Oliver Sacks dies at 82

Pertho · August 30, 2015, 10:34pm

Oliver Sacks, 82, the acclaimed neurologist who wrote the autobiographical 1973 book “Awakenings,” that was turned into the 1990 film starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro, died at his home Sunday in New York City.

Sacks, a professor of neurology who taught for decades at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, Columbia University and New York University School of Medicine, was well-known for writing 13 books that helped explain the symptoms of his patients who suffered from conditions centered on the brain.

“Awakenings” focused on victims of encephalitis lethargica, an illness that left patients in coma-like states for decades. He detailed how he was able to “awaken” them using the then-experimental drug L-dopa, but they then relapsed. He was portrayed in the 1990 film by Williams and De Niro portrayed a patient.

His 1985 book “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat,” is filled with case histories of some of his more challenging patients. The case involving the title of the book was a man who battled with visual agnosia — impairment in recognition of visually presented objects.

Bious · August 30, 2015, 10:52pm

R.I.P.

The_Damned · August 30, 2015, 10:52pm

(I see his Wikipedia page already updated, not that it’s surprising.)

Well, this is unfortunate, though inevitable. I’ve never read any of this books, though I’ve seen his The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat book mentioned in quite a few books that I’ve read including the one I’m still lazily reading, which is how I primarily know of him.

May he rest in peace.

Dander · August 31, 2015, 1:48am

rest in peace good sir

If you guys don’t have the time to read his book about the guy with visual agnosia you can always look up the audiobook version of it. Read by Oliver Sacks himself I believe. There are several other stories in the book as well, so don’t think it’s just one long tedious story.

Easilyn · August 31, 2015, 5:11am

In life I’ve never heard of the man, but all is still abrupt in unfortunate circumstances, in the event of his passing.
The answers of the universe can’t be known to the living, for we should not mourn but celebrate the life he lived, and hope it was a life of comfort and learning.

Only he knows what is on the other side, in such case he should be respected as he is now one of the many who has transitioned to the other side of the universe. There is much to see in life, to learn and to experience along the way. Hm…I’m curious about him now.
The books…I will read them.

Rick_Ross · August 31, 2015, 11:39am

Heh, “sacks”.

Hecatom · August 31, 2015, 3:01pm

R.I.P.

crucades · August 31, 2015, 8:51pm

RIP, I remember seeing a documentary about some of his work years ago where he turned a small kid from basically a zombie back to having a normal life.

Pertho · August 31, 2015, 10:41pm

Easily the worst trolling I’ve seen on SRK.

hubcapsignstop · September 3, 2015, 2:55am

I had no clue this guy was some famous neurosurgeon played by Robin williams. I just knew him as the author of Uncle Tungsten-Chemical Childhood. Good writer.
RIP

drwill439 · September 3, 2015, 7:06am

Incidentally, I listen to a couple of NPR podcasts at work, namely one called Radiolab. They had the last interview that Sacks had ever done, and it was really good. He did a couple of other pods that I enjoyed, and when I went to check for new content this week, I found a rerelease of his final interview in honor of his passing. Really sad to hear this. He sounded incredibly alert and I can’t wait to look at some of his work.

Here’s the interview, it’s worth a listen.