Macabre yet humane, unsettling but affecting, he writes about the experiences of his patients and his experience as their psychologist. Nevertheless Into the Silent Land is as unsettling, mentally engaging and unusual a book as you are likely to read for some time. by Paul Broks RELEASE DATE: JA British neuropsychologist puts himself in the picture here, revealing his idiosyncrasies and worrying the issue of what we mean by self rather than simply presenting a random sample of bizarre cases. Paul Broks draws on 15 years as a neuropsychologist to present a narrative about memory and personal identity. But despite his deft touch and elegant, sparse style, toward the end he begins to leap fretfully from subject to subject before coming to an abrupt end. He goes on to explore his doubts as to whether neuropsychology can truly attain its stated aim of understanding consciousness.

He also includes professional anecdotes and other interesting phenomena that will be familiar to students of consciousness-phantom limbs, out-of-body experiences, ghosts, emotional response and the social instinct.

He turns the glare of his analysis on himself as intensely as he does on any of his other 'characters', revealing his own deepest concerns. Broks is careful and gentle with his subjects, recognising the humanity in each, which turns Into the Silent Land into a rare work of compelling, cerebral genius.īroks is as much a part of this book as any of his patients. We meet Michael and Stuart, textbook cases of equal and opposite brain wreckage Jeanie, who believes herself already dead and Robert's tumour that 'reset his personality dials'. We are plunged straight into the macabre world that Broks inhabits-an infernal and tragic look at people with bits of their brains missing. 0 Ratings 1 Want to read 1 Currently reading 0 Have read Borrow Listen. Into the Silent Land Travels in Neuropsychology 1 Amer ed edition by Paul Broks. Like some aberrant surgeon, neuropsychologist Paul Broks' debut book, Into the Silent Land peels apart the skull and declines to cauterise. Into the Silent Land by Paul Broks, May 2003, Atlantic Monthly Press edition, Hardcover in English - 1 Amer ed edition.