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April is Autism Awareness Month and I thought I‘d share some of my favourite ASD reads. This collection of short stories by Oliver Sacks is one of the best non-fictions I‘ve read. Sacks is genius but his subject shine. My favourite interview is the one he conducted with Temple Grandin. It was eye opening, heart breaking, triumphant, sad, and illuminating! A must read!

Reading about a man who painted his home town only to find his old gallery is now my friends‘ tattoo shop. Here‘s an old Google Maps snapshot of a few of us standing out front. North Beach is so layered. I love reading about places I spend time in, especially accidentally!

Friday's #bookmail. When Breath Becomes Air for #Goodreads 2018 Reading Challenge, An Anthropologist on Mars for #freakyfriday.

@CSeydel @Clwojick @monalyisha

#lifeonmars #septembowie

I finally have a perfect book for one of these prompts! This book made me fall in love with Oliver Sacks. It's probably one of my top ten reading experiences of all time. "Neurological patients are travellers to unimaginable lands" writes Sacks.
He uses 7 incredible case studies to shine a light on the complex functioning of our brains - with respect and empathy. Easy to read and simply fascinating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2017, Book 2 "Another patient... suffered a huge cerebral haemorrhage. Emerging from a coma, he started to recover and eventually recovered most of his intellectual powers, but is severely impaired - bland, flat, indifferent emotionally. But all this changes, suddenly when he sings. He has a fine tenor voice and loves Irish songs. When he sings, he does so with a fullness of feeling, a tenderness, a lyricism, that are astounding."

I read this just as I was beginning my academic career in biopsychology & anthropology. I can tell you, despite my college's assertion there was no link between the two sciences (What?!?!?!?), Sacks' coining of the term "neuroanthropoligist" inspired me to push forward with pursuing my two most loved disciplines. This book is a gem, a collection of case studies that will make you reflect on disability, brain function, and consciousness itself.