My stroke of insight: a brain scientist's personal journey, Jill Bolte Taylor, 2009, ISBN 9780452295544
With a line must be difficult for anyone. It must be that much harder to be a Harvard-trained brain scientist with a stroke, to know what happens to your brain, incidentally.
In December 1996 the author woke up one morning to know that something was very wrong with her. Within four hours had the left hemisphere of her brain had deteriorated to the point where she could no longer read, write, speak and understand what these squiggles was on her phone keypad. While her logical left brain shut down (she was able to get help in time), her intuitive right brain gave her a feeling of total peace and with the universe (not necessarily bad). Taylor is able to provide a nearly blow-by blow description of her brain is shut down. When she loses the ability to speak, which means that is affected, for example, a location known as Broca's area.
Taylor's type of stroke, called an arteriovenous malformation, abnormal arterial configuration. Although it is a rare type of stroke, it is the most common type of stroke in younger patients (Taylor was 37 years old when she suffered his stroke). After several days in the hospital sent her home with her mother, who had come to help nurse her back to health. The plan was to get her, and so strong, as possible, since the measure to determine her arterial malformation, a Stereotactic craniotomy, were on their way. She survived, and over the next few years was able to compile his brain back, leaving out the unpleasant and negative parts.
During her recovery, Taylor learned the things caregivers should and should not, do to help stroke patients. Make eye contact with me. Honoring the healing power of sleep. Speak slowly and speak clearly. Please do not raise your voice. Keep visiting card. Ask me a multiple-choice questions, not yes/no questions. Demolish all actions in smaller increments. Did not finish my sentences or fill in words I can not find.
This is a really interesting book. On one level, it looks inside the brain to show just what happens during a stroke, good for stroke victims or caregivers. On another level, it indicates that the two lobes of the brain have very different personalities. It is very readable.
Paul his competitor is a freelance book reviewer whose Web site, http://www.deadtreesreview.com/, has over 800 reviews on all subjects, with emphasis on small press books.