(Reviewed by JD Jung)
So why would anyone want to remove a brain? Author David Haviland answers the “why” and the “how” in this informative and entertaining book.
Haviland also shares with us a gross method of contraception in ancient Egypt. What were condoms made of in the 16th century? Also did you know that in 1753 Casanova described how he purchased and tested out condoms?
Readers will also learn that Hippocrates was the first doctor to reject the theory that sickness was caused by the gods. Instead, he believed that illness was a product of environment, diet and lifestyle. What a novel idea!
Why has arsenic been used so often in medicine and how? And why did one French doctor believe that gangrene was a cure to many ailments? You’ll learn about a lot of strange cures and famous (or should I say, infamous) quacks in history.
What are hiccups and how do you cure them? Haviland dispels urban myths, like people going crazy during a full moon. He also describes actual, disgusting diseases and the probable causes of certain plagues in history.
Did the Christopher Columbus expedition bring syphilis to Europe? Why were so many serial killers actually practicing medical doctors?
How to Remove a Brain isn’t just about early medical theories, but also events from the twentieth century. Haviland dispels the myth of how AIDS was first brought to America. Also, was Adolf Hitler addicted to crystal meth? Why wouldn’t the Ebola virus be an effective method of biological warfare?
I’ve presented a lot of questions from How to Remove a Brain, but I’ve barely scratched the surface of all the fascinating stuff in this book. I particularly enjoyed reading about the history of my favorite drink of all time, Coca Cola. Not interested? Well, who was the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes? What was the actual cause of death for blues singer Bessie Smith? The point is that there’s something for everyone, even fans of art and literature. And it’s all presented in a fun, entertaining way, with a wry sense of humor.
What’s also nice about this book is that it’s constructed in a way that gives you the freedom to read at your leisure. You don’t have to go from start to finish all at once.
I thoroughly enjoyed How to Remove a Brain: and other bizarre medical practices and procedures and I recommend it as the perfect, quirky gift for, well… anyone!
