Oliver Sacks documents seven interesting cases that he came across during his career as a neurologist in An Anthropologist on Mars. The book provides an insight into the workings of the human mind. For someone without a degree in the medical field, the book proves to be an engaging introduction into the workings of the human mind. Sacks’ writing does not stop there though, he delves deeper into the perceptions and perspectives of the mind.
As he chronicles the lives of a savant, a surgeon with Tourettes syndrome and a blind painter (among others), he highlights the productive side of the brain impairment story. His accounts show how the human brain adapts in situations where there is a deviation from the norm, much like nature. How lacking in one, the brain can become very enriched in another aspect.
His detailed recollections serve to soften the narrative of a mind which is not perceived as normal. Reading through the book evokes feelings of compassion, understanding and belonging. It highlights how complex our brains can be and how much more can be learnt about it. As a sum, reading the book makes one aware of the subjectivity of normalcy, as the human brain dictates it.
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