My Stroke of Insight [Paperback]

This is Dr. Taylor's gripping account of her own "neuroplastic" rehabilitation, very accessibly described --as only a neuroanatomist and neuroscientist could describe it.

Dr. Taylor gives hope to all who have suffered, not only stroke, but any loss of mental function --such as the tragic brain damage that follows inhalant abuse by vulnerable children and adolescents.

Dr. Taylor describes beautifully her personal growth and sublimation that followed her stroke-induced transcendental experiences.

Her mother's loving and untiring therapy -- which masterfully and intuitively engaged the healing power of brain neuroplasticity-- was truly inspirational.

I highly recommend this wonderful story of Dr. Taylor's healing journey to all mental health workers.

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"The story that follows is my stroke of insight into the beauty and resiliency of the human brain. It's a personal account, as seen through the eyes of a neuroscientist [or brain scientist, which the author is], about what it felt like to experience the deterioration of my left brain [that is, the author experienced a rare form of stroke or cerebrovascular accident in the left cerebral hemisphere of her brain at age 37] and then recover [or survive] it. It is my hope that this book will offer insight into how the brain works in both wellness and in illness. Although this book is written for the general public, I hope you will share it with people you want to help recover from brain trauma [not just stroke patients] and their caregivers."

The above is found in this insightful book authored by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. Note that this book is a record of Taylor's "personal journey" of having and recovering from a stroke. She tells us:

"Every brain has a story and this is mine."

This book falls into four parts:

(1) Pre-stroke:

This part introduces the reader to who Taylor was before she had her stroke.

(2) Stroke:

Recounts the events of the morning she had her stroke. She provides a step-by-step account of the deterioration of her cognitive abilities, as seen through the eyes of a brain scientist.

(3) Recovery:

Here, Taylor shares chronologically her journey to recovery.

(4) What she has learned:

That is, what Taylor has learned about the brain after having and recovering from a stroke.

This book may be unique in that the person who had the stroke was a neuroscientist, neuroanatomist,
or brain scientist. Taylor was able to thus relate the cognitive deficits she was experiencing to the underlying biology.

Therefore, there are also labelled diagrams in this book. (I counted almost twenty.) Thus, the reader is never lost. As well, there is one dramatic black and white photograph.

What I personally found from reading this book is with regard to the cerebral hemispheres. The cerebral hemispheres are the two symmetrical (at least superficially--histologically they are known to be distinguishable in a variety of ways) hemispherical halves of the cerebrum or more generally but incorrectly, of the brain. The right hemisphere is associated with creativity, the mystical, the metaphysical, and inner peace while the left hemisphere is associated with logic and rationality. (Note that I have mentioned some differences--there are more.)

Finally, one appendix to this book is entitled "Forty Things I Needed Most [after my stroke]." I found this very interesting and informative. This information should be shared with anyone who may benefit from it.

In conclusion, this is a unique book authored by a brain scientist who had a stroke. I leave you with the words of "The World's Oldest Teenager," Dick Clark, who suffered a stroke late in 2004 :

"There is comfort in better grasping what has gone wrong and enlightenment for those around you when they grasp it too. None of us needs sympathy; what we do need is a helping hand and understanding. Someone like [Jill Bolte] Taylor provides that, helping a terrible blow become far less so."

(first published 2006; introduction; 20 chapters; main narrative 175 pages; 2 appendices; the Harvard Brain Bank)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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Jill's journey from a left brain to right brain lens on the world after her stroke is a revelation. Her unique ability to articulate the left/right duality reveals not only how the brain works, but why we have so much trouble empathizing and relating to those who literally process the world around them totally differently from ourselves. Massive implications for business life, just for starters-- her lessons hold the keys for better collaboration between the right and left brainers. An utterly fascinating read; as the cliche goes, I could not put it down.