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My Stroke of Insight

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My Stroke of Insight

By: Jill Bolte Taylor
Narrated by: Jill Bolte Taylor
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Summary
 The international bestseller and recommended by medics, patients and the NHS, this is a brain scientist's personal experience of a stroke. It tells of her journey and gives rare insight into human consciousness and its possibilities for all of us.

On the morning of the 10th December 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke when a blood vessel exploded in the left side of her brain.

A neuroanatomist by profession, she observed her own mind completely deteriorate to the point that she lost the ability to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life, all within the space of four hours. As the damaged left side of her brain - the rational, logical, detail and time-oriented side - swung in an out of function, Taylor alternated between two distinct and opposite realities: the euphoric Nirvana of the intuitive and emotional right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace; and the logical left brain, that realized Jill was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was lost completely.

In My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, Taylor brings to light a new perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery that she gained through the intimate experience of awakening her own injured mind. The journey to recovery took eight years for Jill to feel completely healed. Using her knowledge of how the brain works, her respect for the cells composing her human form, and an amazing mother, Taylor completely repaired her mind and recalibrated her understanding of the world according to the insight gained from her right brain that December morning.

(P)2008 Penguin Audiobooks©2008 Jill Bolte Taylor Medical Professionals & Academics Human Brain Inspiring

Critic Reviews

This book is important for everyone . . . I love this book
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Most relevant
As a aneurysm survivor you have made me understand insightly the performance of our brains. Thanks

A greater understanding.

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Dr Jill Bolte Taylor’s TEDTalk was the first TEDTalk I ever saw many years ago, and it was inspirational back, then, to hear her firsthand account of going through a stroke, and watching the borders of her body dissolve. After a very dear friend of mine had a serious stroke, I remembered Jill’s talk and searched for her and found this book. It was wonderful to be able to hear her speak about her account of her stroke and the process of recovery, and the long arc that it took and not to be disheartened. I can’t recommend this book highly enough I would love to read more of her account and how she puts her understanding Into action. Excellent audiobook!

Amazing first hand account of stroke and recovery as told by a neuroscientist.

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Having studied integrating the brain and ‘crossing the midline’ in the early 1980’s, Dan Siegels’Mind’ around 2016 and just recently listening to Iain McGilchrist videos but having difficulty listening to the Master … it shows I have been curious for a long time. ‘Where is the mind?’ Jill’s lived experience has brought me a deeper understanding that my left brain can accept as truth. Thank you

Profound and moving

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I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. It is indeed insightful. Having been through a stroke myself it has helped me with accepting the new me however it is important to note that each stroke is different. My experience has been very different from hers but still it was very interesting to find out about another stroke survivor.

The knowledge behind the experience

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such a unique insight into how the brain functions from an insider perspective. Also essential reading for anyone involved in stroke recovery. loved it!

essential reading

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