My Father's Brain: Understanding Life in the Shadow of Alzheimers

(Hardback)

---

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

As a cardiologist, Sandeep Jauhar is trained to think logically to solve medical problems, but there are no miracle drugs to cure his fathers dementia. For years Jauhar has watched his father undergo a distressing transformation. Once a prominent research geneticist and author, now he would repeat questions over and over, forget what hed eaten for breakfast, make baffling financial decisions and get into minor car accidents. Jauhar investigates the science of dementia and what actually happens in the brain as we age and our memory falters, uncovering the history of Alzheimers, from first discovery to the most cutting-edge neurological and bioethical research. A blend of science, history and memoir, My Fathers Brain is both an exploration of the ethical concerns that arise when family members must become caregivers and a brutally honest account of how Jauhar and his siblings grappled every day with some of lifes toughest questions.

Reviews

'These pages will be a blessing to families dealing with Alzheimer's. Jauhar's prose is insightful, honest and moving about a condition that most of us will inevitably encounter in our lifetimes.'

-- Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone

Gripping [Jauhars] honesty makes this a book that will give others what we sometimes need most the knowledge that we are not alone.

-- Dr Lucy Pollock, author of The Book About Getting Older

'My Father's Brainis at once a deeply affecting memoir and a profoundly instructive primer about a malady that now affects many millions of people.'

-- Amitav Ghosh, author of The Nutmeg's Curse and Flood of Fire

'Painful yet affecting... difficult to put down.'

-- Kirkus

'WithHeart: A Historyand other books, SandeepJauharestablished himself asone of our most insightful, readable, and humane physician-authors.WithMy Fathers Brain, his work becomes still more essential. Blending the humor, compassion, and absorbing family drama offirst-rate memoirwithexpert science writing, he has composed acant-miss introductionto what has been called The Age of Alzheimers.'

-- Sanjay Gupta, author of Keep Sharp and World War C

Engaging, well written, and gives a very personal touch from a MD confronted with the disease I recommend it to a wide public.

-- Prof Bart de Strooper, Director of the UK Dementia Research Institute

'Propulsive... Every family whos ever faced an Alzheimers diagnosis will see themselves in this exceptional work.'

-- Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Sandeep Jauhar is director of the Heart Failure Program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He is the New York Times bestselling author of three medical memoirs and a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.