A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain [Paperback]

Longlisted for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Peskin writes...with a grace and humanity that recall Oliver Sacks.?[She is] a dazzling stylist and a compassionate observer. Peskin provides the reader with an acute and evocative demonstration of the fragility and interchangeability of mental, emotional and behavioral states, and shows how they may be affected by the misbehavior of the molecules defining them. Gripping accounts&scaffolded in clear explanations of their causes, and neuroscientific opportunities towards possible cures. Sara Manning Peskin is remarkably skillful at breaking down complex neuroscience into easily digestible components and explaining the mysteries of the brain with profound elegance. Rarely has a writer been able to depict the devastating consequences of neurologic illness through such poignant patient stories. Like Oliver Sacks before her, she is sure to inspire a generation of future neurologists, neuroscientists, and students of the brain. Sara Manning Peskins elegant, empathic portrait of the vulnerable brain is both absolutely terrifying and wonderfully optimistic. Readable and well-researched& with added appeal for anyone with a loved one suffering from brain disease. Fascinating popular science. Neurologist Peskin debuts with an impressive account of the search for cures for a number of neurologic diseases including dementia and psychosis...Theres much to savor in this powerful survey. Captivating and convincing&should bring hope and confidence to general readers as well as general practitioners, and to the millions living with neurodegenerative illness and their families. An exemplary work. US