Paul DeSantis
Oliver Sacks' work is definitely worth reading, and I would highly recommend The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Awakenings, but I don't know that The River of Consciousness is good without the additional context of its famous author.
This book is a collection of essays from the very of end of Sacks' life. It touches upon many different topics and summarizes a few aspects of his earlier work. He also discusses other famous psychologists and scientists and the difficulties of having a "legacy" as he he too has become a famous researcher.
I was interested in reading what Sacks had to say because I find his work interesting and think that he is a very thoughtful person, but I must admit that if my interest in Sacks hadn't kept me going, I likely would have DNF'd this book. It's difficult for me to recommend this to anyone who is unfamiliar with Oliver Sacks and I definitely would recommend his earlier works first. It's also worth noting that although many of these works were written at the end of Sacks' life, they are not particularly morbid or focused on death themselves, but "legacy" and "memory" are recurring themes.
Oliver Sacks' work is definitely worth reading, and I would highly recommend The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Awakenings, but I don't know that The River of Consciousness is good without the additional context of its famous author.
This book is a collection of essays from the very of end of Sacks' life. It touches upon many different topics and summarizes a few aspects of his earlier work. He also discusses other famous psychologists and scientists and the difficulties of having a "legacy" as he he too has become a famous researcher.
I was interested in reading what Sacks had to say because I find his work interesting and think that he is a very thoughtful person, but I must admit that if my interest in Sacks hadn't kept me going, I likely would have DNF'd this book. It's difficult for me to recommend this to anyone who is unfamiliar with Oliver Sacks and I definitely would recommend his earlier works first. It's also worth noting that although many of these works were written at the end of Sacks' life, they are not particularly morbid or focused on death themselves, but "legacy" and "memory" are recurring themes.
The God of the Woods was a very enjoyable read. I got my copy from Book of the Month Club after seeing it was highly rated there, and I think it's worth the praise it's been getting.
It's a mystery novel at its core and it does a great job of presenting facts from a few different perspectives and encouraging you to solve the crime with the characters. There are definitely clues that end up being red herrings, but never in a way that feels disingenuous to the reader. I felt strongly about my own (incorrect) theory, but I was still very pleased with the conclusion.
It was a bit longer than what I am used to reading (at nearly 500 pages), but I was very engrossed and finished it over just a few days. Definitely would recommend!
The God of the Woods was a very enjoyable read. I got my copy from Book of the Month Club after seeing it was highly rated there, and I think it's worth the praise it's been getting.
It's a mystery novel at its core and it does a great job of presenting facts from a few different perspectives and encouraging you to solve the crime with the characters. There are definitely clues that end up being red herrings, but never in a way that feels disingenuous to the reader. I felt strongly about my own (incorrect) theory, but I was still very pleased with the conclusion.
It was a bit longer than what I am used to reading (at nearly 500 pages), but I was very engrossed and finished it over just a few days. Definitely would recommend!
