This book, also reviewed for a Children's Literature class is grotesque and fascinating! I highly recommend it!Phineas Gage A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science
by John Fleischman
“Kids who want to see for themselves turned out to be my ideal readers” states John Fleischman, science writer and author of Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science (“John Fleischman”). At 26, Phineas Gage was a successful railroad foreman until the day a blast sent a metal rod hurtling through his skull at the speed of a bullet. He lived a seemingly normal life for 11 years after the incident. Doctors claimed “full recovery” but the people who knew him knew that was far from true (19). This accident had forever changed their friend but no one was to understand how or why for a very long time. As a writer for the Harvard Medical School, Fleischman had first hand access to the skull (housed there), an artifact for brain scientists all over the world. His narrative account of Gage’s injury and subsequent revelations surrounding it make for fascinating reading, especially for those children who want to see and understand the real life details of a violent injury that has precedence on scientific research to this day.
Fleischman begins his tale as that of a mystery. What happened that fateful day of September 13, 1848 and what would become of the man whose brain had literally been sliced through? He lays out the story in present tense, allowing the reader to settle comfortably into the story as though they were part of it. His organization is chronological, taking you through the story step by step. This is both intriguing and sometimes frustrating, as you cannot find things out “ahead of time” but must muddle through as Phineas’ doctors muddled through. The scope of the book is anything related to his injury and broadens to include medicine of the mid 19th century as well as medical findings along the way. He discusses the early days of microbiology and pseudoscience such as the discovery that bacteria cause infection and doctors who believed in bloodletting. He then moves on to specific microorganisms, how neurons work and the organization of the brain. Finally, he discusses how Gage’s case relates to modern brain chemistry. Although the book was written in 2002, the findings and conclusions are relevant today. As Fleischman makes clear, this story is not one that may ever be completely “solved”, only one that allows for continuous unraveling and learning.
The book has a resource section at the end. It includes his important sources as well as websites, both for the Gage case and a site called “Neuroscience for Kids”. His evidence is not cited throughout the book, most likely to maintain the flow of a story being unfolded. However, unfortunately the resource list does not make clear which facts came from which source. He does devote a significant time in the second chapter to discuss tall tales, such as Gage’s possible participation in Barnum’s freak show. The author discusses the difference between rumor and fact in historical investigations. Fleischman explains why he trusts the information he has and why he is not likely to take stock in unfounded rumblings of the past. This welcome addition will help children to vet what they learn against when they are shown as evidence.
The book is written in a narrative flow, making it very engaging and easy to follow. The language of the story is fairly easy to comprehend although older readers may appreciate the scientific terms and facts more. The violent premise of the book will intrigue boys especially. Boy or girl, any child’s curiosity will be fed by the information that unfolds. He illustrates points of history and science throughout. He includes all the major parts of the Harvard collection, including the plaster mask of Gage’s head, pictures of his skull, and a picture of the tamping iron that did the deed. He then goes on the include illustrations that explain what we previously thought to be true (phrenology charts) and what we think now (brain diagrams). He backs up his retelling of current opinion by including pictures and data from a more recent study published in the journal Science in 1994. At times, he allows his opinions to seep through in the way he discusses past medical concepts (such as when he describes phrenology as “a made-up Greek word”) and perhaps misses some areas to educate further (35). The book contains three distinct chapters, however does not have a table of contents to ascertain easily when they begin and end. Although the book contains a glossary, it is a poorly used resource, as there is no way to distinguish throughout the text which words are chosen for inclusion. On the other hand, the index is thorough and very useful.
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science is an engaging tale of a horrific accident that ended in a seeming miracle. The book details what we now understand about how the brain determines and even defines our humanity. Fleishman poses a question to the reader at the beginning of the book, was Phineas Gage lucky or unlucky? Though he gives his opinion near the end, the readers are left to draw their own conclusion. The author and the story show that much knowledge is still being sought in the realm of brain functionality and as it leads you through a myriad of misinformed doctors and faulty science it indicates that whatever we may discover, there is always more to understand. Indeed, more remains to uncover about Phineas Gage and every human being when it comes to both the resilience and vulnerability caused by the amazing organ that is our brain. This book could be used as an addendum to a science class or even in history; however, I think it appeals more to children with an interest in science outside the “norm”. I think teachers may find reluctant readers surprised to find a book such as this as an option and will eat it up. Though not without its faults, children as well as adults that wish to “see for themselves” will be hard pressed to find a more grotesque, fascinating and educating story than that of Mr. Gage as told by John Fleischman.
Cover Image from:
Fleischman, John. Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Print.
“John Fleischman.” John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, 2011. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
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