A Leg to Stand On by Oliver Sacks

Description

“A Leg to Stand On” is a book written by the renowned neurologist and author Oliver Sacks. The book, first published in 1984, is not one of his more well-known works but is notable for its exploration of Sacks’s personal experience with a severe injury and his subsequent reflections on the relationship between the mind and the body.

In “A Leg to Stand On,” Oliver Sacks recounts an incident in which he suffered a serious injury while climbing a mountain. He tore the quadriceps in his left leg during the fall. The book details his journey of recovery and rehabilitation, both physically and psychologically. Sacks delves into the emotional and existential challenges he faced, including the loss of a sense of his own leg as a part of himself.

Throughout the narrative, Sacks weaves together his medical expertise and his personal reflections, exploring topics such as the brain’s role in our perception of the body and the profound impact of injury on one’s identity. The book provides readers with a unique perspective on the intersection of medicine, neuroscience, and the human experience.

As with many of Oliver Sacks’s works, “A Leg to Stand On” combines scientific insight with a compelling narrative style, making it accessible to both general readers and those interested in the fields of neurology and psychology.