W8A4

Awakenings by Oliver Sacks (616.832 S 1990)

In honor of Oliver Sacks who recently passed away, I wanted to talk about Awakenings. First published in 1973, it is a good example of popular science writing and narrative non-fiction. This books was not written for academics but for the general public. In this half memoir half psychiatric review, Sacks describes the return to life of decade long catatonic patients. A new drug takes them out of their stupor, but unfortunately it only will be for a short period of time. As they are slowing but inevitable coming back to an unresponsive state, patients and staff start to appreciate being alive in the present. By exploring the fringe of human sickness and mental capacities, Sacks also exposes the universal human needs for love, respect and curiosity.

The characters are touching and genuine. The writing is delightful and full of facts and details, in a perfect combination of data and human feelings. Readers who like both scientific knowledge that resides on empiric experiences and sensitivity from the human point of view would also like this book. No need to be a die-hard science lover, the desire to share the concerns and discovery of characters who are amazed by the world around them is enough. The story is so plausible and credible (not because it is a based on a true story, but because of the plot’s structure) that one could read this book like a novel, with its own set of characters and series of adventures.

The wet and the dry: a drinker’s journey by Lawrence Osborne (910.4 O)

This book is combination of a travel diary, essays and technical descriptions on the art of making different kind of alcohol. The premise is simple and radical at the same time. Osborne decided to travel in countries where alcohol is either shunned or simply illegal. Most of those countries are Muslim, where alcohol is banned according to the Islamic law. At first, Osborne only seems to travel to provoke his hosts. But very soon something else emerge from his trip. By comparing the permissive western civilization with the culture of prohibition found in many places, Osborne paints two worldviews with their benefits and their shortcomings. At the end, the book is not only about drink, but about mentality, cultures, politics and international relations.

This book is funny and instructive. Nobody will read this book to learn how to make alcohol, yet one can find a lot of information between the author’s jokes. The plot is thin, but like a trip, the destination is not always the goal. The story make us travel not only around the world, but back in times as well. The writing style reminds me of Paul Bowles or Ian McEwan: one or two main characters meet very interesting people, but those meeting are elusive, just for few pages. The comparison with those writers is not anodyne, this book read like a narrative fiction. Even more, when the main character is under the influence of alcohol, we are not sure if Osborne is talking about reality or a dream.