In this book, neuroscience reporter Thomson profiles a handful of people with particularly strange brains. There's the guy who remembers in detail every day of his life, back to when he was a child. There are a few people who have very specific types of synesthesia — one sees colors radiating out of people, another has "mirror synesthesia," in which he feels things physically happening to the people around him (such as getting tapped on the shoulder or kicked in the shin). There are even people who believe they are dead, and one guy who has lycanthropy, or the belief that he is turning into an animal (in his case, a tiger). Along with the profiles, Thomson also offers up plenty of research into brain science and what research into these unique brains tells us about how "normal" brains function.
This is definitely an intriguing book, and I certainly learned something while listening to it. However, I also got a bit of a "check out these weirdos" vibe from time to time, which made me feel a bit icky. It has made me interested in checking out other neuroscience books though, so I guess that's good?
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