I fell in love with the mind of Oliver Sachs 33 years ago when I read "The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat". I saw "Awakenings" in a movie theatre as a new release in 1990. Sadly he passed away in August of 2015. This autobiography was published just months before his death. In it he is very candid about the foibles and follies of his life and the grace and sometimes mean spiritedness of colleagues and friends. He brought the intricacies of the brain and nervous system into a form that reads as great literature. Though he describes himself a socially reticent, in his writing he has always been a man you liked, not just as an author, but as a human being. Highly recommend!!! Kristi & Abby Tabby

Quite good and an easy read, especially if you know who he is and have read his other work(s). The 4 stars instead of 5 is for the overly long passages about his own drug using/motorcycle riding/weight lifting/cross country travelling days. Ay carumba!

It was interesting to note that someone of his intellect and (later) fame did these things, but, enough already! More interesting to him than to anyone else I think.

If you think of Oliver Sacks as a kindly old doctor with a somewhat odd manner, this wild ride through his sexual awakening, drug experimentation, motorcycle road trips, and unorthodox work arrangements will shake that up. Written shortly before he died, this memoir is strange and beautiful, like the man himself.

Very good read. Fascinating life. Got a little (read way) over my head sometimes when he got into discussions on neurological issues but for the most part very readable

I love Sacks' writing about his patients and his thinking. In this autobiography, he tells us more about himself. I was touched and surprised by what he wrote. I wished so much that I could have known him. He was very shy and a wonderful, warm person as well as a caring doctor and a brilliant thinker about what it is to be human.

a wonderful read.

More reportage than personal. Sacks avoids deep introspection. But a good read.

I truly loved reading this book! I borrowed it from the library but had to buy my own copy. Dr. Sacks is an interesting case... he comes across as matter of fact sometimes, conceited at others. However, his life was never dull and I marvel at the details he remembers from his youth. I feel as if the story ends abruptly but, I realize, it was because I could have gone on reading his story forever. Oh how I wish I could have known this man in person! He was, at times, impulsive and reckless yet he was intelligent and kind. Above all, he was lucky.
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Please read it.

Olive Sacks had a most unusual and interesting life. He has the gift of being able to tell a great story about his life with such insight and openness. I became intrigued about his life after reading 'The Mind's Eye' and then remembering the movie 'Awakenings'. After reading his work I've become more understanding about the differences in people and how it's possible for one to have difficulty with how some people are in the world. He talks about face blindness which I never knew existed until reading his work. I loved this book and look forward to reading 'Gratitude'.

Oliver Sacks, besides being a famous neuroscientist, was a great story teller. This book is full of good stories, both about Sacks's life and his work.