'From the opening paragraph, I was spellbound, entranced. Through
real stories about what happens when our fragile perception of the
world around us and within us is severed, Guy Leschziner connects
us back to our senses.' Professor Alice Roberts Where are you now?
Look around you; what can you see? Close your eyes and think of a
loved one - do you see their face? Stretch out a hand; what can you
feel with your fingertips, your palm, the soft underside of your
wrist? What can you hear - nearby and far away? The information you
receive from your senses makes up your world. But that world does
not exist. What we perceive to be the absolute truth of the world
around us is a complex reconstruction, a virtual reality created by
the complex machinations of our minds in tandem with the wiring of
our nervous systems. But what happens if that wiring goes awry?
What happens if connections falter, or new and unexpected
connections are made? Tiny shifts in the microbiology of our
nervous systems can cause the world around us to shift and mutate,
to become alien and unfamiliar. In The Man Who Tasted Words,
consultant neurologist Guy Leschziner takes us on a journey through
the senses, exploring how each one shapes our experience of the
world. And investigating what happens when they deviate from the
norm. Along the way we meet a number of extraordinary individuals
and step through the looking glass and into their worlds. Worlds
where hot and cold are reversed, where a person with no sight sees
fantastical visions, or where words have a taste and sounds create
sensations. But while fascinating, their experiences are more than
simply curiosities. They teach us about our own perception of the
world, forcing us to question the idea of 'normal' senses, and
whether such a thing even exists. Does blue look the same to you
and me? Does grass smell the same? Or sugar taste as sweet? Do we
even have the same understanding of what 'sweet' is? The Man Who
Tasted Words unpacks the science behind your senses and challenges
you to try and see the world through another's eyes - and ears, and
nose and mouth. It will illuminate, it will surprise, and it will
leave your world just a little bit changed. 'A truly astonishing
book - from the story of the man who tasted words to that of Paul
who could pull out his own teeth and break his legs yet feel no
pain. These are beautifully and engagingly written stories of how
our senses tell us about the reality of the world - or, sometimes,
don't.' Gavin Esler, author of How Britain Ends 'Stories of people
who experience the world differently show us what it means to be
human. This is a deeply moving and powerful book, full of
provocative ideas about human perception and the way we construct
reality.' Daniel M. Davis, author of The Secret Body and The
Beautiful Cure 'This is a book vibrant with personality and full of
wonder. Professor Leschziner takes us through an exploration of our
senses, making us question the nature of our reality and how we
interpret the world around us. It is a profound, entertaining and
quite exceptional book.' Dr Alastair Santhouse, Psychiatrist and
Author of Head First 'In vivid stories of patient maladies that
affect our very human sensations of sight, sound, smell, touch and
pain, Leschziner has deeply explored the sensory experiences that
bombard every moment of our lives but of which we are barely aware.
What a terrific melding of brain science with thoughtful ideas on
our window to the outside world.' Allan Ropper, author of Reaching
Down the Rabbit Hole and How the Brain Lost its Mind. 'A
fascinating, important and disturbing book. Words will never taste
the same again!' John Humphrys
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