Guy Leschziner – författare

'Has the power to change the way you look at the world' Steven Bartlett 'The heir to Oliver Sacks' David Baddiel A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2024 AN INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE MONTH Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Pride. Envy. Lust. Anger.These are the seven deadly sins, the vices of humankind that define immorality, the roots of all evil in the world. Or so some believe.But do these sins really represent moral failings, or are they simply human functions that aid us? Are they just the result of how our bodies, psyches, and brains in particular, are wired?This new book by Dr Guy Leschziner, a professor of neurology and sleep medicine, explores the underlying nature of the seven deadly sins, their neuroscientific and psychological basis, their origin in our genes and crucially how certain medical disorders give rise to them.Drawing on his clinical practice, we meet individuals whose physical and psychological conditions have given rise to these sins, where brain injury or other experiences have sparked ‘immoral’ actions. He explores how illness can simply expose what lies within us and investigates how the origins of these traits lie in evolutionary imperatives to preserve the wellbeing of the tribe. Perhaps, he suggests, these character traits are less of a moral question and more biological, which raises fundamental issues of responsibility and blame in the face of ‘sin’.Combining cutting-edge science placed in the context of real-life experience with patients, the book reexamines where the boundaries between normal human nature, pathology and sin are drawn. And, most importantly, whether these hard-wired traits truly represent sin, or simply the intensity of our intrinsic desire to survive and thrive.

'Has the power to change the way you look at the world' Steven Bartlett 'The heir to Oliver Sacks' David Baddiel A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2024 AN INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE MONTH Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Pride. Envy. Lust. Anger.These are the seven deadly sins, the vices of humankind that define immorality, the roots of all evil in the world. Or so some believe.But do these sins really represent moral failings, or are they simply human functions that aid us? Are they just the result of how our bodies, psyches, and brains in particular, are wired?This new book by Dr Guy Leschziner, a professor of neurology and sleep medicine, explores the underlying nature of the seven deadly sins, their neuroscientific and psychological basis, their origin in our genes and crucially how certain medical disorders give rise to them.Drawing on his clinical practice, we meet individuals whose physical and psychological conditions have given rise to these sins, where brain injury or other experiences have sparked ‘immoral’ actions. He explores how illness can simply expose what lies within us and investigates how the origins of these traits lie in evolutionary imperatives to preserve the wellbeing of the tribe. Perhaps, he suggests, these character traits are less of a moral question and more biological, which raises fundamental issues of responsibility and blame in the face of ‘sin’.Combining cutting-edge science placed in the context of real-life experience with patients, the book reexamines where the boundaries between normal human nature, pathology and sin are drawn. And, most importantly, whether these hard-wired traits truly represent sin, or simply the intensity of our intrinsic desire to survive and thrive.

'Has the power to change the way you look at the world' Steven Bartlett 'The heir to Oliver Sacks' David Baddiel A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2024 AN INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE MONTH Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Pride. Envy. Lust. Anger.These are the seven deadly sins, the vices of humankind that define immorality, the roots of all evil in the world. Or so some believe.But do these sins really represent moral failings, or are they simply human functions that aid us? Are they just the result of how our bodies, psyches, and brains in particular, are wired?This new book by Dr Guy Leschziner, a professor of neurology and sleep medicine, explores the underlying nature of the seven deadly sins, their neuroscientific and psychological basis, their origin in our genes and crucially how certain medical disorders give rise to them.Drawing on his clinical practice, we meet individuals whose physical and psychological conditions have given rise to these sins, where brain injury or other experiences have sparked ‘immoral’ actions. He explores how illness can simply expose what lies within us and investigates how the origins of these traits lie in evolutionary imperatives to preserve the wellbeing of the tribe. Perhaps, he suggests, these character traits are less of a moral question and more biological, which raises fundamental issues of responsibility and blame in the face of ‘sin’.Combining cutting-edge science placed in the context of real-life experience with patients, the book reexamines where the boundaries between normal human nature, pathology and sin are drawn. And, most importantly, whether these hard-wired traits truly represent sin, or simply the intensity of our intrinsic desire to survive and thrive.

The Oxford Handbook of Sleep Medicine provides a comprehensive, practical guide to clinicians of all backgrounds for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders across clinical specialties. Sleep medicine is encountered in almost every field of medicine yet clinical training and practical guidance is often difficult to find. This handbook is essential for all clinicians seeking a clear and concise quick-reference guide to sleep disorders in their day-to-day practice, from the GP to specialists in respiratory medicine, psychiatry, neurology and surgery. It will also provide an excellent resource for those pursuing specialist training in clinical sleep medicine.This handbook is written from a practical perspective, to guide clinical practice, rather than providing simply theoretical knowledge. It provides guidance from experienced clinicians across a range of specialties to provide a truly comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to sleep medicine. This handbook covers the full range of sleep disorders, from insomnia to very rare movement disorders, to ensure the reader has quick access to the right information whenever they need it.

*As featured on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast*For those fascinated by neurology and for fans of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat comes a powerful exploration of the mind during night time. Here are the mysteries of sleep, explained – from known conditions to the extreme.  ‘The Secret World of Sleep interweaves bizarre real life stories with cutting edge neurological science in the true tradition of Oliver Sacks. A fascinating read.' Martha Kearney, BBC Radio 4  World-renowned neurologist and sleep expert, Doctor Guy Leschziner, takes you through various sleep conditions and how they arise and affect people. Insomnia, narcolepsy, night terrors and apnoea are just some of the conditions afflicting those struggling with sleep.Then there are the extreme cases. The people frightened into paralysis by hallucinations. The woman in a state of deep sleep who gets dressed and goes for a drive. The teenager with ‘Sleeping Beauty Syndrome’, stuck in a cycle of excessive unconsciousness. The man who cleans out kitchens while 'sleep-eating'.  With compassionate stories of his patients and their conditions, Leschziner illustrates the neuroscience behind our sleeping minds, revealing the many biological and psychological factors necessary in getting the rest needed for health and happiness.Pick of the Best Paperbacks - Sunday TimesBest January Paperbacks - The TimesMust Read Brain Books 2019 - Forbes MagazineThe Best Neuroscience Books of 2019 - The Scientist MagazineThe Best Books of 2019 - New Zealand HeraldBest 100 Summer Reads 2019 - Sunday TimesWeek's best Science Picks - NatureBooks of the Year 2019 - Irish Independent

*As featured on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast*‘From the opening paragraph, I was spellbound, entranced. Through real stories about what happens when our fragile perception of the world around us and within us is severed, Guy Leschziner connects us back to our senses.’Professor Alice RobertsWhere are you now?Look around you; what can you see?Close your eyes and think of a loved one – do you see their face?Stretch out a hand; what can you feel with your fingertips, your palm, the soft underside of your wrist?What can you hear – nearby and far away? The information you receive from your senses makes up your world. But that world does not exist. What we perceive to be the absolute truth of the world around us is a complex reconstruction, a virtual reality created by the complex machinations of our minds in tandem with the wiring of our nervous systems.But what happens if that wiring goes awry? What happens if connections falter, or new and unexpected connections are made? Tiny shifts in the microbiology of our nervous systems can cause the world around us to shift and mutate, to become alien and unfamiliar.In The Man Who Tasted Words, consultant neurologist Guy Leschziner takes us on a journey through the senses, exploring how each one shapes our experience of the world. And investigating what happens when they deviate from the norm. Along the way we meet a number of extraordinary individuals and step through the looking glass and into their worlds. Worlds where hot and cold are reversed, where a person with no sight sees fantastical visions, or where words have a taste and sounds create sensations.But while fascinating, their experiences are more than simply curiosities. They teach us about our own perception of the world, forcing us to question the idea of ‘normal’ senses, and whether such a thing even exists. Does blue look the same to you and me? Does grass smell the same? Or sugar taste as sweet? Do we even have the same understanding of what ‘sweet’ is?The Man Who Tasted Words unpacks the science behind your senses and challenges you to try and see the world through another’s eyes – and ears, and nose and mouth. It will illuminate, it will surprise, and it will leave your world just a little bit changed.‘A fascinating, important and disturbing book. Words will never taste the same again!’ John Humphrys