Book Club - Open Chat

Backyard Bench Reading!

The second case is called The Last Hippie - a man who suffered a frontal lobe tumor in the 60's has essentially been locked in time, when his favorite band was The Grateful Dead.  He can't hold on to new information and doesn't even seem to realize his injuries, (such as his blindness).  Dr. Sacks finds that his musical memory is most intact though, as he can remember songs and even learn new ones, although he isn't consciously aware of this new learning.

Sacks took this patient to a Dead concert in 1991 - there was a reality check as they played songs he had never heard before.  He knew it was them, but he thought the music sounded weird and futuristic.  After listening to the tape more, he was able to integrate the new songs into his musical library.

A favorite quote of mine:

"The whole vast Garden was now in motion with the music, eighteen thousand people responding together, everyone transported, every nervous system synchronized, in unison."

I love that feeling.

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Did you read any RJ Silver?  Let us know in the comments!

Share anything else you've been reading as well!