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My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey | Jill Bolte Taylor
22 posts | 35 read | 29 to read
A brain scientist's journey from a debilitating stroke to full recovery becomes an inspiring exploration of human consciousness and its possibilities On the morning of December 10, 1996 Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke when a blood vessel exploded in the left side of her brain. A neuroanatomist by profession, she observed her own mind completely deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life, all within the space of four brief hours. As the damaged left side of her brain ? the rational, grounded, detail and time-oriented side ? swung in and out of function, Taylor alternated between two distinct and opposite realties: the euphoric nirvana of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace; and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized Jill was having a stroke, and enabled her to seek help before she was lost completely. In My Stroke of Insight, Taylor shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery, and the sense of omniscient understanding she gained from this unusual and inspiring voyage out of the abyss of a wounded brain. It would take eight years for Taylor to heal completely. Because of her knowledge of how the brain works, her respect for the cells composing her human form, and most of all an amazing mother, Taylor completely repaired her mind and recalibrated her understanding of the world according to the insights gained from her right brain that morning of December 10th. Today Taylor is convinced that the stroke was the best thing that could have happened to her. It has taught her that the feeling of nirvana is never more than a mere thought away. By stepping to the right of our left brains, we can all uncover the feelings of well-being and peace that are so often sidelined by our own brain chatter. A fascinating journey into the mechanics of the human mind, My Stroke of Insight is both a valuable recovery guide for anyone touched by a brain injury, and an emotionally stirring testimony that deep internal peace truly is accessible to anyone, at any time.
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review
AileenRR
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Mehso-so

Not as interesting as I anticipated it would be, but I liked how she described feeling like a liquid/part of humanity as whole after her stroke, and then getting more solid/individual the further she progressed in her recovery

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Ruthiella
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Mehso-so

Another #14Books14Weeks2023 book done and dusted. I never would have picked this up for myself. My friend who is a pediatrician gave it to me.

The part about her interaction with medical personnel, both good and bad, was interesting to me. But the sciencey parts about the brain, even incredibly simplified here, made me sleepy. And the La La part about accessing the “right brain” to reach a state of peace has been done elsewhere - not a new idea.

Suet624 This is sitting in a huge pile of books waiting to be read at some point before I die. Hopefully I can skim the science. 😊 1y
Ruthiella @Suet624 I think I am just particularly bad at anatomy! 1y
Suet624 I can find it fascinating while I‘m reading but I never retain a bit of it. So why bother. LOL. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1y
58 likes3 comments
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TheBookgeekFrau
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A brain scientist observes the events of her own stroke and recovery. A totally absorbing, and fascinating read.

#MayMontage #ScienceRelated

Eggs Sounds quite compelling! 2y
39 likes2 comments
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beautifulcrevice
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2/3 through. thankfully i can rely on my psych degree knowledge to get me through the really brainy sections. being a social worker, i like how she talks about abilities and disabilities, cognition, and the mind/body connection. very insightful and interesting read thus far! 🧠👩‍⚕️🤓 #mystrokeofinsight #stroke #brain #recovery

BGam Such pretty nails 😍 5y
10 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Come-read-with-me
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you‘re interested in the impact of stroke on someone‘s life, this is the book for you. Dr.Bolte-Taylor was a researcher at the Harvard brain bank when she had a massive stroke. This is an astounding insight into how life changes post-stroke and the amazing things that can be accomplished through with therapy. An absolute winner!

13 likes1 stack add
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SoManyBooksNotEnoughTime
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Pickpick

My cousin's husband (early 40s) had a stroke a couple of months ago and is currently recovering. We are passing around copies of this book to all our family members. The book offers very helpful tips on dealing with the patient during this time in ways that are beneficial but not overwhelming. We understand the recovery process will be long and hard, but this book proves that full recovery is possible. It is the inspiration we all need right now.

SW-T Best to your cousin‘s husband and your family as he recovers! 6y
14 likes2 comments
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TheBookgeekFrau
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Pickpick

A brilliant read that reads like a novel. Fascinating explanations of how the brain works to interpret the world.

#AprilBookishMadness #BooksWithIllness

Dolly I found this a fascinating read especially for the fact that she was an expert in this area. Even so, her knowledge was eclipsed by the stroke. 7y
TheBookgeekFrau @Dolly Her own fascination at the lack of ‘understanding‘ in her knowledge prior to the stroke is what I found most compelling (I hope I‘m remembering this correctly, it‘s been 5 or so years since I read it) 7y
49 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Morgan7r
Mehso-so

Similar to #WhenBreathBecomesAir but not as good. Still somewhat interesting to have the perspective of a brain scientist enduring a stroke.

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KindaKath
Pickpick

Amazing story of a physician who suffers a stroke. She worked hard to get back to herself.

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EmilyChristine
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Pickpick

Spent my time here today hiking. Listened to this on my way to and from. I had started reading it but decided to finish it today on audio. Hayes Lake State Park is just over an hour away from me. It was worth the drive to see forests compared to my prairie home. 😊🌲I love trees.

suvata Beautiful 7y
Jhullie What a fabulous place. 7y
TrishB Looks fab 💗 7y
32 likes3 comments
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Craft__Beard
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$8.00 for the lot. ✌️

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EmilyChristine
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Going to start a book from a friend. Might need to take a few breaks for something lighter so I'll pick from the bottom three romances. 🤓💕

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violabrain
Pickpick

This is an amazing book that describes what it is like to have a stroke and then recover, written by a neuroscientist. I recommend this all the time to the families of people who have had strokes so they can understand what is going on with their loved one.

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weirdomir

Most important, I had to be willing to try. The try is everything. I may have to try, try and try again with no results for a thousand times before i get even a inkling of a result, but if I don't try, it may never happen.

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weirdomir

I really understood that we all have the ability to lose pieces of ourselves one program at a time.

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weirdomir

Those little voices, that brain chatter that customarily kept me abreast of myself in relation to the world outside me, were silent. And in their absence, my memories of the past and my dreams of the future evaporated.

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weirdomir

This book is about the beauty and resiliency of our human brain because of its innate ability to constantly adapt to change and recover function

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laurabradburywriter
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Pickpick

I LOVED this book. I bought it at Value Village for $2.99 and devoured it in 24 hours. I saw her fantastic TED talk but the book gives so many more dimensions to her insights as a brain scientist experiencing a stroke. So many insights into reality, death, anxiety, peace...an extraordinary book.

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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Pickpick

Jill had a stroke on the left side of her brain at 37. She describes how the stroke itself felt in exquisite detail. Her recovery story helps stroke survivors and the people around them know how to best aid recovery. In the last few chapters, Jill offers ideas to implement her insights in your life.

17 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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The author is re-learning how to read. How profoundly a life can change just by taking that one ability away!

pageturnersnook I am a BSc Psychology student and part of one of my assignments featured Jill - truly inspirational. If you can find her TED Talk regarding get stroke it is amazing but heart wrenching. 9y
Bkwurm This quote and your comment just stopped me in my tracks. I will never take my ability to read for granted again. 9y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @lauraturner I saw her TED talk many years ago. Just getting to the book and need to watch again! 9y
See All 8 Comments
pageturnersnook @BarbaraTheBibliophage Barbara I cried watching it. That woman is a true inspiration. 9y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Bkwurm I agree. My dad had a stroke and lost his ability to enjoy books. He could only read in short bursts. It made him a whole different person, as it would change me also. 9y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @lauraturner She sure is! The book is terrific. Her description of what it felt like during and shortly after the stroke is amaaaaaazing. 9y
pageturnersnook @BarbaraTheBibliophage think I need to buy this book. It'll be a keeper too. Never get rid! I'll pop it in my uni/research section 9y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @lauraturner A perfect example of why I love Litsy! I hope you enjoy it. 9y
14 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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My favorite reading spot. No one else is awake and I have a fuzzy blanket and a cup of tea with my latest book.

NatalieR I love those moments! 😌 9y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Me too! 🤗 9y
17 likes2 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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More reading about people who have lived through strokes. Apparently I have a theme happening here. It is fascinating.

15 likes3 stack adds