Our Brains, Our Selves: What A Neurologist’s Patients Taught Him About  the Brain
Masud Husain
Canongate Books (April  2026)

“What makes us who we are?”

That is one of the basic questions to which Masud Husain responds in this book, based on what he learned from his wide and deep professional experience as an internationally eminent neurologist as well as from his research. (See “References” listed on Pages 253-269.) I was especially interested in sharing what he learned from his patients.

Until reading this book, I did not know that “without certain fundamental brain functions, the personal and social identities we have developed over many years — and projected to others — count for very little. Those identities — the ‘self’ — that we created and the affiliations we nurtured with different groups over time relied on our brains. The strength of these connections, the quality of the ‘in-group’ bonds, depends on how our brains function in different situations, in chance conversations or formal exchanges, when confronted with new problems to solve, or when having fun with a group of people.”

As I worked my way through Husain’s lively and eloquent narrative, I was again reminded of this observation by Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.”

“What makes us who we are?” What we think? What others think? A consensus?

These are among the subjects/passages that caught my eye, also listed to suggest the scope of Husain’s coverage:

o Self and Identity: Overview (Pages 1-3, 5-19, and 239-241)
o Language disorders (6-7 and 56-59)
o Behaviour change (7-8 and 17-18)
o Identity and social groups (14-16 and 246-249)
o Neurological disorders (17-18, 49, and 50)

o Motivation (34-38 and 46-50)
o Dopamine (42-44 and 132-133)
o Neurodegenerative diseases (48, 50, 105, and 133)
o Classification of knowledge (68-71)
o Semantic memory (72-73, 75, 81, and 102)

o Alzheimer’s Disease (116-119)
o Visual hallucinations (123-128, 131-136, and 142-148)
o Frontotemporal dementia (197-201 and 205-206)
o Limb awareness (211-213 and 217-218)
o Self and identity (236-238, 242-243)

With regard to the question posed earlier, I defer to Masud Husain to reveal and explain in detail what his answer is, in large measure based on what he learned from seven of his patients featured in the book. It is a brilliant achievement. Once I have carefully digested the material, I will again re-read the book. I envy those who have not as yet done so.

* * *

Here are two suggestions while you are reading Our Brains, Our Selves: First, highlight key passages. Also,  perhaps in a lined notebook kept near-at-hand,  record your comments, questions, and action steps (preferably with deadlines). Pay close attention to the Introduction and to the remarks that conclude each of the eight chapters, especially the last.

These two simple tactics — highlighting and documenting — will expedite frequent reviews of key material later.