Fifty Shades of Gray Matter

Fifty Shades of Gray Matter is a compendium of some unusual neurological conditions shared through case study stories. The process of getting to the bottom of each mystery condition makes for an interesting read. It is aimed at the lay person and is not at all medical or theoretical. Each story and condition is different and it highlights the majesty and mystery of the human brain. A good read for anyone interested in the workings of the brain.

I enjoyed the book. The case studies are fascinating and the illustrations are cute. All the science is explained well and in plain language. I enjoyed the autobiographical parts and felt that they were honest. I also found the writing to be delightfully literary at times without lapsing into convoluted sentences that are impossible to follow. Similarly, word choice is excellent without lapsing into trying to show off obscure vocabulary. But I felt that the book had some weaknesses as well. I found that when patients were being introduced, too much of their appearance was described. I also felt that more time could be spent discussing the underlying science. And, while highly informative, I did not find the book uplifting. Overall though, this book is well worth reading. Thank you to Netgalley and Atmosphere Press for the digital review copy.

I chose this book because I have a real interest in the brain & wanted to learn more in a humanistic way, rather than through a medical textbook.

The text is generally quite good & what could be a difficult subject is not made harder through tone or choice of words. Of course on occasion this can’t be avoided due to the nature of the topic - there’s medical terminology that has to be used. However I do think this is dealt with sensitively.

The chapters are generally quite short & are also broken up by cartoon style images at the end. I think this is quite a nice touch. The majority of the chapters do have someone’s human interest story in them, some have multiple. I found the chapters with just the one story most engaging however sometimes I feel they didn’t go quite into enough detail & this made the person seem a bit intangible. I think I’d have preferred fewer & longer cases to read. I also didn’t really enjoy the chapters on the Covid pandemic which didn’t seem to relate as much to the premise of the book. These chapters don’t have the objectivity of the previous ones which is why for me they don’t fit.

All in all, some interesting food for thought around neurological disease. Thank you to the publishers & NetGalley for this ARC.

"Fifty Shades of Gray Matter" describes a series of cases showing the type of people that visit a neurologist. It's not really a scientific look at the brain but more philosophical musing about how brain disorders affect people. The book had short chapters, each featuring a different patient and their family, as the disorder affected others. She gave some background on the people and why they came to her then briefly gave her diagnosis of what was wrong and what medicine she prescribed. Some of the problems were caused by medication. The more scientific information of the brain was relegated to a few pages in the back, briefly describing a few of the mentioned diseases in terms of what's gone wrong in the brain. While interesting in it's way, I'd expected more of a focus on the brain than on the people.

This is not an academic textbook, but a relaxed look at real-life people, who do struggle with all sorts of symptoms. Some are terrifying, some are common and easy to be ignored, and some are funny. Most of these cases were treated successfully, but what´s more important is that each of these has sparked a reflection by not just a medical professional, but also by a fellow human being. A doctor who is passionate, empathetic, and caring. Why these are so rare nowadays?

I enjoyed this book, such a heartwarming light but not too light reading. It makes you look at others differently.

Fifty Shades of Gray Matter was an interesting book and I am sure anyone who has an interest in the brain and how it works or cases that involves problems of the brain will find the book great. Every condition and what it may caused that condition was explained in simple terms and the author explained how tried to treat that condition.

This is my type of book. I could read an endless stream of these type of tomes for the rest of my days and be happy. I found it both enthralling and fascinating to be introduced to each neurological issue and then explore the detail of such a health issue on a patient before looking at case studies that often illustrate the outliers or anomalies of a particular group, therefore taking the case studies into unique territory where we get to hear about rarer manifestations of a said disorder. Well written, impeccably researched and replete with endlessly intriguing cases to back up the author's approach, I found it impossible to put this down. Riveting, thought-provoking and scary to see just how wrong your body (or more to the point in this case, your brain) is capable of going and its impact.

The author tells us of her practice in New York, attending to patients who have all kinds of distressing symptoms, some obviously head or brain-related and others not, like tingling in the feet. The cases can be quite alarming and distressing even for the reader, so imagine if you were a family member of a man who didn't remember you, or who undressed and woke up in another neighbourhood, and so on. Women who overate or had low self esteem are sadly common, arriving in the office with other conditions which may have been related or not.

Of course, nobody goes to get their brain checked with a mild headache or dizziness. By the time this doctor saw them and got MRI scans organised, there was usually something to discover. That might be a reaction to other prescribed medications, or a warning of a tumour in the brain or elsewhere, or a lesson in why we need to cook pork thoroughly. Some people get a happy ending, others do not.

I read a few chapters at a time. Line drawings are placed after some stories. Be aware that adult content is included. At the end, the doctor is coping with the Covid situation, unsure of how the world will pick itself up after the worst. From a Northern Italian background, she often treats Latino patients, sometimes with no fee.

I learnt a lot and would not hesitate to see a doctor I trusted if I developed any of the wide range of symptoms described. Additional descriptions of diseases are from P281. References from P288. I read an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

What a fascinating read! I love learning about all things medical, and in particular, odd case studies. This book has it all. The brain is such a phenomenal thing and it was really cool to learn about its capabilities. The author does a great job at explaining the medial and scientific evidence in layman's terms, so that people from any background can understand.

Thank you Atmosphere Press and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.