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Our Brains, Our Selves

WINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY TRIVEDI SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE

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Our Brains, Our Selves

Written by: Masud Husain
Narrated by: Nicholas Khan
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Buy Now for ₹671.06

WINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY TRIVEDI SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE
A FINANCIAL TIMES, THE TIMES AND GUARDIAN BEST SCIENCE BOOK OF 2025

What makes us who we are? Is it our background that creates our identities? Or our families, where we lived, how we were brought up and educated, the jobs we’ve held? Yes, all of the above, but more fundamental than any of these is our brain.

This is never more evident than if we lose even a single one of our cognitive abilities. People who develop a brain disorder can find that their identity, their sense of self, can undergo dramatic changes. Through the stories of seven of his patients, acclaimed Oxford University neurologist Masud Husain shows us how our brains create our identity, how that identity can be changed, and sometimes even be restored. Among the people we encounter is a man who ran out of words, a woman who stopped caring what others thought of her and another who, losing her memory, started to believe she was having an affair with the man who was really her husband.

These compelling human dramas reveal how our identities are created by different functions within the brain. They show how modern neuroscience can help to explain the changes in behaviour that occur when our perception, attention, memory, motivation or empathy are altered. By understanding how our brains normally function, neurologists are bringing hope to patients with brain disorders and illuminating the human experience. The resulting journey will ignite new ideas about who we really are and why we act in the ways we do.

 Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
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Critic Reviews

"Husain’s empathetic and engaging portraits tell a wider story about identity and belonging and the fundamental question of what makes each of us who we are"
"Each story is fascinating in its own right; together, they form a thought-provoking book that exposes the precariousness of our sense of self. If Husain's writing is an indication of his clinical care (which I suspect it is), then he is an intelligent, empathetic and perspicacious doctor"
"[An] emotionally powerful book [that] delves deeply into the nature of individual human identity and how this relates to our belonging to a supportive social group"
"

[A] funny, fascinating book . . . Above all, the book is a reminder of how mysterious the workings of the human brain are [and] builds a powerful case for supporting people whose brains have
become unruly, rather than isolating them

"
"A frightening but fascinating book that reveals how our personalities and identities hang by the slenderest of neurological threads. Professor Husain is an engaging storyteller, a skilled writer and an empathetic and perceptive medical doctor. [. . . ] I highly recommend this insightful book for all who are fascinated by the brain and how it works, especially for fans of writer Oliver Sacks"
"An extraordinary book – one of a kind – as beautifully written as it is deeply humane and scientifically fascinating. This book is as brilliant as anything written by Oliver Sacks, a real-life medical detective story that is life-enhancing and beautiful" (IAN ROBERTSON, author of HOW CONFIDENCE WORKS)
"This masterful book, written by an internationally eminent neurologist, combines gentle humour with deep scientific insight. If you have any interest in the brain and the structure that makes us what we are, this is an essential read. Through personal experience, fascinating case studies and the science of the brain, this book leads you gently by the hand through the most complex structure in the known universe" (RUSSELL FOSTER, author of LIFE TIME)
"A beautifully written, moving story of how your brain creates and sometimes changes your sense of who you really are. Science writing reminiscent of the best of Oliver Sacks" (CAMILLA NORD, author of THE BALANCED BRAIN)
"In this wonderful book, Masud Husain brings readers on a journey through the many facets of the self, viewed through the lens of his first-person experiences as a neurologist. A masterful storyteller, Husain infuses this very personal memoir with scholarship and cutting-edge science, in the process, shedding light on the neural mechanisms that make us uniquely human" (CHARAN RANGANATH, author of WHY WE REMEMBER)
"Neurologist Husain writes an engaging medical memoir about his experiences with seven patients whose symptoms illustrate the workings — and failings — of the human brain. At the same time he looks sympathetically at the way society treats people as their neural disorders progress and their behaviour changes"
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