Report: Oliver Sacks' The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Oliver Sacks' renowned clinical literature, 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.' It delves into the context of the book, exploring the author's background as a neurologist, naturalist, and writer, and his unique perspective on neurological disorders. The report examines the book's structure, which is divided into thematic sections addressing various neurological conditions, including losses, excesses, transports, and the world of the simple. It highlights Sacks' case study approach, showcasing patient experiences and their adaptations to their conditions, while also discussing the author's approach of combining scientific observation with humanistic understanding. Furthermore, the report discusses the book's legacy, its impact on the understanding of neurology, and its contribution to the intersection of science and human experience. The report critically assesses the book's approach, particularly its emphasis on the psychological and emotional aspects of neurological disorders, and how Sacks encourages a broader perspective beyond solely scientific treatments. The analysis includes a discussion of the author's critical reception, highlighting his contributions to the field and his ability to humanize the patient experience.

The Man Who
Mistook His Wife for
A Hat

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Context of the Book.....................................................................................................................3
About the Author.........................................................................................................................4
Background and Perspective of The Author................................................................................4
Approach......................................................................................................................................5
About the Book............................................................................................................................6
Legacy..........................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
Books and Journals....................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
The report is based on a very precious work of Clinical literature of 20th century named
“The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat”. The report has explained various points and ideas
that are presented by the author Oliver Sacks with the help of this book. It has summarised the
content this book deals with as different cases of patients suffering from Neurological disorders ,
what is the context of this book, it has also been mentioned about the personal and professional
life of the author, what are the main ideas presented in the book that make it so precious in the
history of literature, what is the background and how the idea of writing this clinical literature
came in the mind of the author and what legacy did it left in the world.
MAIN BODY
Context of the Book
In the book the author tries to study science of Neurology with the help of 24 case
studies. Neurology is a branch of medical science which deals with the functioning of brains,
nerve system, spines etc. The study of Neurology began in 18th century with the studying f
animal brain functioning and nerve system and the human advances in the field were made in the
19th century (Arens, K., 2019). Discoveries made by French surgeon, Broca, in the field of
Neuroscience is considered as the development of modern Neurology, he identified links speech
problems and damage to certain part of the brain in left hemisphere.
However what is discussed by the author in the book is totally different part of
Neurology. Rather than just discussing medical aspects Sacks has also examined the limits of
medical science in treating mental disorders and proposes new ways and encourages to work
beyond these limits. To Neurology he sometimes mentions Neuropsychology and comprehend
connections between behaviour and mental functions to organic mental disease. Author's chief
concerns in the book are that how nervous system affects perception and experiences of the
patients, to which he cites as Neuropsychology. In the book sometimes mentioning of use of
Drugs, confirming of Diagnoses, references to EEG results and other tests can be seen, but what
is actually presented is totally different side of the science. The author can be seen by readers
acting partly as Diagnostician and partly as a sort of consultant for the patients, who is helping
them to understand how to make up their lives after being affected by disorders. Also, he learns
from patients, take advices and let them help him to guide treating them. Author can be

perceived criticizing Neurology to look their patients as mere subjects, more like machines and
human brains as computers.
About the Author
Oliver Wolf Sacks was a Neurologist, Naturalist, Historian of Science and the Author.
Born in Britain, Sacks has completed his studied in the Britain only and pursued his career in
United States. He believed that “Human Brain is the most incredible thing in the Universe”. As
the Author he is widely known for his writings the best-selling case histories which included
experiences of both, his patients' as well as his own disorders and unusual experiences. His work
in writing was so popular that some of them were also adapted for playwrights, feature films.
Short films, opera dance and other arts. Acknowledgement to his talent, New York Times called
him the “Poet laureate” of Contemporary medicine and “one of the greatest clinical writers of
20th century”. In his works he often illuminated how normal brain deals with perception,
individuality and memory (Brook, P., 2017).
Sacks underwent a radiation therapy in 2006 for U veal Melanoma in his right eye, that
eventually turned to his right eye blindness forever. In 2015, it was discovered that he had Ocular
tumour in his liver. Oliver announced this development in Feb 2015 and expected remaining
time in months. He died in Aug 2015, at the age of 82, and at that time he was accompanied by
some of his close friends.
Background and Perspective of The Author
The book was commissioned in the year 1985, and was produced by the Institute of
Contemporary Art for the first. The book draws its background from the point that the writer
Oliver sacks was inspired by the clinical writings of the 19th century from the Western world.
Already popular among the readers from his earlier works, like “Awakenings” and “A Leg to
Stand On”, the author put forward the work of clinical writing from this book. A doctor by
profession, author is nothing much but a habitual writer (Haan and et.al.., 2017). He tried to
present the problems in the real world that the patients who are suffering from several
neurological disorders faces. The perspective and purpose of the author is very clear behind
writing this book, that he also tries to clarify in the preface, that the situations and dilemmas of
these patients is not well understood by the science and thus the paradigm of the treatments that
it uses is too narrow to treat them completely. They could be cured from the disease by the
approach of science but they can not be made mentally strong against the social seclusion and

marginalisation they faces in the society. The a change in perception is more required and they
better be encouraged to accept their situation as it is. Therefore, this approach of author attracted
criticism from the medical community of that time, that the Oliver sacks is the one who is not
very popular doctor in the community and thus he has a limited knowledge, and this book can be
challenged over the grounds of pragmatism. However the book became very popular and was
seen as symbol of social empowerment.
Approach
In this book the author discusses about patients that are suffering from different types of
neurological disorders (Korr, M., 2018). The author goes on mentioning about the manner that
how much they are able to tackle their neurological disorders and tries to align it and their
personal behaviours with the so called normal world. The approach in the book used is simple
clinical writing. Author with the help of this book tries to make readers understand that the
science thinks human brains as subjects or a machine, but more than it they can be better dealt in
psychological ways. The doctors while treating patients with neurological disorders should carry
their work emotionally rather than than only being pioneer of science. In the preface of the book
Oliver Sacks cited that “I feel compelled to speak of tales and fables as well as cases”. He further
says “ the scientific and romantic in such realms cry out to come together....They come together
at the intersection of fact and fable, the intersection which characterises the lives of patients here
narrated.” from these arguments the perception of author is well understood. The finds neurology
not just the work of science but intersection of science and romance both.
Each part in the book deals with certain kinds of patients, that has some neurological
disturbances either deficits or excesses, that means either there are deficiencies in functioning of
the brain, they are problems like Korsakoff's syndrome and face blindness of Dr. P, are narrated
by the author (Lawrence, C., 2019). Another brain deficiency of Proprioception of Ms.
Christiana and cerebral palsy, helps author argues that such patients suffering from these
problems finds ways of compensating their their brain deficiencies in normal life, so they can
avoid any mismatches. They do so, consciously or unconsciously, because the paradigm of
medical science is too narrow. The aspects of deficits are related to part one, and similar aspects
are dealt by the author in each other part that helps create an understanding that human brains are
not only subjects of science but they are filled with emotions, feelings and psychology. The
nature of paradigm of treatments should be changed and and doctor must alter their perspectives.

Instead, of marginalising the patients with neurological disorders, doctors and society must find
ways through which these authors could be made more emotionally strong. They must help them
accepting their disorders and through this these human, not subjects, could find and enhance their
inner beauty and talents.
In this way, very beautifully, Oliver Sacks have made alignment of medical science and
clinical writings with humanity, ethics and romanticism. Although, it drew some criticism by the
doctors and society, that the authenticity of the book can be challenged on the basis of
pragmatism (Manolescu, I., 2019). But, the author put forward the much needed combined
approach of psychology and science in this realm, that can be more beneficial for treatment as
well as alter perspectives of the patients.
About the Book
For the purpose of putting forward it ideas the author has narrated different cases of his
patients, which deals with their neurological disorders. The author at the same time narrates
about their personal life, dilemmas faced by them, their ideas and perception. For a
comprehended presentation, author divided the books in four parts, each part speaking of a
particular theme of mental disorders. The themes are cited as “Losses” in part 1, “Excesses” in
part 2, “Transports” in part 3 and finally “The world of the Simple” in part 4. The thematic
presentation to clarity to thoughts regarding every type of disorder separately.
In part 1 under the theme “Losses” author has narrated about those patients that face
some kind of deficits in their brain which hampers their general understanding and behaviour as
per the world. Author argues that for two reasons paradigm of mental illness is too narrow, one
that the deficit is in the right hemisphere of the brain that can not be understood as deficit in
specific brain functioning and second that the paradigm underestimates abilities of finding ways
for compensating fr mental illness (MARYNIAK, A., 2020). The author mentions about one of
his patient Christiana who was suffering from Proprioception and was unable to feel her own
body, she had lost that sense. Another patient in this part Dr. P have had some sort of face
blindness and he could not recognise difference between his wife's face and his own red hat. In
this part the disorder of Korsakoff's syndrome is also mentioned, that another patient Jimmie G
was suffering from and thus he couldn't remember anything for more than few seconds. More
patients are mentioned in this part with other disorder like cerebral palsy etc. The author says
that these patients have found ways of compensating their mental deficiencies in some ways or

other to that of their normal lives, consciously and unconsciously. Thus Mr. Sacks has helped
them to train and work around their neurological problems so that they can live relatively normal
lives.
Similarly, in part 2 under the theme “Excesses” author talks about those neurological
illnesses in which patients feel and conceives that some part of their brain is excessively
functioning and there is abundance of reactions and thoughts. The author here mentioned about
several patients those were suffering from Tourette's Syndrome. As mentioned in the book, this
syndrome was not very much known in the medical community till 1970's and was considered
incredibly rare. The community gradually came to know about this. Discussed in the book some
other excesses in brain functioning that are construed by the patients as benefits, like Bouts and
Syphilis, where patient feel lively and energetic more than normal. This is more a misconstrued.
Then the author goes on mentioning about those patients who in a reaction to their disorders
compensated their senses of confusion and chaos, and has adopted new attitude or behaviours,
the author call it a manner in which they “Equalizes” themselves with the normal world. A
patient named Thompson couldn't remember anything for long tend to equalize his condition
with endless contradictions in his personal life (Singh, S. R., 2018). The patient rather do it so in
order to identify himself and to have a sense of self despite that he has no memory. The author
argues that the reaction of these patients are effects of these abundances in patients day to day
life, as compensation to their mental disorders.
In part 3 and part 4, the author intends to bring some philosophical flavours in writing
and mentions about some extraordinary abilities of patients who are suffering from neurological
disorders. In part 3 under the theme “Transports” author mentions that there could be cases
where disorders alters patient's perception about the world which could be though of as
visionary, euphoric or otherworldly (Trigg, S., 2017). The author discussed two women who
were hearing music loudly in their heads and conceived that these were experiences of recurring
seizures in temporal lobes of their brains. Author also cites an example of Indian patient
Bhagawhandi P who becomes nostalgic and euphoric after a terminal tumour, as if she was
having different kind of strange seizures in brain. Another patient Donald, while he was high on
PCP, murdered his child and reacted that he has forgotten everything altogether. He later after
surviving a head trauma experienced of killing again and again, that too everything in almost
photographic details. In addition later on, he developed ways of compensating his imaginary

abilities as he understood that he can not make his visions go away and learnt to live with new
conditions. The book also mentions about vivid hallucinations of Hildegard of Binger, that she
interpreted as divine visions, which could be voided as merely physiological in origin in the light
of medical knowledge. The author acknowledges to respect her intelligence, imaginations and
religious piety.
In part 4 under the theme “The world of Simple” author discusses about his work with
patients who are mentally ill in a significant way. This part of the book can be considered as the
most intellectual one among all. Author mentioned that at the beginning of his career he got an
opportunity to work with intellectually disabled patients. He earlier thought of them as
depressing but over the time recognised the beauty of their views and intelligence to understand.
The guiding theme of this part is Concreteness (Weschler, L., 2019). A state of mind where one
sees the reality of this world as a set of material things, rather than set of abstract concepts.
Author talks about a patient Rebecca who however had a low IQ level but a great sense of poetry
and poetic imaginations. She beautifully describes feeling in intricate material terms and hence
found ways of serving complex emotions in more tangible and concrete ways. Another patient
Martin A had a good knowledge of western musical history. John and Michael, twins, are also
mentioned in this part who despite of their mental deficiencies, possessed a great gifts of
Mathematics. Later they lost their powers when they got separated. A case of a child, Jose, is
also cited in the book, who have excelled at drawings. Although he didn't talk much with other
people but used drawings to forge his connection with world. Arguments put forward by author
in this part says that the world should help these Autistic people to develop and garner their
talents and should avoid marginalising them.
Legacy
The book had left a very profound legacy and impressions over the minds of the readers.
Its magic was seen even after many many years since its release in 1985. The book remained for
26 weeks in the New York Times bestseller list in 1986. And the paperback edition remained top
seller into March 1986.
Christopher Rawlence wrote a libretto for Chamber opera which was directed by Michael
Morris and music was given by Michel Nyman, that was based on the book. A TV version of the
same was broadcasted in United Kingdom (Whelan, M., 2017). The book was first produced by
Institute of Contemporary Art in 1986. Basing the storyline of the book, Peter Brook made an

acclaimed theatrical production called “L'Homme Qui”, which was premiered at a theatre in
Paris in 1993. Also, an Indian theatre company performed a play named “The Blue Mug”, that
as also based on the title of the book. In a episode on a TV show called “Parks and Recreation”,
the surprising nature Jerry's relationship with his wife, Christie Brinkley made representation of
an example of a case in this book. Also, a music video of Travis band, of Scottish Indie pop
genre “The Man Who” was named after the book.

CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it can be well noted that the the book “The Man who Mistook
his Wife for a Hat” was indeed one of the best creation of 20th century as well as in the history.
The book leaves leaves a strong over the impression over the min of the reader in a way that
compels them to change their outlook towards those who suffers mental disorder in any manner.
Their social seclusion and stigmatisation than can mean them as simply unacceptable (Wistrand,
J., 2018). According to the belief of the author Brain is the most incredible thing in the universe,
and when we talk about any disturbance in brain, than they are just a change in perspective,
thought and mental process, that may make such people who suffers any disorders more
beautiful and extraordinary, as seen in cases under part 4 of the book. Limitations of medical
practices and Neurology, when talked in the book, are convincing enough to make a shift from
Neurology to Neuropsychology.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Arens, K., 2019. The Need for Archives in the Practice of Theory. Castration, Impotence, and
Emasculation in the Long Eighteenth Century.
Brook, P., 2017. The man who: A theatrical research. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Haan and et.al.., 2017. Oliver Sacks and migraine. Cephalalgia, 37(10). pp.990-997.
Korr, M., 2018. A Goodbye Joe... Rhode Island Medical Journal, 101(10). pp.13-13.
Lawrence, C., 2019. The effect of familiarisation with autistic individuals on trainee teachers’
attitudes. Teacher Education Advancement Network Journal, 11(1). pp.37-45.
Manolescu, I., 2019. LITERARY HISTORY AND COGNITIVE SCIENCE. Dacoromania
litteraria, 6(1). pp.58-66.
MARYNIAK, A., 2020. WHEN THE BRAIN CHANGES THE SOUL—A
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE. The Soul in the Axiosphere from an Intercultural
Perspective, Volume One. p.36.
Singh, S. R., 2018. Life-writing and Disabled Self in the Works of Oliver W. Sacks. Disability in
South Asia: Knowledge and Experience. p.214.
Trigg, S., 2017. Chaucer's Silent Discourse. Studies in the Age of Chaucer, 39(1). pp.31-56.
Weschler, L., 2019. And how are You, Dr. Sacks?: A Biographical Memoir of Oliver Sacks.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Whelan, M., 2017. Inspiration is Power: Voices of information and advocacy for the reader of
autism narratives. Social Alternatives, 36(4). p.44.
Wistrand, J., 2018. Doctors as Patients: An Interpretative Study of Two Literary Narratives. Ars
Medica, 13(2).