TCL Call #: 362.1 FLEISCHMAN

D - 4 stars

This book lives up to it's title of gruesome, but the weak-stomached shouldn't shy away. It's an absolutely fascinating look at how the brain works based on the true account of a man who had a metal rod shot, that's right, shot through his skull--the best part? He lived! Interspersed are funny comments that make the disgusting parts much more bearable, and the sheer interesting/amazing-factor is enough to dull what would otherwise seem a little too morbid for comfort. Phineas is still completely functioning and unchanged, with the exception of his disposition, making for an extremely interesting portal into what makes us human and how our brains are complex and perfect.