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Oliver Sacks – Awakenings – First Edition 1973
£275.00
First edition, first printing. Published by Duckworth in London, 1973. This is a fine copy. The dust wrapper is fine and has not been price clipped, showing the original £3.25 net price. The boards are free from notable chips and marks. The internals are clean, without inscriptions. The text blocks are bright and white, but with some slight spotting to the top edge. Overall, this is a fine copy of a scarce book.
“Awakenings” is a book written by Dr. Oliver Sacks, originally published in 1973. It is also the basis for a 1990 film of the same name starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. The book is a non-fiction work that documents Dr. Sacks’ experiences working with patients who had been in a catatonic state for decades as a result of an epidemic of encephalitis lethargica in the early 20th century.
The central theme of “Awakenings” is the remarkable and emotionally moving account of how Dr. Sacks used a drug called L-Dopa to “awaken” these patients from their catatonic states, essentially bringing them back to life after years of immobility and isolation. The book delves into the medical, psychological, and ethical aspects of this treatment, as well as the profound impact it had on the patients and their families. Through a series of case studies and personal narratives, Dr. Sacks explores the human condition, the mysteries of the brain, and the fragility of life and identity. He raises questions about the nature of consciousness and the complexities of medical intervention.
A poignant and thought-provoking work that combines medical history, neuroscience, and personal storytelling to examine the resilience of the human spirit and the power of medical innovation in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
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- Description
Description
First edition, first printing. Published by Duckworth in London, 1973. This is a fine copy. The dust wrapper is fine and has not been price clipped, showing the original £3.25 net price. The boards are free from notable chips and marks. The internals are clean, without inscriptions. The text blocks are bright and white, but with some slight spotting to the top edge. Overall, this is a fine copy of a scarce book.
“Awakenings” is a book written by Dr. Oliver Sacks, originally published in 1973. It is also the basis for a 1990 film of the same name starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. The book is a non-fiction work that documents Dr. Sacks’ experiences working with patients who had been in a catatonic state for decades as a result of an epidemic of encephalitis lethargica in the early 20th century.
The central theme of “Awakenings” is the remarkable and emotionally moving account of how Dr. Sacks used a drug called L-Dopa to “awaken” these patients from their catatonic states, essentially bringing them back to life after years of immobility and isolation. The book delves into the medical, psychological, and ethical aspects of this treatment, as well as the profound impact it had on the patients and their families. Through a series of case studies and personal narratives, Dr. Sacks explores the human condition, the mysteries of the brain, and the fragility of life and identity. He raises questions about the nature of consciousness and the complexities of medical intervention.
A poignant and thought-provoking work that combines medical history, neuroscience, and personal storytelling to examine the resilience of the human spirit and the power of medical innovation in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
