Love Madness and Memory? Readers share 7 books like Madness and Memory...

By Stanley B. Prusiner ,

Here are 7 books that Madness and Memory fans have personally recommended if you like Madness and Memory. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Steven L. Goldman Author Of Science Wars: The Battle over Knowledge and Reality

From my list on what scientists really know and how they know it.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a boy, I loved reading about science and technology and became a physicist. To my surprise, I found myself increasingly drawn to studying the history of science and philosophy of science, which attempts to understand how and why science “works.” I resigned from my job as a physicist and devoted myself to full-time graduate study in this field, enjoying every moment of it. I began a forty-nine-year academic career—the last thirty-nine at Lehigh University—teaching courses of my own design in the history and philosophy of science and also in how science, technology, and society mutually influence one another. I can honestly say that I remain excited even now about attempting to understand how scientific knowledge impacts society.

Steven's book list on what scientists really know and how they know it

Steven L. Goldman Why Steven loves this book

This book, which went viral in the 1960s just when I was looking for an academic position as a philosopher of science, saved me professionally. Kuhn’s book upended the prevailing view, which I opposed, that the key to understanding how science works is exposing the logic of scientific reasoning.

His book makes a compelling case that the history of science decisively undermines the prevailing view. I admire how Kuhn here uses the history of sciencefrom Galileo and Newton to Einstein and quantum theoryto expose the role that unproven assumptions play in formulating scientific theories and to show that it is changing assumptions that are the primary driver of theory change. I also admire the clarity of his writing.

By Thomas S. Kuhn ,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked The Structure of Scientific Revolutions as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, and we forget how provocative and challenging its ideas once were-and still are. "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" is that kind of book. When it was first published in 1962, it was a landmark event in the history and philosophy of science. And fifty years later, it still has many lessons to teach. With "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", Kuhn challenged long-standing…


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Book cover of The Beatles and the 1960s: Reception, Revolution, and Social Change

The Beatles and the 1960s by Kenneth L. Campbell,

The Beatles are widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history and their career has been the subject of many biographies. Yet the band's historical significance has not received sustained academic treatment to date. In The Beatles and the 1960s, Kenneth L. Campbell uses The…

Book cover of American Dementia: Brain Health in an Unhealthy Society

Alberto Espay Author Of Brain Fables: The Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them

From my list on rethinking brain aging and neurodegeneration.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professor of neurology at the University of Cincinnati, interested in the many ways in which we acquire impairments in movements, in cognition, or in both. I have sought to measure these behaviors, quantify their responses to different pharmacological treatments, and determine how they inform the biology of the aging brain. In publications along the way, I have increasingly questioned how we classify neurological diseases and treat those affected.

Alberto's book list on rethinking brain aging and neurodegeneration

Alberto Espay Why Alberto loves this book

This book explains the tight connection between Alzheimer’s disease and education, health, income, and environment, and why the rate of Alzheimer’s disease in the population actually decreased in the decades following the most important societal changes enacted after World War II. Social safety, environmental protections, and income inequality have had far greater impact than any of the pharmacological approaches ever attempted. The authors make the compelling case that brain health is intimately connected to societal health.

By Daniel R. George , Peter J. Whitehouse ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked American Dementia as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Have the social safety nets, environmental protections, and policies to redress wealth and income inequality enacted after World War II contributed to declining rates of dementia today-and how do we improve brain health in the future?

For decades, researchers have chased a pharmaceutical cure for memory loss. But despite the fact that no disease-modifying biotech treatments have emerged, new research suggests that dementia rates have actually declined in the United States and Western Europe over the last decade. Why is this happening? And what does it mean for brain health in the future?

In American Dementia, Daniel R. George, PhD,…


Book cover of How the Brain Lost Its Mind: Sex, Hysteria, and the Riddle of Mental Illness

Alberto Espay Author Of Brain Fables: The Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them

From my list on rethinking brain aging and neurodegeneration.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professor of neurology at the University of Cincinnati, interested in the many ways in which we acquire impairments in movements, in cognition, or in both. I have sought to measure these behaviors, quantify their responses to different pharmacological treatments, and determine how they inform the biology of the aging brain. In publications along the way, I have increasingly questioned how we classify neurological diseases and treat those affected.

Alberto's book list on rethinking brain aging and neurodegeneration

Alberto Espay Why Alberto loves this book

This book offers a captivating tale of how the increasing knowledge of one disease, syphilis, created the foundations to understanding that the brain and mind are one and the same. The authors narrate the stories of patients whose “hysteria” (today referred to as functional neurological disorder) were traced to degenerative brain lesions that only belatedly were understood to be complications caused by remote infections with the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Several chapters follow the story of the important characters depicted by André Brouillet in the Une leçon clinique à la Salpêtrière (A Clinical Lesson at the Salpêtrière), one of the most recognized paintings by neurologists, as it depicts Jean-Martin Charcot, shown among many of his disciples, demonstrating a “hysteric” seizure in one of his patients. The authors illustrate how we have gotten away with conceptualizing behaviors without biological basis and put the reader on notice that “mental illnesses” are neurological problems…

By Allan H. Ropper , Brian Burrell ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How the Brain Lost Its Mind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Hugely entertaining' Guardian

'Fascinating' Mail on Sunday

In 1882, Jean-Martin Charcot was the premiere physician in Paris, having just established a neurology clinic at the infamous Salpetriere Hospital, a place that was called a 'grand asylum of human misery'. Assessing the dismal conditions, he quickly upgraded the facilities, and in doing so, revolutionized the treatment of mental illness.

Many of Charcot's patients had neurosyphilis (the advanced form of syphilis), a disease of mad poets, novelists, painters, and musicians, and a driving force behind the overflow of patients in Europe's asylums. A sexually transmitted disease, it is known as 'the great…


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Book cover of A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman: A Memoir

A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman by Lindy Elkins-Tanton,

A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman explores how a philosophy of life can be built from the lessons of the natural world. Amid a childhood of trauma, Lindy Elkins-Tanton fell in love with science as a means of healing and consolation. She takes us from the wilds…

Book cover of This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress

Alberto Espay Author Of Brain Fables: The Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them

From my list on rethinking brain aging and neurodegeneration.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professor of neurology at the University of Cincinnati, interested in the many ways in which we acquire impairments in movements, in cognition, or in both. I have sought to measure these behaviors, quantify their responses to different pharmacological treatments, and determine how they inform the biology of the aging brain. In publications along the way, I have increasingly questioned how we classify neurological diseases and treat those affected.

Alberto's book list on rethinking brain aging and neurodegeneration

Alberto Espay Why Alberto loves this book

This collection of essays blew my mind. Researchers in a range of disciplines were asked to elaborate on why a given idea in their field should be put to rest. There is a chapter dedicated to big data, nature versus nurture, cause and effect, race, Linnaean classification, etc. The book’s essays inspired me to shape a section on “Reductionism and related ideas that will die” as part of a solicited article I wrote with Tony Lang in 2018 aiming to predict the future of Parkinson’s disease research in the 2020s (Ben Stecher credited it as his reason to relocate to Cincinnati to work with us in our CCBP study). This book is also a reminder that progress requires new ideas, and most cannot emerge without first abandoning outdated ones (as Kuhn articulated).  

An idea that must die in neurology is the clinico-pathologic model of classifying neurodegenerative diseases: abnormalities on brain…

By John Brockman ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked This Idea Must Die as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The bestselling editor of This Explains Everything brings together 175 of the world's most brilliant minds to tackle Edge.org's 2014 question: What scientific idea has become a relic blocking human progress? Each year, John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org-"The world's smartest website" (The Guardian)-challenges some of the world's greatest scientists, artists, and philosophers to answer a provocative question crucial to our time. In 2014 he asked 175 brilliant minds to ponder: What scientific idea needs to be put aside in order to make room for new ideas to advance? The answers are as surprising as they are illuminating.
In : *…


Book cover of Life Support

Gary F. Jones Author Of The Iceman's Curse

From my list on thrillers about pathogens with a touch of humor.

Why am I passionate about this?

I enjoy combining science, wit, and satire in my stories. I’ve observed life for 75 years, practiced food-animal veterinary medicine, and used molecular biology to earn a PhD in microbiology. The evolution of virulence in pathogens has long been an interest of mine. From observation, I’ve learned never to underestimate the destructive power of a well-intentioned fool, and that no situation is so bad that an idiot can’t make it worse. Heroes are flawed. They make mistakes, but they grow. They kick themselves in the ass and move on. Their opponents aren’t supermen, either. 

Gary's book list on thrillers about pathogens with a touch of humor

Gary F. Jones Why Gary loves this book

Gerritsen’s Life Support is a suspense-filled cliffhanger that makes use of spongiform encephalitis, a brain disease caused by prions. Remember Mad Cow Disease? It’s a type of problem that stretches the meaning of “infection.” The story is based on the fictional use of fetal pituitary cells from aborted fetuses to return youthful strength and vigor to elderly rich people. The group making millions from this obtains fetuses from a Mexican village where the cows are dying. A year later, several of their patients die of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an extremely rare human type of spongiform encephalitis. Corpses accumulate and suspense builds during the coverup.

By Tess Gerritsen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Life Support as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

DON'T COUNT ON SEEING TOMORROW

'If you like your crime medicine strong, this will keep you gripped.' Mail on Sunday

Dr Toby Harper's quiet night is disrupted when a severely ill man stumbles into ER. She suspects a viral brain infection. But shortly after trying to treat him, he disappears without a trace.

When a second person is admitted with the same symptoms, she starts to trace the deadly infection backwards. And begins to suspect foul play.

And that she may be on borrowed time . . .


Book cover of The Family That Couldn't Sleep: A Medical Mystery

Jason Dearen Author Of Kill Shot: A Shadow Industry, a Deadly Disease

From my list on mysterious disease outbreaks.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am drawn to stories that grip, teach, and hold power to account. Some of my favorite writers have the ability to do all of it in one go–Lawrence Wright, David Grann, Dan Fagin, etc. I just try to write stories I want to read. So, when I started looking into a pharmacist who made drugs in a dirty lab outside Boston and who shipped his fungus-plagued vials throughout the U.S., I saw an opportunity. As an investigative journalist, I seek stories that shine light on dark corners of government and industry, as well as those that have the chance to better things while entertaining and educating the reader.

Jason's book list on mysterious disease outbreaks

Jason Dearen Why Jason loves this book

This book terrified me. I had no idea that insomnia can be fatal, and in some rare cases, it is a brutal disease that afflicts entire families.

Like all good science books, this one kept me flipping pages while also teaching me about the science of prions, a rogue protein behind the rare condition at the heart of the book that is also linked to Mad Cow Disease. I really enjoy Max’s writing here and in his work for the New Yorker magazine.

By D.T. Max ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Family That Couldn't Sleep as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


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Book cover of From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine

From One Cell by Ben Stanger,

Everybody knows that all animals—bats, bears, sharks, ponies, and people—start out as a single cell: the fertilized egg. But how does something no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence give rise to the remarkable complexity of each of these creatures?

FROM ONE CELL is a dive…

Book cover of Goat Medicine

Cheryl K. Smith Author Of Goat Health Care

From my list on keeping your goats healthy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have raised miniature dairy goats since 1998 and encountered many health issues in my goats and those of friends. Only one mainstream book on raising my goats existed when I got them. I decided to write my own book. That plan was put on hold when I became publisher of Ruminations magazine. I frequently wrote about goat health care and reviewed new goat books as they came out. In 2009, I published my book, a comprehensive compilation of articles from Ruminations. Afterwards, I wrote Raising Goats for Dummies. Not many studies are done on goats, but each book has added to the body of knowledge regarding goat health care.

Cheryl's book list on keeping your goats healthy

Cheryl K. Smith Why Cheryl loves this book

Although expensive, this book is one of my go-to books for veterinary issues that my goats may have. It is written by veterinarians and is more technical than some other books on the subject, but it is very useful when working with a veterinarian or just to better understand the various diseases and conditions that goats can get.

I like the fact that studies are often cited to back up information they share, as well as the photos throughout. 

By Mary C. Smith , David M. Sherman ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Goat Medicine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fully revised and expanded, Goat Medicine, Second Edition includes discussions on new diseases ranging from bovine spongiform encephalopathy to floppy kid disease as well as major updates on important diseases such as scrapie, mycoplasmosis, paratuberculosis, and urolithiasis. Information has also been added on management of transgenic goats and organic goat production. The text begins by outlining fundamentals of goat practice and moves on to sytems-based coverage of the goat. Each chapter provides clinical anatomy and physiology of every system alongside information on relevant clinical signs, differential diagnosis, and system-specific disease.


Book cover of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Book cover of American Dementia: Brain Health in an Unhealthy Society
Book cover of How the Brain Lost Its Mind: Sex, Hysteria, and the Riddle of Mental Illness

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4 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in insomnia, goats, and veterinarians?

Insomnia 28 books
Goats 28 books
Veterinarians 23 books