Paul Broks

'[A] beautifully written investigation of grief ... As an exploration of love and loss, as a portrait of a person and of the nature of personhood, this book is about as true as any I have read' James McConnachie, Sunday TimesAn audacious and beautiful account of grief and who we are. Memoir, neuroscience and myth interweave to create a book unlike any otherWhen celebrated neuropsychologist Paul Broks' wife died of cancer, he found himself plunged into the world of the bereaved. As he experienced the pain, alienation and suffering that make us human, his clinician-self seemed to watch on with keen interest. He embarked upon a voyage of experience: a journey through grief, philosophy, consciousness, humanity and magical thinking - seen through the prism of a lifetime's work in neuroscience. Fusing an account of living with and recovering from loss with thought-provoking meditations on the nature of the mind and the self, The Darker the Night, the Brighter the Stars is an audacious and beautiful work by a writer of astonishing wisdom and compassion.

Are we just the puppet of our emotions? No aspect of our mental life is more important to the quality and meaning of our existence than emotions. They are what make life worth living, or sometimes ending. They are what motivate our behaviour and influence our beliefs. Maverick Theatre-maker Mick Gordon and neuropsychologist Paul Broks join forces with acclaimed puppeteers, Blind Summit, to use and abuse the tools of the theatre, an art form which creates and manipulates feelings, to explore the complicated and crucial arena of human emotion.

'Genius... personal, poetic and truthful. [It] reads as light as a soufflé, yet also has the resonant depth to haunt you for the rest of your days.' GuardianInto the Silent Land marks the debut of an astonishing new voice. Paul Broks draws on his many years as a neuropsychologist to present an unforgettable narrative about memory and personal identity. Into the Silent Land describes ordinary people whose extraordinary situations have much to teach us about chance, compassion and human resilience in the face of adversity. It is a book that penetrates the reader's imagination and lingers in the memory long after the final page. 'Paul Brok's wonderful book... is full of wonders and unsettling new perspectives.' Independent on Sunday'A beautifully written addition to brain literature... will mesmerise anyone curious about the mass of goo inside our heads.' Time Out, Book of the Week'A debut of considerable distinction.' Sunday Times'Paul Broks is set to be the new Oliver Sacks... knife edge sharp [and] uncompromising. Brilliantly unsettling' Ian Finlayson, The Times'Into the SilentLand is a small, strange, beautiful gem... Broks is as much poet as scientist... Indelible' Atul Gawande, author of Complications

A leading neuropsychologist journeys into the mysteries of his field in a fascinating collection of narratives that explore the world of the neurologically impaired, in such essays as "The Sea and the Almond," about a young woman who agrees to a radical surgery to eliminate her seizures, and "I Think Therefore I Am Dead," about a patient with a debilitating illness without diagnosis or cure. Reprint.