Permanent Present Tense: The man with no memory, and what he taught the world

(Paperback)

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In Permanent Present Tense she tells his extraordinary story, showing how his amnesia revolutionized our understanding of the brain, and also challenged our very notions of who we are. When he was twenty-seven, Henry Molaison underwent surgery for his epilepsy. He awoke with part of his brain destroyed, and for the rest of his life would be trapped in the moment, unable to remember anything for more than a few seconds. For nearly five decades, distinguished neuroscientist Suzanne Corkin studied Molaison and oversaw his care. In Permanent Present Tense she tells his extraordinary story, showing how his amnesia revolutionized our understanding of the brain, and also challenged our very notions of who we are.

Reviews

Fascinating ... rich with implications for our understanding of the brain, our experience and what it means to be human -- Steven Pinker, author of 'How the Mind Works' and 'The Stuff of Thought'
The poignant story of a man who became one of history's most studied patients -- John Carey * Sunday Times *
In this fine and moving book, Corkin pays tribute to a much-missed friend, as well as offering lucid accounts of the neuropsychological discoveries he made possible -- Jonathan Re * Guardian *

Author Bio

Suzanne Corkin is Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience and head of the Corkin Lab at MIT. The author of nine books, Corkin lives in Charlestown, Massachusetts.