Oliver, Ian and Me

[Barrett Dorko]

You're right Ken.

[Ken Jakalski]

You gotta' love Oliver Sacks. In 1961 he set the California state record with a 600 lb squat.

A big man in many ways....

In addition to all the wonderful things we have learned from this gifted man, my buddies on the south side of Chicago would probably pay him what to them was the highest compliment:

"He's a guy I'd take with me to bars in bad neighborhoods."

I also think he would have many friends in Ohio.

[Barrett Dorko]

Nari,

I haven't heard Lorimer mention him.

I talked about him all the time. In fact, I used to quote from his books. I read Awakenings as soon as I heard about it. I think I was in college. His writing struck me as unusual and suited me. People displayed the ability to walk down the hall after decades in bed. I had been taught they couldn't.

I began to wonder.

[nari]

Talk about dragging up posts from years back! I had not read Sacks' Leg to Stand on until early this year - I have read all of his others and enjoyed his skillful narrative.

So here I was, familiar with some of the steep and landslide-prone slopes of Norwegian hills, easily imagining the Bull and Oliver having a confrontation, with the bull on the losing side - thanks to the Norwegian hikers - and his stay in hospital trying to work out what his disobedient leg was not doing.

Excellent story and a must-read for anyone who might still believe a pain rises from the MSK extremities.

I wonder if Lorimer has read it??? Probably..

[Dan84]

Awesome! Perfect excuse to finally buy a tablet for reading.

[HeadStrongPT]

Found an e-version of A Leg to Stand On this afternoon on Amazon.

[Ken Jakalski]

Right now, we are all experiencing....

The Joy of Sachs....

(Remember, it's Monday Pun-Day)

[Ken Jakalski]

“When I thought of the gesture indicating “So?” it would occur to me to shrug my shoulders, to shrug them expressively. I found this experience amusing, fascinating – and somewhat shocking; for it showed, very clearly, that one could have a sense or an illusion of free-will, even when the impulse was primarily physiologic in nature.”

From John Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan's insight:

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.”

[Barrett Dorko]

I'm bumping this up because it was recently mentioned elsewhere.

Is Sacks wrong?

[Diane]

It's a great little book.

[Barrett Dorko]

Glad you like it Byron.

Like you, I feel it should be read. I had about 6000 students when I was teaching for Cross Country from 2004 to 2008 - all therapists. I don't recall that any had ever heard of it. I read a passage from it but if it got through to anyone I never heard about it.

[byronselorme]

I finally started reading this book on Sunday. I can't put it down. Such a fascinating description of the internal experience he goes through from the point of isolation and desperation high on the mountain. The peaks and valleys of being found, of losing hope, of finding and losing and finding his leg.

This book is now one of my favourites. I think his encounter with the surgeon and the PT's should be required reading for people dealing with patients in a health care setting.

So glad I heard about it here. :thumbs_up:thumbs_up

[Richard Finn]

Just ordered it used for a penny. $3.99 shipping! There are a few left for the same price on Amazon!

Richard

[ian s]

reappraisal

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/769177_7

i remembered reading this a while back ...maybe of interest to some here...

http://www.isdbweb.org/app/webroot/d...ce86017433.pdf

[Jon Newman]

Oliver Sacks speaking at TED about hallucinations and what they reveal about our minds.

Great thread by the way.