Reading Modern Society: A Review of the Book 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat'

This report provides a review of the book 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat' by Oliver Sacks. It explores the context of the book, the author's background and perspective, the methodology used, and the legacy of the book. The main purpose of the book is to raise awareness about mental disorders in modern society.

Reading Modern
Society
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Introduction............................................................................................................................3
Context of Book.....................................................................................................................3
The Author..............................................................................................................................4
Background and Perspective..................................................................................................4
Methods and Methodology.....................................................................................................5
The Book Itself.......................................................................................................................6
Legacy of Book......................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
Modern society defines people in society living together in present time and it involves in
various factors that are current sociological, artistic climate, political and scientific. Reading in
modern society is essential because it develop imagination, mind and creative phase of person. Is
assist in improve communication in both terms spoken and written of vocabulary and spelling
(Cavanna, 2019). It play huge role in building positive self image in society and this function is
necessary in current society. Below report based Review of a Book that is The man who mistook
his wife for a hat. This book was published in 1985 publish by Summit and Gerald Duck-worth.
This book based on Neurology and psychology and author is Oliver sacks. Below report includes
Introduction about book, book context, about author, perspective and background, methodology
and methods, book itself and legacy of book. The main purpose of this book is to aware people
about these type of mental issues and illness.
MAIN BODY
Introduction
Main purpose behind this book is to understand different mind sets of people and
differentiate normal people and people who have mental disorder (Thomas, 2018). This case
study is based on one of his patients who have different kind of issues. Books pages are more
than 223 and it was first edition. Preceded by a leg to stand on in 1985 and followed by seeing
voices in 1989. This book is based on 24 case studies and there are different cases studied by
Oliver sacks and as per illness he gave particular title to that.
Context of Book
Oliver Sacks advert to various important historical events and including end of world war
second in 1945. Sleepy sickness epidemic on east coast of US in 1920. elections in 1980 of
Ronald Reagan as a president. This book publish in 1985 and mental issues are major issue in
society but they are not aware about various kind of metal illness. They see those patients with
different perspectives. Government also not focus on these problems and they didn't try to make
some government schemes for these kind of people (Corneau, 2018). If society cannot
understand these issues and it impact on cultures of society in negative manner. People facing
metal illness since world war second. Christopher Rawlence wrote a book that is libretto based
on chamber opera and directed by Michael morris with the music by nyman. Based on story. The
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book of Man who mistook his wife for a hat was produced firstly by contemporary arts institute
in 1986 in London (Yadav, 2019)..
The Author
He spent his childhood in London with parents and his mother is a surgeon and father is
general practitioner. Parents sent him to boarding school for maximum four years during time of
world war to recreation air raids then attack city. In 1965, he was become a best instructor at
Albert Einstein university of medicine in Bronx located in New York and he become clinical
professor of Neurology. He enumerated future experience in terms of personal and professional
in a series of written volumes for potential audience. He having injury in leg in mountaineering
accident and he learned about firsthand how a dismissal of physician of condition of patients.
Oliver Sacks author of Man who mistook his wife for a hat was born in 9th July 1933 in
England. He studied in Oxford and took medical degree in 1960. After he was a intern in Mount
Zion Hospital in San Francisco which is followed by UCLA and after internship he worked as a
neurologist at hospital in Bronx (Daly, 2020). At that place Sacks came across lots of patients
who has been comatose ever since 1920's “sleepy sickness” epidemic. He researched about
patient's disorders and understands their illness. As per different illness Sacks differentiate
between patient and normal people. A sack is a writer also who won acclaim for sympathetic
case which is histories of patients and with unusual neurological illness.
Background and Perspective
This Book was written on the basis of illness of patients who faced issues, one of those
patients is facing an issue of visual agnosia neurological condition and this illness means patient
cannot recognize objects and faces of people. He came across various kinds of patients and book
comprises the twenty four topics splits in four different sections that are Excesses, losses, world
of simple and transport and each one is dealing with specific brain function aspects (Dostoevsky,
2020). The first two section of this book based on deficits and excesses which states with
specific emphasis on right hemisphere of brain. Third and fourth section discuss
phenomenological manifestation with mention to spontaneous reminiscences, extraordinary
qualities of mind and altered perceptions these are found in people with intellectual disabilities.
Sacks wrote book on the basis of facts of mental disorders and people and government of country
are not aware about this health issues. It is important to observe those people who are facing
these kind of issues to provide better health measures and medical facilities and don't judge on
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the basis of their mental health. Major aim behind this book is to provide knowledge in society
so they can understand and support them in their disorders. This book provides positive
perspective in public towards patients and their problems. In 1933-2015 Oliver sacks was
inspired to write book of “the man who mistook his wife for a hat” by different patients whose
cases doesn't fit in prevailing field of neurology and sacks explained concept as mechanistic
(Howitt, 2019). Instead of imagination of mind as s machines or computer. Blend of science of
sacks and storytelling states subtler abilities and incapacities of self. Sacks wrote with
compassion about inventiveness and resilience of different patients but he didn't gloss over their
facing sometimes thwarted lives. This book inspired a generation of neurologists and this was a
medicine movement that emphasizes thought of proprioception. Use of narratives of patients in
healing and book is still read in current scenario by those who are excited about spirit of human
and connection between mind and brain. In society people are more aware about these now days
and they treat people normally, also support them in their life. Author’s main motive behind this
book is to spreading awareness about these types of mental issues because no one talk about
these issues and society treat them in wrong manner.
Methods and Methodology
In this book author Oliver Sacks at reducing edge task taking place in his own field and
decided that enough of it doesn't fit for purpose. He found it is difficult to understand why
generally doctors adopted an impersonal and mechanical approach to patients (Kabat-Zinn,
2018). He opened his mind in innovated ways to treat different people with disorders of
neurology. Sacks explored inquiry of deciding that such new path might be by formidable
developing with innovated thinking skills. Sacks take interview of different kind of people who
faced various kind of metal disorders some issues are treatable and some are not. He discusses
more than twenty cases with different neurological illness. In various chapter's he recount every
chapter and he reflects on particular case in a huge context. Comparing his exploring with same
cases which are reported by doctors. Sacks explained cases of people whose limbs strange to
them and provide cases of syndrome of tourette. Patient's case that is intellectually disabled but
also gifted with mathematical and artistic skills. Some patients cannot recognize people or any
objects.
There are some ethical issues found in this case studied book that is explained below as;
 Patient relationship with doctors
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 Stigma and Labelling
 Intellectual disabilities
 Patient's Confidentiality
These issues are serious for medical science and society (Reckwitz, 2018). This has impact in
various terms of ethics in entire world.
The Book Itself
In this book there are various illness described of patients and sacks took one book title
based on one of patient mental disorder of visual agnosia. Some cases are explained below of
patient's mental illness;
 Jimmie G faced anterograde amnesia which means people loss of ability to from new
memories due to Korsakoff's syndrome and patient remember nothing of his life phase
since world war second and also including events which happened only few hours ago.
Sacks give a title to this case that is “The lost mariner”. He still believes that it is 1945.
 Ronald Reagan faced Agnosiacs and Aphasiaces in this he feels like if group of people
laughed he feels like this is speech of president. That is why sacks give title of “The
president's speech”.
 One lady losing their entire senses of proprioception sue to toxicity of vitamin B6 and
sacks give a title of “The disembodied lady”.
 One young man discuss a case with sacks that is he feel like when he sleeping and when
he woke up he find his one leg is look like alien's leg. He assuming that nurse had played
a prank on him and patient attempted to toss leg out of the bed and only to found that he
was connected to it (Martin, 2018). Sacks tried to convince him that there is no alien and
leg is his own.
 Sacks give a title to one patient that is “on the level” in this he faced proprioception
damage which means he face issues while walking upright and discovers that patient lost
his innate balance of sense due to Parkinson's such as symptoms which have inner ear
damage. He comparing his sense of balances to a spirit level carpenter and advised
constructing a same level inside a glasses pairs. This cannot to judge balance by sights
and after few days and keeping task his eye on level became tiring less.
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 Sacks meet with twins brother who cannot perform and read multiplications patient face
issue of autistic savants which means a rare condition some people with important mental
illness or disabilities that demonstrates various abilities fast excess of a average.
 One women's age is sixty who faced hemispatial neglect issue which means a
neuropsychological condition and after one damage of hemisphere of brain is sustained.
Attention deficit and awareness of single side of vision field is observed (Morselli, 2018).
She forgets ideas of left similar to her own body and nurse place drink or food on her left
side but patient fails to recognize. Sacks give a title that is “eyes right”.
 22 years old student of medical field and he had some drugs such as Amphetamines, PCP
and Cocaine and suddenly he was woke up in morning and he feels like he has
tremendously of heightened sense of smells. Sacks gives title to this case that is “The dog
beneath the skin”
 Jose had deemed a hopelessly retarded and also had seizures and sacks give him a title of
“The Autistic Artist”. Once sacks given a pocket watch and asked him to draw it but
patient composed himself and watch drew in surprising details.
Legacy of Book
An Oliver sack is most neurologist people in neuroscience and terminal prognosis
announced to entire world via an op-eds piece in times of New York. Author was a doctor who
is came fame via selling best books. Understanding deep and grasp on brain that allowed to sacks
write scientifically for public and society. Adopting narrative such are stories from own life, case
studies examples and sacks brought lots of disorders related to neurological to life. His fame
regular grow through the famous book of “the man who mistook his wife for a hat” that was
made in opera. Somehow he is responsible for incredible exploring in neuroscience field. Sacks
uncovered science behind lots of phenomena in neurological. After some years he inspired other
neuroscientists to continue discovering and researching but he fuelled exploration of final
frontiers in entire world (Parvan, 2020). In world there are average people available who
understand brains functions by reading articles research and what they found on internet. It is not
easy to decode Neuroscience, terminology and behind science and he made it so non-scientists
could get understanding. There are important reasons behind this book that is normal people and
non scientist people can understand these types of mental disorders so if they find these type of
patients people can treat in normal way. In current scenario through this book and some other
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sources people are more aware about all issues and they treat them as normally. People’s
thinking ability becomes more change with the growing society.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded the above report and this is based on book, reading book in present
scenario is most important because it gives a proper knowledge and gaining mental skills. In
book and author is a doctor in neurology field. He observe each patient case and their mental
disorders as per issue he gives a title. The basic purpose behind this book is increasing
understanding of brain functions and various types of disorders so society can understand people
in better way and treat them as a normal person. Country's government not focusing on these
type of issues and not providing any funds for these issues. This book become famous because of
facts behind cases and in current scenario there are many people available in entire world who
facing these type of issues but society treat them in different manner. This book has positive
aspects because it provides knowledge about different kind of neurology problems. There are
some recommendations as per above discussion that are author should include some precautions
to deal with mental illness and write about reasons behind disorders. He can write second version
of this book and take some health measures and reasons so people can understand more and right
manner. The approach he used is impersonal and he directly take sessions of various patients
basically is based on one to one method and also a primary method.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cavanna, A.E., 2019. Brainwaves and brainstorms.
Corneau, G., 2018. Absent fathers, lost sons: The search for masculine identity. Shambhala
Publications.
Daly, M., 2020. Evolutionary psychology and inequality. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences.
Dostoevsky, F., 2020. The Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Notes from Underground,
Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, The Brothers Karamazov. Strelbytskyy
Multimedia Publishing.
Howitt, D., 2019. Introduction to qualitative research methods in psychology: Putting theory into
practice. Pearson UK.
Kabat-Zinn, J., 2018. Proprioception—the Felt Sense of the Body. Mindfulness, 9(6), pp.1979-
1980.
Martin, A., 2018. The river of consciousness [Book Review]. Australian Humanist, The, (130),
p.23.
Morselli, A., 2018. From the Nation-State to a World Society: An Institutional Reading of
Globalization. Journal of Economic Issues, 52(3), pp.653-675.
Parvan, A., 2020. What is this thing called “health”? An ontology for person-centred
care. European Journal for Person Centered Healthcare, 8(1), pp.103-118.
Reckwitz, A., 2018. The invention of creativity: Modern society and the culture of the new. John
Wiley & Sons.
Thomas, S.P., 2018. Finding inspiration from the philosophy of Maurice Merleau-Ponty for the
practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 32(3),
pp.373-378.
Yadav, M., 2019. Action, Body, Technology: A Study of Cave,“The Man Who” and Hands. The
Journal of Somaesthetics, 4(2).
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