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Title: Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman ISBN: 0-618-05252-6 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co Pub. Date: 25 March, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.00

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Average Customer Rating: 5 (3 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: "His closest companion was an iron rod."
Comment: Well, that will teach me not to read the entire review of a book before sending for it! Not that I'm complaining about the book...I thought it was for adults. It's not really, though I can see using it for reading and science literacy for deaf adults.

This is a great book. The explanations concerning what happened to Mr. Gage, and the science behind his medical recovery and subsequent personality problems is fairly well covered. There is a great glossary in the back with more information concerning terminology used in 'brain science' such as abscess and neurotransmitters that can be used as a jumping point for students to do their own research into areas that interest them, whether on the Internet or in libraries.

I kind of skimmed through the text. Most of it was stuff I've had over exposure to. The text is well written, just more simple than I am used to reading. Fleischman writes very tongue-in-cheek (come to think of it, Gage couldn't do that for a while on one side!). I appreciate Fleischman's humor, and I am sure most teachers and students will find it refreshing from boring textbooks written by professors or publishing houses. The science is correct in this book, which I am finding is often NOT the case in textbooks...so maybe teachers should stop using textbooks and use books such as this, journals and the Internet!

My favorite part of this book, of course, are the pictures, the MRI scans, the reconstitution of his brain within his skull using modern techniques. Very fun to see all this together. Gage is learned about in every neuroscience class I had from an undergrad to graduate level. We talk about the fact that he survived this stunning blow, about his personality changes in neuropsychiatric classes, about possible relations between other disorders such as autism and what happened in lobotomies (ugh!...). Everyone in Neuroscience knows about Gage. He is fascinating to the point of remembering his name when we can't remember names of past acquaintances.

Fun book, good science, great pictures, a good introduction for kids to neuroscience.

Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

Rating: 5
Summary: Science Made Irresistible
Comment: This is one compelling and very entertaining read, albeit not for the squeamish. While aimed at kids, adults will find it equally fascinating. It has all the elements of a wild work of fiction, yet it's an eyepoppingly true story--just try and put it down once you've opened it. It's great to see factual science presented in such a winning, approachable style. After ordering a copy for my biology-minded kids, we thought so highly of it that we got a copy to donate to our local library as well. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5
Summary: Outstanding read, great science
Comment: This book reads like a novel while delivering scientific knowledge and history effectively and accessibly. Highly recommended for youngsters (or adults!) interested in history, science, or unusual stories.

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