Possessing Genius: The Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein's Brain - Hardcover

Abraham, Carolyn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1840465492 ISBN 13: 9781840465495

Publisher: Icon Books, 2004

Synopsis

The middle finger of Galileo's right hand is on display in a museum in Florence. Napoleon's severed penis is rumoured to be in the hands, as it were, of an American urologist. And the brain of the greatest thinker of the 20th century lies in two muddy cookie jars under a box and behind a beer cooler in Wichita, Kansas.

Follow the bizarre odyssey of Albert Einstein’s brain as it roamed the world in mayonnaise jars and courier packages, in car boots and by airmail, and took over one man’s life.

In 1955 Princeton pathologist Thomas Harvey found himself dissecting the corpse of Albert Einstein. He seized the chance to salvage the great thinker’s brain, convinced it might unlock the enigma of genius. Harvey became the organ’s unlikely custodian – slicing, dicing, pickling and preserving

Possessing Genius tells this compelling story, about a scientific specimen turned into a holy relic by our rabid culture of celebrity.

About this title

Review:

"An engrossing and sometimes disturbing volume." -- Vancouver Sun

"An engrossing and sometimes disturbing volume." -- Vancover Sun

"An engrossing tale, full of descriptions of sometimes gruesome medical procedures and colourful accounts of diverse personalities." -- Washington Post

"Engrossing ... Abraham details the peregrinations of what most be one the most unique organs ever submitted to scientific scrutiny." -- Vancouver Sun

"The story Abraham tells is so engaging that the brain becomes an intriguing character." -- Los Angeles Times

About the Author:

Carolyn Abraham is the medical reporter for The Globe and Mail in Toronto. The winner of two national awards from the Canadian Newspaper Association, she won the Hollobon Science in Society Award for her articles on the business of genetics. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

About this edition

• Publisher: Icon Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1840465492
• ISBN 13: 9781840465495
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 416