An interesting story. Very well written and explained. Will recommend to patrons as well. Good for psychology fans.

I have long been captivated by tales of mental illness and what happens when our minds turn against us. Lipska's tale about her descent out of her self/mind and into a completely altered personality and perspective she wasn't even aware she was exhibiting is fascinating and well written, pulling the reader into her madness moment by moment. There is a nice mixture of science and anecdote here, and the blend of the two felt very natural. Perhaps that's the scientist in her pouring through. Regardless, the shifts between what she was experiencing and the science of brain anatomy, study, and analysis felt organic, like talking to your favorite great aunt or college professor - the one who always managed to turn a personal story into a lesson without your being entirely aware they were doing so. It makes for a very easy - and engaging - read that is terrifying in its implications (if this could happen to someone who understands the brain and what it is capable of causing, what hope do the rest of us mere mortals have?) but still manages to retain hope and dignity, even in the most difficult retellings.

As a clinical psychotherapist I enjoyed this book a lot, mostly of course, because she survived and she is fine, but her tale was brilliant and interesting and gave me many insights about the "right way" to handle situation like those she was living.

Come psicoterapeuta e psicologa clinica ho trovato questo libro molto molto bello, specialmente perché l'autrice é sopravvissuta e sta bene, ma anche perché mi ha offerto numerosi insight e molti suggerimenti sul modo in cui gestire situazioni come quelle che ha vissuto lei.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind is an intriguing story of one woman's battle against brain cancer. At times it was a bit too scientific for me, but overall it is a very interesting read that often reminded me of my father's battle with dementia.

The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind is a fascinating memoir. Barbara Lispska is an inspiring woman; she is a high-level scientist who is a two-time cancer survivor (breast cancer and melanoma). This memoir details her battle with cancer (melanoma) that has metastasized to her brain. Lipska studies the brain and mental illness (with a focus on schizophrenia), so she has a strong background regarding the brain and its functions. Nevertheless, she does not recognize the progressive breakdown that she experiences due to tumours growing in her brain.

This memoir details many of the symptoms that she experiences during her battle with melanoma and links them to the function of the various brain areas involved. Looking back at her experiences, Lipska is able to provide insight into what was happening as her brain function had deteriorated. I would recommend this book to people interested in the brain, biological psychology, and books like Brain on Fire. This was a relatively short and a quick read.

A very interesting account of a rapid sickness and its effects on the author.

Barbara K Lipska has done an amazing job of sharing her story of the fight of her life. Diagnosed with metastatic melanoma that had spread to her brain, Barbara was literally losing her mind. Ironically, Barbara, a renowned neuroscientist specializing in schizophrenia, started exhibiting symptoms of that illness and dementia. This memoir chronicles her journey through a devastating illness; how it affected her and those around her. This is definitely a story of perseverance and victory.

I highly recommend this book.
I would also like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

As the step-parent of a child with mental illness, I've often wondered what is really going on in his head. Granted, he suffers from autism as well, but there was so much cross-over between Barbara Lipska's experiences and what I see with my stepson. The idea that every human is just one unlucky event away from madness is terrifying, but Lipska presents her story brush with mental illness factually and scientifically in a way that only a scientist could. Despite the clinical nature of some passages, Lipska could be any of us, her family could be my own as we deal with the changes in one of our own, and the story it frighteningly relatable.

I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with mental illness in their family. I've already recommended it to a friend whose mother has dementia. It is a powerful passage into the psyche of someone in the throes of brain disease and it is a view not often granted to those on the outside.

Barbara Lipska suffered multiple melanoma tumors in her brain that caused neurological problems while she underwent different treatments for them. Her understanding of the human brain, coupled with her own experience with the side effects of mental illness, makes her story insightful and compelling.
I find the human brain to be one of the most fascinating parts of science. This book was an in-depth look into the world of neuroscience from not only a scientific viewpoint, but from a deeply personal, human perspective.

An engaging memoir written by a remarkable woman. Dr. Barbara Lipska demonstrates what every person with a serious illness learns: you have to be your own advocate. In her case, this means getting second opinions, educating herself about her illness, researching treatment options, and fighting for the best treatment possible. She comes well prepared to tackle brain disease, as director of the Human Brain Collection Core at the National Institute of Mental Health. And she's surrounded a family full of physicians and scientists. Even at that, though, she sometimes has to fight to be heard. Plus, she is a marathon runner and swimmer and is preparing for a triathlon when she is diagnosed with a brain tumor. So this is not your average human, but her story is universal. Because of her adamance to get immunotherapy she survived a disease the doctors were sure would kill her within months. I especially enjoy health memoirs, so I appreciated her explanation of the roles of the different parts of the brain and how that affected her behavior. This was a highly enjoyable read that was educational to boot. I wish Dr. Lipska and her family well.

So, as soon as I started reading this I was reminded of Brain on Fire. While I did end up skimming through a lot of the technical jargon, overall I did enjoy reading this book. I think the main character is an amazingly brave woman, and I admired her chutzpah while she was dealt blow after blow.

Barbara Lipska, a neuroscientist who survived not only breast cancer and melanoma, but also multiple cancerous brain tumors, relates how the brain tumors changed her personality and made her even more aware of the mental illnesses she has studied in her career. She and her family emigrated from Poland many years ago when she received a job offer with the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. As a scientist, she was interested in the changes to her brain, but even she didn’t realize how dramatically the tumors had changed her personality.