Originally published: London: Duckworth, 1985.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part 1. Losses -- The man who mistook his wife for a hat -- The lost mariner -- The disembodied lady -- The man who fell out of bed -- Hands -- Phantoms -- On the level -- Eyes right! -- The President's speech -- Part 2. Excesses -- Witty ticcy ray -- Cupid's disease -- A matter of identity -- Yes, father-sister -- The possessed -- Part 3. Transports -- Reminiscence -- Incontinent nostalgia -- A passage to India -- The dog beneath the skin -- Murder -- The visions of Hildegard -- Part 4. The world of the simple -- Rebecca -- A walking grove -- The twins -- The autist artist -- Bibliography.

Using case studies, Sacks examines the effects of impairment and incapacity of neurological function such as loss of speech and loss of memory, and looks at the relationship between the brain and the mind.