An engaging read which combines science and evidence with real life stories of people who have lost memories. Thought provoking and stimulating, will make you think a lot about your own life and brain.

I’m weary of books of anonymized case studies and have read a little too much about dementia to find this engaging. I gave it a quick skim. I was most interested in the information on Iris Murdoch’s Alzheimer’s.

Hard hitting and a difficult read at times when you have lost loved ones to dementia

Dr Jules Montague is a neurologist who spends her days helping people who are experiencing dementia and other brain disorders. Lost and Found explores aspects of personality and identity when something goes wrong in the brain. It is a wide ranging book. While it looks at neurology primarily it also brings in aspects of other disciplines and subjects. The primary chapter headings are Memory, Personality and Consciousness. However each chapter has sub headings within them. These open with a case study introduction before exploring the topic more generally.

The opening section of the book was quite hard hitting and set the tone for the book well. A lady with a brain tumour tells her children she loves them; she didn't do that before the tumour. Dr Montague is asked if it is their mother or the brain tumour talking. In part this case was the inspiration for the book as a whole. When is someone not the someone we knew and why?

In all sections of this book found things that fascinated me and made me think. Having studied psychology some years ago the thoughts I had tended to be related to that subject. As such, when the author looks at the idea that, despite the fact you cannot remember what you did as a four year old at the age of 60, it does not mean you are not the same person I can appreciate the idea. Whether you come at this book from a neurological perspective or a psychological one there are commonalities.

For me the fact that this book can interest those with multidisciplinary perspectives is a real attraction. For example the author looks at light bulb memories and false memories - this will interest people with various perspectives. Similarly the idea that when we remember we are actually remembering the last time we remembered something is a concept that resonates across disciplines.

Extracting a selection of the notes I made when reading this I find the following
• "Tip of the tongue" problems
• Fugue and amnesia
• Dopamine, Parkisons and creativity (fascinating)
• Dreams and reality
• Identity when on life support or in a persistent vegetative state
It is clear that this book can be seen as very wide ranging indeed. I noted literature, philosophy and history as well as psychology and neurology in among the issues and text.

At the end of the book there is a very good concluding section which serves to tie up what has been covered in the book. There are extensive notes and a very decent index as one would expect from such a book.

When I requested a copy of this book I was a little unsure who it was really aimed at. Was it simply a collection of stories and case studies linked by themes or something deeper? For me it is that "something deeper" and is probably really an academic text. That is not to say that others will not want to read it however parts of it do require some understanding. Personally I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and parts I found very compelling reading. The other side of that is that some parts felt as though they were overlong or in need of a little judicious editing. However I am a "person in the street" reader for this subject area so that is not surprising. I'm happy to recommend this to anyone who has an interest in the subjects covered here.

I did not find this an easy book to read due perhaps to the subject matter being hard to consider for neurological disorders such as dementia are topics we prefer not to think about. I did think the book was not really for the general public but more for specialists. But I am glad I persevered as the author poses questions I will long ponder on particularly what really makes me, me? What is the essential me, no matter what happens to my brain?