Oliver Sacks about Alexander Luria

British neurologist Oliver Sacks, who wrote famous "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" and "An Anthropologist on Mars", brings up his memories of Russian neuropsychologist Alexander Luria, a distinguished student of Lev Vygodsky. Luria's most known book is "The Mind of a Mnemonist", a case study of a person with seemingly unlimited memory. Another well-known book entitled "The Man with a Shattered World" is a penetrating account of a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury during WWII.

[@WriterNinja]

"I was very excited...it was like getting a letter from Freud!" Only Oliver Sacks. Boy, do I miss him.

[@paracelsusify]

Wonderful. I do hope the Sacks - Luria Letters will be published soon!?

[@andy119898]

Im just reading the man who mistook his wife for a Hat...And it just prooves the genius in this man..and how he takes the fascinating neurology to a language where we can all understand! amazing sorry for my clumsy english thanks

[@stephaniestuart3041]

It really is a phenomenal book with much insight and knowledge. I am very impressed, too.

[@snarkysue5991]

I did a paper on Luria . I had no idea these two knew each other. It makes perfect sense that they were close.

[@barbaralyons3978]

I am so thrilled to see this youtube episode. I wrote my dissertation years ago based on the Zone of Proximal Development and the work of Luria. These men challenged Piaget and I think they were correct.

[@lucillehouseholder9853]

I’m always so thrilled to find another facet of Oliver’s intellect and enthusiasm. I never knew of Alexander Luria until I was re-reading “Gratitude “ and I closely examined a photo of his nature table which includes perhaps the Luria book for which Oliver wrote the forward. It’s always so fascinating to realize how we humans are affected by knowledge especially from those we so admire. So now I Also realize that time is short and the abundance of gratitude felt for the gifts of life.

[@MrIvankuzmenko]

Thank you for the comment. Psychology was not well regarded in the former Soviet Union. Despite that, there were three outstanding Soviet psychologists: Lev Vygotsky, Alexander Luria and Alexey Leontiev. All three of them at one time belonged to the same group and worked together. Later they went on their separate ways. Vygotsky, who died at the age of 37 of tuberculosis, was regarded by the other two as "a genius". Alexander Luria, who was younger, had a very long career in science which spanned 55 years. His books, especially "The mind of a mnemonist", are now considered classics of psychology. However, Luria would have remained completely unknown to a general western reader if it was not for Oliver Sacks who was so fascinated with Luria's "romantic science", and who mentioned his name many times in his own amazing books.

[@poorapueblo8405]

Fascinating insights into the connection between these two pioneers in neurology. What a shame that Luria's work is so little appreciated in the U.S.

[@caramason56]

A brilliant and interesting man😊

[@HawneyChile]

What a man!

[@Shiva108]

focus, camera man, focus!

[@rptrj1384]

ah, oh, mmhmm, mm, mmhmm, ah, oh.

[@Moirakirstin]

He was painfully shy and had partial blindness in one eye AND suffered from not recognising faces. Forgive him.

[@jefolson6989]

@@Moirakirstin he is so interesting I don't even hear those hooks anymore.

[@jefolson6989]

Great writer, spellbinding speaker, and wonderful human.