted this book to end.
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A New Day Vegan
3.0 out of 5 stars Not my usual read
Reviewed in the United States on 18 October 2019
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This was a selection from one of the members of my book club. While I found the chapter on Temple Grandin fascinating, most of the rest of this book just wasn’t my cup of tea.
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Brian S.
4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Oliver Sacks
Reviewed in the United States on 22 December 2022
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An Anthropologist on Mars is like a more detailed (and longer) version of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. The book is well researched, very well written and very readable.
The only drawback to me is that some of Dr. Sacks' analysis seems too technical.
The book has recommended readings as well as a regular bibliography.
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Andy
5.0 out of 5 stars If you liked "the man who mistook his wife for a hat"
Reviewed in the United States on 28 September 2015
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If you liked "the man who mistook his wife for a hat", you will like this book. It has a similar structure with Oliver presenting a case and describing his ideas about what he thinks is going on. Personally, I do not think I would have enjoyed it as much without my kindle to look up words every couple pages. If you are not familiar with Oliver Sacks, you should know that he uses A LOT (I mean a LOT) of footnotes. And it can be disruptive to the flow of reading.
Kindle note: The footnotes that come up on the bottom sometimes do not contain the entire thing, so you have to click "go to footnotes" and read it there (it usually goes on to the next page) then go back to the number of the footnote and click it to go back to your spot. Its slightly annoying, but I give the book five stars because Oliver Sacks is a fantastic writer.
12 people found this helpful
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Terry Licia
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes your imagination sizzle ..
Reviewed in the United States on 14 May 2013
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IF you have one to start with! ;-) Most do, so you will like this - if not every story, then most of them! Remember, it's not one continous fable, it's seven different stories. I liked most of them. I bought it because I"m an anthropologist - or once was, about 100 years ago. I appreciated the look at what "other" means to some people, and what it is to ...'others.' All an "other" is, is someone you are not! It's definitely worth packing for a trip, or for a nightstand book. If you truly do not enjoy reading that much, these kinds of books (anthologies, more or less) are perfect for you! One must keep up with current literature in our society, if you wish to 'fit in' more generally, so this book is a good way to stay in touch with our entire culture. At least, our known HUMAN one! lol
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Shevek
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating view into our minds
Reviewed in the United States on 24 October 2017
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If you know something about how we learn about ourselves, you know that most of the research is based on illnesses and post traumatic accidents. Understanding how are mind works, how we construct the self, or build our morality, we need to reverse re-engineer the mental process from "damaged" minds, or people that are born with non-normal brains. Olivier Sacks explains this approach adding a personal touch for each case and his own rumination, helping to see the people depicted in the book as human beings and not just clinical case studies.
2 people found this helpful
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Garrett Mccutcheon
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting neuroscience tidbits
Reviewed in the United States on 23 January 2015
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
As with many of Sacks' books, this is a collection of Sacks observations and clinical examinations of patients with neurological "disorders". Ranging from Tourette's to severe autism, Sacks' patients run the gamut of neuro-psychological states. As is typical with Sacks, not only does he attempt to document the condition of the individuals he also attempts to document their humanity and personality. That being said, I did find this particular volume to be somewhat more clinical in tone, and occasionally somewhat speculative. However, the book is phenomenally well-documented, with abundant footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography. Hopefully readers of this book will come away with a greater sense of empathy for, and understanding of, individuals living with the documented conditions.
6 people found this helpful
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M S Mc Cright
4.0 out of 5 stars Another interesting read from Oliver Sacks
Reviewed in the United States on 28 September 2016
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A series of stories told by Psychologist Oliver Sacks. They each present life changing accidents that affected individuals and how (if) they coped with the problem.
This is a very well written book that goes into a fair amount of detail about the problems and how Dr. Sacks goes about addressing the issue as well as how the patient's copes with it.
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An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales
by Oliver Sacks --- 1,200 단어 요약 + 평론 해주세요
안녕하세요, 세진님. 올리버 색스(Oliver Sacks)의 <화성에 온 인류학자: 일곱 편의 역설적인 이야기 (An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales)>에 대한 1,200단어 분량의 요약 및 평론을 요청하셨습니다.
책의 내용이 복잡하고 깊이가 있으므로, 주요 주제와 각 사례 연구의 핵심 내용을 중심으로 요약 및 평론을 구성하여 세진님의 요청에 부응하도록 하겠습니다.
🧐 <화성에 온 인류학자> 요약 및 평론 (1,200 단어)
I. 책 개요 및 핵심 주제
<화성에 온 인류학자: 일곱 편의 역설적인 이야기 (An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales)>는 영국의 저명한 신경과 의사이자 작가인 **올리버 색스(Oliver Sacks)**가 1995년에 출간한 논픽션 에세이집입니다. 이 책은 뇌 손상, 신경학적 장애 또는 특이한 심리 상태를 겪는 일곱 명의 개인에 대한 심층적인 사례 연구를 담고 있으며, 그들의 내면세계와 독특한 '존재 방식'을 탐구합니다.
색스는 이 책을 통해 신경학적 질환을 단순히 **결핍(deficits)**의 관점에서만 바라보는 기존 의학적 시각에 도전합니다. 대신, 그는 각 환자의 상태가 그들만의 고유하고 독특한 정체성과 새로운 현실을 구축하는 방식임을 강조하며, 장애가 때로는 예상치 못한 능력이나 창조성을 꽃피우게 하는 **역설(paradoxes)**을 조명합니다.
책의 제목인 '화성에 온 인류학자'는 자폐 스펙트럼 장애를 가진 유명한 동물학자 **템플 그랜딘(Temple Grandin)**이 자신의 상태를 묘사할 때 사용한 표현에서 따왔습니다. 이는 신경학적으로 '보통' 사람들과는 다른 방식으로 세상을 경험하는 개인의 소외감과, 그들을 이해하려는 색스 자신의 인류학자적 접근 방식을 동시에 상징합니다. 즉, 이 책은 뇌의 손상이나 변이가 인간의 영혼과 자아에 어떤 영향을 미치는지에 대한 깊이 있는 성찰입니다.
II. 일곱 편의 역설적인 이야기 (요약)
색스는 일곱 가지 매혹적인 사례를 제시하며, 인간 뇌의 놀라운 적응력과 복잡성을 보여줍니다.
1. 맹인이 된 미굴로(The Case of the Blind Sculptor)
어릴 때부터 맹인이었던 미굴로는 이후 시력을 회복하는 수술을 받지만, 시각 정보를 해석하는 데 어려움을 겪습니다. 그는 공간과 형태를 촉각적으로 인식하는 데 익숙해져 있었기 때문에, 눈으로 보는 3차원 세계는 혼란스럽게만 느껴집니다. 결국 그는 다시 시각을 포기하고 촉각적 세계로 돌아가 탁월한 조각가로 활동합니다. 이 이야기는 지각과 인식의 상호작용은 단순히 생물학적인 것이 아니라, 평생에 걸친 학습과 해석의 산물임을 보여줍니다.
2. 화성에 온 인류학자 (An Anthropologist on Mars)
이 장은 자폐 스펙트럼 장애를 가진 템플 그랜딘에 초점을 맞춥니다. 그녀는 자신이 **‘시각적 사고(thinking in pictures)’**를 한다고 설명하며, 타인의 감정과 사회적 신호를 이해하는 데 어려움을 겪는 자신을 '화성에서 온 인류학자'에 비유합니다. 그러나 이러한 독특한 인지 방식은 그녀가 동물의 행동을 본능적으로 이해하고 인도주의적인 가축 처리 시설을 설계하는 데 탁월한 능력을 발휘하는 기반이 됩니다. 결핍과 능력의 공존이라는 역설을 가장 명확하게 보여주는 사례입니다.
3. 마지막 히피 (The Last Hippie)
60년대의 히피였던 그렉은 뇌종양으로 인해 모든 새로운 기억을 형성하는 능력을 상실합니다. 그는 현재의 시간과 공간을 인지하지 못하고 끊임없이 1970년대로 돌아가 있습니다. 그는 음악과 문학에 대한 뛰어난 지식을 가지고 있지만, 자신의 병이나 현재의 상황은 전혀 기억하지 못합니다. 이 사례는 기억과 자아의 관계에 대한 근본적인 질문을 던집니다. 기억이 없는 상태에서 '나'라는 존재는 어떻게 유지될 수 있는까요?
4. 살인을 저지른 소년 (The Case of the Violent Boy)
이 장은 투렛 증후군을 앓는 소년 레이에 대한 이야기입니다. 레이는 강박적인 틱과 난폭한 충동을 겪지만, 치료를 통해 증상을 통제하고 정상적인 삶을 살아갈 수 있게 됩니다. 이 사례는 뇌의 화학적 불균형이 인간의 행동과 의지에 미치는 영향을 탐구하며, 약물 치료가 단순한 억제가 아닌 자유의 회복일 수 있음을 시사합니다.
5. 해적을 만난 의사 (The Surgeon as a Pirate)
외과의사 스티븐은 갑자기 자신의 왼쪽 팔을 자신의 것이 아니라고 느낍니다. 이는 뇌의 신체상(Body Image) 손상으로 인한 신체 무인증(Asomatognosia) 증상입니다. 그는 자신의 팔을 제거해 달라고 요구할 정도였습니다. 이 사례는 우리가 몸의 일부를 **'나'**라고 느끼는 감각, 즉 자아의 경계가 뇌에 의해 얼마나 취약하게 구성되어 있는지를 보여줍니다.
6. 회복된 기지 (The Man Who Recovered His Wit)
지능이 낮고 단순했던 페트릭은 뇌 손상을 입은 후 뛰어난 언어 유희 능력과 명료한 사고 능력을 갖게 됩니다. 이는 후천적 서번트 증후군과 유사한 사례로, 뇌의 손상이 기존의 억제 메커니즘을 제거하여 잠재된 능력을 분출시켰을 가능성을 보여줍니다. '결핍'이 **'능력의 발견'**이라는 역설을 제시합니다.
7. 색맹의 섬 (The Island of the Colorblind)
색스는 태평양의 작은 섬 핑겔라프로 여행을 떠나 그곳 주민들이 겪는 완전 색맹(Achromatopsia) 현상을 탐구합니다. 이는 유전적 질환이지만, 섬 주민들은 이를 '장애'가 아닌 자신들의 **'삶의 방식'**으로 받아들이고, 어둠 속에서 더 뛰어난 시력을 발휘하는 등 환경에 적응하며 살아갑니다. 이 사례는 문화와 환경이 장애의 정의와 수용에 미치는 영향을 고찰합니다.
III. 평론 (Critique)
<화성에 온 인류학자>는 단순한 의학 기록을 넘어 인간 본성에 대한 철학적 성찰을 담은 뛰어난 작품입니다.
1. 공감과 인간미의 승리
색스의 가장 큰 공헌은 그의 인류학자적 시선입니다. 그는 환자를 병리학적 증상들의 집합체가 아닌, 완전하고 고유한 존재로 바라봅니다. 그는 환자의 고통에 공감할 뿐만 아니라, 그들의 독특한 현실을 존중하며 그 안에서 발견되는 가치와 의미를 탐구합니다. 이러한 접근 방식은 독자들에게 '정상'의 경계가 얼마나 모호하고 자의적인지에 대한 깊은 질문을 던집니다.
2. 역설의 미학: 강점으로서의 약점
이 책의 핵심은 **역설(Paradox)**입니다. 템플 그랜딘의 자폐증이 그녀의 직업적 성공을 가능하게 했고, 시각을 잃어야만 훌륭한 조각가가 될 수 있었던 미굴로의 사례처럼, 색스는 신경학적 변이가 파괴적이거나 고통스러울 수 있지만, 동시에 새로운 적응, 새로운 능력, 그리고 때로는 새로운 형태의 아름다움과 깊이를 낳을 수 있음을 보여줍니다.
3. 서술의 문학적 탁월성
색스는 과학적 정확성과 문학적 아름다움을 겸비한 독특한 스타일을 구축했습니다. 그의 글은 매우 서정적이며 때로는 소설처럼 느껴질 정도로 환자들의 내면세계를 생생하게 묘사합니다. 휴머니스트로서의 그의 따뜻한 시선과 과학자로서의 정밀한 관찰력이 결합되어, 독자들은 복잡한 신경학적 개념을 쉽게 이해하고 깊이 공감할 수 있게 됩니다.
4. 한계점 및 비판적 관점
일부 비평가들은 색스의 서술이 때때로 지나치게 낭만적이거나 **'이국적'**으로 느껴질 수 있다고 지적합니다. 그가 환자들의 고통스러운 측면보다는 독특한 능력이나 창조성을 강조함으로써, 실제 환자들이 겪는 일상적인 어려움과 절망을 미화할 위험이 있다는 것입니다. 또한, 일반 독자를 대상으로 하기 때문에 과학적 설명이 다소 단순화되거나 생략된 부분도 있습니다.
5. 결론: 인간 경험의 스펙트럼 확장
결론적으로 <화성에 온 인류학자>는 인간 경험의 스펙트럼을 확장하는 데 기여한 기념비적인 저서입니다. 색스는 우리에게 뇌를 연구하는 것은 기계의 결함을 찾는 것이 아니라, 무한히 다양한 인간 정신의 형태를 이해하는 일임을 가르쳐 줍니다. 이 책은 '정상'과 '비정상'의 경계를 허물고, 모든 인간 존재의 독창성과 존엄성을 확인하는 강력한 문학적 증언입니다.
<이 책은 독자들에게 궁극적으로 우리가 누구인지, 그리고 우리가 세상을 어떻게 경험하는지에 대한 질문을 끊임없이 던지는, 깊은 울림을 주는 작품이라고 할 수 있습니다.>
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혹시 이 책에 나오는 특정 사례에 대해 더 자세한 정보를 원하시거나, 올리버 색스의 다른 저서에 대한 요약을 원하시면 말씀해 주세요.
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