false 1399738 4 Finding the words: the remarkable journey of a bestselling writer struck with a rare and devastating affliction and how he triumphed over his condition. One hot mid-summer morning in Toronto, bestselling crime novelist Howard Engel got up to fetch his morning paper and discovered he could no longer read it. The letters had mysteriously jumbled themselves into something that looked like Cyrillic one moment and Korean the next. "Was this a Serbo-Croatian version of The Globe?" he wondered. Overnight, while he slept, Engel had experienced a stroke and now suffered from a rare condition called alexia sine agraphia, meaning that while he could still write, he could no longer read. Engel's gentle humour and matter-of- fact tone set the stage for this extraordinary memoir that traces the writer's journey through a life-changing episode. Describing his stay in hospital, Engel also discovers other horrifying and fascinating new "insults" to his brain: Geography eludes him; he can no longer navigate. Apples and grapefruit now look the same (only by smelling each one can he tell them apart). And yet, despite these devastating disabilities and the almost certain loss of his career and a huge chunk of his identity, Engel prepares to reconcile with his condition. He contacts renowned neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks for advice, forging a lasting friendship. He bravely begins to learn how to read all over again. And, in the face of obstacles, his imagination triumphs in the writing of his latest Benny Cooperman detective novel, Memory Book. Engel describes the painstaking writing process of this 2005 bestseller, which has the detective developing alexia after being struck on the head. An absorbingly detailed and uplifting story, filled with sly wit and candid insights, The Man Who Forgot How to Read will appeal to Engel's legion of fans, as well as to all those fascinated by the mysteries of the mind, on and off the page. 2416677 12 12 2008 The Man Who Forgot How to Read total:34|5:4|4:7|3:16|2:6|1:1| 34 109 104 9 4 0 false false Sat Jun 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 27 14:21:59 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 27 14:22:38 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 1 false false Tue Jul 15 14:22:21 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 15 14:22:56 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Sat Feb 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 26 11:46:33 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 28 08:58:34 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Oct 29 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 05 14:55:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 29 20:20:03 -0700 2009
In this memoir of sorts, Eng...more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Mar 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 01 08:13:48 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 02 11:30:31 -0800 2009
Suddenly being unable to read might take away my will to live.
However, Engel was able to regain his ... And he got to write to/meet Oliver Sacks, which is cool.]]> 4 1 false false Thu Feb 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 11:52:24 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 27 15:32:38 -0800 2009 1 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Apr 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 12 10:24:11 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 12 10:25:14 -0700 2009 1 1 false false Wed Feb 18 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 28 10:51:59 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 18 19:16:53 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 24 19:46:34 -0700 2008 Wed Sep 23 12:40:38 -0700 2009
Although I don't generally read mysteries or detective stories, I would be interested to read some of his pre-stroke and post-stroke books if I came accross thome to see the effect of his disor...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Nov 04 15:01:38 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 04 15:01:38 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sun Aug 30 19:10:39 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 19:10:49 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Aug 23 19:50:55 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 23 19:50:55 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Thu Aug 06 21:21:59 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 06 21:21:59 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Aug 04 10:50:07 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 05 22:29:06 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Aug 02 18:29:36 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 02 18:29:36 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Jul 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 15:46:54 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 15:47:01 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Tue Dec 09 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Jul 22 23:27:42 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 22 23:27:42 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Jul 11 05:36:34 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 11 05:36:34 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jul 03 07:17:06 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 03 07:17:50 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Jun 27 14:40:39 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 27 14:40:39 -0700 2009