I’ve had a couple of brain books sitting on my shelf for a little while, one (Unthinkable) courtesy of a local Little Free Library, and one (This Is Your Brain on Parasites) courtesy of my husband wanting to qualify for free shipping on an online order. I decided to do a “brain dump” in January, and while neither of these books exactly blew off my Bombas, both contained enough interesting information that I would recommend them if you’re in the mood for some light science. Specifically, I recommend:
- Unthinkable: For readers interested in select types of brain disorders and a human-centered approach to learning about them. Think back to your Abnormal Psych classes in college (I’m dating myself–no doubt these studies have a more politically correct appellation today) and get ready to meet some interesting people.
- This Is Your Brain on Parasites: For readers interested in a discussion of parasites and germs and how they influence behavior, with a dash of sociology. Lots of interesting information, though the structure of the book is a bit wonky and the title somewhat misleading.
For Unthinkable, author Helen Thomas tells the stories of nine individuals located in various parts of the world with very specific brain disorders. Her subjects range from Bob, who, depending on your perspective, is either blessed or cursed with the ability to remember every single day of his life; to Graham, who suffered from Cotard’s syndrome and spent a period of time truly believing he was dead, in spite of being in a hospital and having doctors attending on him; to Matar, who has to fight the urge to act like (and in his mind, “become”) a tiger (persistent growling cut the interview short, as Matar’s doctors felt it might be too dangerous for Thomson to continue). Some of these conditions were familiar to me from other reading (in an effort to convince myself that my proclivity for getting lost in my hometown is a serious medical issue and, thus, not my fault, I often read up on people like Sharon, who are unable to form a mental map of their surroundings). Other conditions, like Joe’s ability to literally feel other people’s pain or discomfort, seem like they are out of a science fiction story, although Thomson does provide scientific explanations for the phenomenon.
In her introduction, Thomson acknowledges that she is not the first person to write a book about cases like these; she specifically calls out Oliver Sack’s 1985 book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. However, her objective was to focus more fully on the individuals who were afflicted with these conditions. She writes, “I wanted to divorce these case studies completely from the hospital environment and from the eyes of a neurologist. I wanted to see them as a friend might, play a part in their world. I wanted to ask questions that scientists avoid. I wanted to hear stories of their childhood, how they find love, how they navigate the world when their mind works like no other. I wanted to understand how their life differs from my own.”
This is a fairly light, entertaining read that will give you insight into some interesting medical conditions and how the afflicted individuals are coping with them.
This Is Your Brain on Parasites had me at page 2 of the introduction, when Kathleen McAuliffe alludes to toxoplasmosis, the infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii that some theorize is the source of Crazy Cat Lady Syndrome and the primary reason for pregnant women to beg off cleaning the litter box. Then in chapter 3, she discusses the zombie fungus I was so enamored of when I read Entangled Life. With two such crowd-pleasing topics in the first 50 pages, this book seemed destined to make my top 10 list for 2022. To be sure, parasites are a fascinating subject when you consider what they have to do to reproduce, with many requiring multiple hosts over the course of their lifecycles. Take our cat lady’s Toxoplasma gondii, for example. This parasite is often found in rats and birds, who pick it up from the soil. However, it can only reproduce inside the body of a member of family Felidae (a domestic cat, for example). Somehow, this parasite, which is at the mercy of its host for mobility, has to move from the body of a rodent to the body of a cat. Here’s where the magic happens: Studies have shown that rats infected with T. gondii become less fearful, and possibly even attracted to, their feline predators. The bastard parasite tricks the rodent into approaching a feline, who promptly eats the brazen critter, giving the parasite a free ride to kitty’s belly, where it can then reproduce. Kitty then sheds the parasite through its feces, where it’s picked up again by other small animals.
Other parasites have similar tricks to transfer from host to host. One that infects crickets damages those insects’ muscles, making them slower and easier for chickens to catch and eat, thus transferring the parasite to the host where they can reproduce. Yet another type of parasite that infects fish but reproduces in sea birds causes their host fish to swim closer to the water’s surface, where they are easy pickins’ for predators. Even studies in humans suggest the presence of parasites makes people less risk-averse.
This is a fascinating topic, though McAuliffe’s writing style is a bit stilted when she discusses the science. However, the book takes a left turn around the half-way point. The focus shifts from parasites influencing animal behavior through chemical manipulation to a discussion of germs and how they have shaped our society. I’m not a scientist, but I’m pretty sure germs and parasites aren’t synonymous, and the book never makes that distinction. The study of how germs may contribute to prejudice by evoking an evolutionary instinct to avoid the dangers of “others” is a worthwhile discussion but, it’s like, a whole different book, one that might be called Why Our Fear of Germs Might Be Making Us Racist. I did actually find the content interesting (though it needs to be studied more rigorously in order to become really convincing), but I did feel like the book pulled a bait and switch. The title This Is Your Brain on Parasites really only applies to the first half.
As I said, this book has enough interesting content to be worth a read, as long as you are not too annoyed by the shoddy construction and sudden topic change. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must bow to the demands of my parasite-carrying overlords.
I’ll take some dinner, a saucer of milk, and a fresh litter tray for my tiny travelers.