Cover of The Island of the Colorblind and Cycad Island
Read Time: ~6 hr
Health & Wellness

The Island of the Colorblind and Cycad Island

by Oliver Sacks (1997)

Read Free SampleBuy on AmazonAudible Free Trial

About this book

Oliver Sacks has always been fascinated by islands - their remoteness, their mystery, above all the unique forms of life they harbor. For him, islands conjure up equally the romance of Melville and Stevenson, the adventure of Magellan and Cook, and the scientific wonder of Darwin and Wallace. Drawn to the tiny Pacific atoll of Pingelap by intriguing reports of an isolated community of islanders born totally colorblind, Sacks finds himself setting up a clinic in a one-room island dispensary, where he listens to these achromatopic islanders describe their colorless world in rich terms of pattern and tone, luminance and shadow. And on Guam, where he goes to investigate the puzzling neurodegenerative paralysis endemic there for a century, he becomes, for a brief time, an island neurologist, making house calls with his colleague John Steele, amid crowing cockerels, cycad jungles, and the remains of a colonial culture. The islands reawaken Sacks' lifelong passion for botany - in particular, for the primitive cycad trees, whose existence dates back to the Paleozoic - and the cycads are the starting point for an intensely personal reflection on the meaning of islands, the dissemination of species, the genesis of disease, and the nature of deep geologic time. Out of an unexpected journey, Sacks has woven an unforgettable narrative which immerses us in the romance of island life, and shares his own compelling vision of the complexities of being human.

Setting / LocationGlobal
Story EraModern Era
Protagonist / CoreThe Island of the Colorblind and Cycad Island Lead Character

Readers who enjoyed this also loved

Cover of When illness goes public

When illness goes public

Barron H. Lerner

Steve McQueen had cancer and was keeping it secret. Then the media found out, and soon all of America knew. McQueen's high profile changed forever the way the public perceived a dreaded disease. Public health physician Barron H. Lerner describes the evolution of celebrities' illnesses from private matters to stories of great public interest. Famous people who have become symbols of illness include Lou Gehrig, the first "celebrity patient," and Arthur Ashe, who courageously went public with his AIDS diagnosis before the media could reveal his secret. And then there are private citizens like Barney Clark, the first recipient of a permanent artificial heart. While celebrity illnesses have helped to inform patients about treatment options, ethical controversies, and scientific proof, the stories surrounding these illnesses have also assumed mythical characteristics. This exploration of the intersection of science, journalism, fame, and legend is a groundbreaking contribution to our understanding of health and illness.--From publisher description.

Cover of Seductive delusions

Seductive delusions

Jill Grimes

Shares the real-life stories of young people who have contracted sexually transmitted diseases, and provides facts about various types of STDs.

Cover of The virus within

The virus within

Nicholas Regush

"The virus is called HHV-6. It is a "sleeper" that can suddenly awaken to attack the body's vital organs, destroying nerve connections and brain cells, resulting in irreversible illness and death." "How is HHV-6 transmitted? Why does it live harmlessly in the body, only to strike out without warning, compromising and ultimately ravaging the entire immune system?". "Determined to find answers, scientists Donald Carrigan and Konnie Knox began devoting all of their time to studying HHV-6. In illness after illness, it was found to be present in humans.". "As Carrigan and Knox began putting the pieces together about this insidious ticking bomb, risking their careers to pursue ever more startling lines of inquiry, they found themselves fighting an uphill battle. So far many of their efforts have met with resistance. Yet these maverick scientists continue to seek solutions to this growing health threat that has profound implications for all of us."--BOOK JACKET.

Cover of Facing and fighting fatigue

Facing and fighting fatigue

Benjamin H. Natelson

Provides such information on chronic fatigue syndrome, as how to improve one's sleep, understand diagnostic prcedures, and cop with severe fatigue and pain.

The Island of the Colorblind and Cycad Island by Oliver Sacks | Literally Just Books