Book Buzz

Jill Bolte Taylor

A young brain scientist has a devastating stroke but decides to use that stroke as an opportunity to learn more about how the brain learns and heals. She describes the event and her subsequent lengthy recovery from a clinical and very personal point of view. What surprised me the most was the spiritual nature of the book. Her stroke damage the left side of the brain leaving the right side of the brain to flourish which left her in a state of spiritual bliss.
Jill Taylor credits her mother for her complete recovery, which took eight years, noting that stroke recovery can take much longer than we used to think was the case.

Quote:I have heard doctors say, “If you don’t have your abilities back by six months after your stroke, then you won’t get them back!” Believe me, this is not true. I noticed significant improvement in my brain’s ability to learn and function for eight full years post-stroke, at which point I decided my mind and body were totally recovered. Scientists are well aware that the brain has tremendous ability to change its connections based upon its incoming stimulation. This “plasticity” of the brain underlies its ability to recover lost function.

Very interesting, yet a light read. Highly recommended.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 7:48 pm and is filed under Auto/Biography, Family, Feel Good, Mystical, Nonfiction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.