Ever since I found myself being transported by a discussion of soul in The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat I have eagerly sought out Oliver Sacks' writing. Even though his books have all the trappings of academic writing (footnotes, bibliography, technical asides) they read as engaging and empathetic accounts of unusual humans.
The "anthropologist" of the title is Dr. Temple Grandin (http://www.grandin.com/), an expert on cattle behaviour who also has Asperger's Syndrome. While some of the individuals described in the book have little ability to reflect on their own condition, Dr. Grandin has contributed significantly in her own writing to an understanding of the world of those living with Aspergers. In the chapter, Oliver Sacks starts with a review of the way this particular syndrome came to be defined, then describes a day spent with Dr. Grandin. As with other accounts in the book Sachs writes about those with whom he has had direct contact, and embeds his reflection and discussion in the story of that contact.
His aim through all of these stories and reflections is to enquire about the nature of the human mind, and thus inevitably into the nature of "human".
There is no single conclusion to come from the book, but it serves as an introduction for the general reader to the investigations of neurophysiology. I am left with a sense of wonder, and greater appreciation of the complexity of the brain and mind. This book is suitable for any age that can handle the complexity of ideas and poignancy of some of the stories.
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