This will most likely be on my favorite books of the year list. This book was absolutely fascinating. Brain science is so intriguing. Elliott breaks down what happened to his brain following a concussion. His descriptions of how his brain "worked" and his thought-process sequence were in laymen terms and now I'm more interested than ever to learn more about the brain and how it functions following traumatic injuries. I highly recommend this book to everyone, but especially to those who are interested in this area of science. The audiobook is narrated by Arthur Morey who is one of the best narrators out there.

In 1999, Clark Elliott was a research professor with a rising career in artificial intelligence. Then he was the victim of a rear-end car collision, and his life was transformed overnight.

Simple tasks had become difficult. He sometimes had difficulty remembering his children's names. He sometimes had difficulty walking through doors, or down corridors. He had difficulty making decisions--simple decisions. A sign on a shop door saying "Come in" once held him in place for several minutes, knowing he didn't want to go into that shop, but unable to simply ignore its instruction.

After delivering a lecture to his students, he might be unable to stand up, or unable to identify his car in the parking lot. Sometimes he would be seemingly completely normal, and hten a few minutes later, severely impaired due to the mental and physical effort expended in that "normal" conversation or activity.

The story of the dog that didn't exist is fascinating and funny and scary.

And for eight years, medical professional after medical professional told him he would never get any better, and he had to learn to live with his deficits. Most of them seemed completely uninterested in his detailed description of his symptoms, because they knew there was nothing to be done.

Then he met two brilliant research clinicians, a cognitive psychologist and an optometrist, both of them working on brain plasticity. It's a fascinating story from beginning to end.

Highly recommended.

I bought this audiobook. ( )

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Dr. Clark Elliott’s medical memoir, The Ghost in My Brain, is one of the best I’ve read. Elliott, who is a PhD teaching Artificial Intelligence in Chicago, describes the effects of a concussion like nothing else I’ve seen. To discuss the resulting book and it’s descriptions as impressive is only part of the story. Once you read how damaged Elliott’s brain was, you’ll be stunned he was able to write such a cogent and compelling book.

I have a dear friend who’s experienced a number of severe concussions. She has a hard time explaining how it feels to live with this condition. Now I can put this book in her hands, and say, “I think I understand more.”

The neglect, misdiagnosis, and ignorance of medical professionals is also central to Elliott’s story. As he describes the daunting challenges of each day, he continues to try to get help solving the damage to his brain. Year after year passes, with no help from neurological specialists. Finally, Elliott and an assistant find a potential solution. This reminded me again, that patients have to keep pushing for answers. Despite all that we hear about concussions, the actual treatment methods are buried under misunderstanding and obfuscation.

Elliott describes in detail his process of recovery. I rejoiced along with him! Not just because I can empathize, but because he illustrates the gains with such fervor. I am amazed at how far he was able to come in returning to wholeness. Okay, I’m fangirling. I’ll stop.

If you’re interested in brain plasticity and medical stories, this is a superb book. I’d consider it right up there with [b:Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness|13547180|Brain on Fire My Month of Madness|Susannah Cahalan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1353173297s/13547180.jpg|19112736] by [a:Susannah Cahalan|5778057|Susannah Cahalan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1353287968p2/5778057.jpg]. The writing style is clear, despite including some medical terminology. Elliott focuses on his experience with some brain science on the side, which makes it eminently readable. I listened to the audiobook read by Arthur Morey, who has a pleasant tone and strong grasp on the content. I highly recommend it! ( )

For me, this book was very validating and informative. As a person who also had a concussion in a car accident, and experienced symptoms afterwards, it was great to read the author's story. It was especially great that he is a neuroscientist, and was able to understand and articulate what he was experience, and persist in believing what he was experiencing despite the fact that "specialists" and professionals were invalidating. Great read for anyone who has, works with, or cares about someone who has had, or has, a minor traumatic brain injury. ( )

Full review coming tomorrow. ( )