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Ramachandran phantoms in the brain6/28/2023 He defends this method when he pointed out that ‘in neurology, most of the major discoveries that have withstood the test of time were, in fact, based initially on single-case studies and demonstrations ‘ (page xiii). Contrary to the prevailing practice of studying large groups of diverse subjects, the author prefers a detailed observation of exceptional individuals, and his many breakthroughs demonstrate that this is an effective strategy. The author’s methodology is to study singular unusual patients, and this research approach harks back to the origins of neurology. The author is remarkable for his astute ideas, his simple but effective approach to research, and his groundbreaking neuroscience discoveries. He infuses his narrative with humorous and insightful prose, such as when he discusses Paul, his patient with epilepsy, who ‘was intense and self-absorbed and had the arrogance of a believer but none of the humility of the deeply religious’ (page 180). Like a codebreaker, he deciphers countless brain mysteries and many intractable neurological conundrums. To accomplish this goal, he recounts seemingly endless ‘ true-life stories‘ of fascinating neurological disorders (page xiii). The author of this book, one the leading figures in neuroscience, unapologetically declared that his intention was to write ‘a popular book on the brain’. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee Synopsis
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