Photo taken from:
http://www.amazon.com/Phineas-Gage-Gruesome-Story-Science/dp/0618494782/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321123379&sr=8-1
Summary:
John Fleischman tells the story of Phineas Gage, a survivor of a terrible accident. Phineas was a foreman for a railroad construction company in Vermont. He often used a specially made rod to pick holes and pack the dynamite to blow up rock. Phineas became distracted by his workers and an explosion caused the rod to propel into Phineas’ head. Phineas, though terribly injured, walked away from the accident. When Doctor Bigalow first saw him, he was more than surprised that Phineas was alive, let alone walking and talking. The doctor did his best to heal him and was greatly interested in Phineas’ condition.
As Phineas recovers Dr. Bigalow notices that while Phineas has recovered remarkably well, he’s personality is not the same. The once congenial man now has difficulty with interpersonal skills and is no longer able to hold down a job or maintain relationships. Dr. Bigalow writes about Phineas’ remarkable recovery and he and Phineas are invited to Boston to meet with more doctors. Once in Boston Phineas grows tired of the doctors and leaves.
Phineas lived ten years after his accident. He was never able to maintain a steady job or relationships. Eventually he died in California while living with his mother and sister. Phineas is the first documented case that shows a clear correlation between the brain and emotion. Even after Phineas died, doctors studied his case to prove that the brain is central to human life and emotion. Phineas’ story questions whether surviving that terrible accident was a blessing or a curse. After the accident Phineas was never the same person, a crucial part of himself was destroyed in the accident.
Citation:
Fleishchman, J. (2002) Phineas Gage a gruesome but true story about brain science. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Impression:
What a fascinating and interesting book; this is sure to be a kid pleaser. Fleischman is able to bring the complicated topic of history, brain science, and psychology to the level of his intended readers. The story is a gruesome with the pictures of Phineas with a 13 lb. rod sticking out of his head and pictures of his skull, but to a student who has an innate interest in science and history, this is a great resource.
To a reader looking to learn about Phineas Gage as a person, this is not the book. Fleishman gives insight on Phineas’ personal life, but this story is told more from the perspective of science and psychology. The author takes great pains to explain brain science and tends to leave the story of Phineas Gage as a side note.
Reviews:
The name of Phineas Gage may ring a bell for those with a taste for historical footnotes: he's the man who, in 1848, had a three-and-a-half foot iron rod blasted through his head and lived to tell the tale, providing a spectacular subject for nineteenth-century neurologists. Fleischman starts right up with Gage's accident ("It will kill him, but it will take another eleven years, six months, and nineteen days to do so"), effectively setting the scene and explaining the situation (Gage was a blaster on the railroad, and the item of his doom was a tamping rod); he then describes Gage's recovery, his personality changes, his subsequent difficult life, and finally his death. Around and within this narrative is the larger story of science then and science now: the author deftly introduces readers to a diverse range of relevant scientific history as well as more specific beliefs that influenced the medical establishment's understanding of Gage, then goes on to examine subsequent neurological discoveries that have changed and enhanced our understanding of Gage's fate. The book's present-tense narrative is inviting and intimate, and the text is crisp and lucid, combining the personal and the theoretical to dramatic effect and avoiding condescension both to readers and to the unfortunate Gage (though it's odd that he's informally called by his first name throughout in contrast to theother adults). The accessible layout features some superbly effective illustrations, ranging from photographs of nineteenth-century medicine to diagrams, historical and contemporary, of the brain, to stunning images depicting the trajectory of the rod through Gage's head. The riveting topic (the grossout impalement diagrams are a booktalk in their own right) will draw all kinds of readers, and they'll be fascinated even as they're educated. There are no notes, but a glossary, a brief but detailed list of print and electronic resources, and an index are included. DS
Citation:
Stevenson, D. (2002, May). [Phineas Gage: a gruesome but true story about brain science] [book review]. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 55(9), 321-322. Retrieved from http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/
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In 1848, Phineas Gage, a twenty-six-year-old explosives expert, had an accident that should have killed him. His three-foot-long, spearlike tamping iron, accidentally igniting the blasting powder, shot thirty feet into the air after first passing through his head. Miraculously, Gage was able to walk around, talk lucidly about the accident, and even joke with his horrified doctor. Later, it became clear that his personality and ability to make sound judgments had been drastically changed. Gage became the central figure in a medical debate between two factions of scientists that lasted long after his death eleven years later. Both the phrenologists and the whole-brain theorists were convinced that Gage's survival and personality transformation proved their theories and negated those of the other party. In fact, both theories were mostly incorrect. John Fleischman's bold, present-tense writing draws the reader into the story from the first sentence: 'The most unlucky/lucky moment in the life of Phineas Gage is only a minute or two away… [Soon] Phineas will have a horrible accident" The grisly cover photo of Gage's skull, a classy design, and large illustrations aid in captivating a younger audience (nine and up seems about right) who will likely be hooked by the story before Fleischman begins delving into the specifics of brain anatomy. While the text frequently addresses the reader directly ("Imagine you are inside Phineas's head"), the serious subject and the author's skill keep the writing from becoming jejune. What truly elevates this book beyond a blow-by-blow description of a ghastly event and its aftermath is the introduction of the idea that some scientists are zealots who are compelled to support their own theories even if it means remaining blind to new evidence. At the heart of the book is the revelation that while science is a discipline based on facts, these "facts" change, forcing the field to evolve and reinvent itself.
Citation:
[Phineas Gage: a gruesome but true story about brain science] [book review]. (2002). The Horn Book, 78(3), 343-344.
Uses:
- Have “A Evening at the Museum” night where books about scientific breakthroughs are highlighted. Have the local Museum Curator come in and talk about some of the breakthroughs that South Dakota is famous for. Use the Phineas Gage book as part of a book display to go along with the evening’s events.
- Have an archeological display at the library that highlights the benefits of archeology and use the Phineas Gage book to as a discussion point.
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