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    Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science
    Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science
    Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science
    Audiobook1 hour

    Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science

    Written by John Fleischman

    Narrated by Kevin Orton

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    In 1848 Vermont, railroad foreman Phineas Gage sat above a hole, preparing to blast through some granite. A 13-pound iron rod fell from his hands into the hole, triggering the explosion and sending the rod straight through Phineas' head. Thirty minutes after this terrible accident, Phineas sat on the steps of a hotel, patiently waiting for the town doctor to arrive. He chatted with his amazed coworkers as if nothing had happened. But something terrible had happened. The rod that shot through Phineas' head like a rocket had caused great damage. Yet-incredibly-Phineas survived another 11 years. This extraordinary book tells the true story of one of the most remarkable accidents in human history. Listeners will not only be fascinated by all the gruesome details, but will also learn riveting information about how Phineas helped change the history of brain science. "Readers of this fascinating book will become acquainted with both the unbelievable tale of Phineas Gage as well as valuable information about the workings of the human brain."-Children's Literature
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 20, 2009
    ISBN9781440716942
    Author

    John Fleischman

    John Fleischman uses his brain as a science writer with the American Society for Cell Biology and as a freelance writer for various magazines, including Discover, Muse, and Air & Space Smithsonian. He has been a science writer at the Harvard Medical School and a senior editor with Yankee and Ohio magazines. He lives in Ohio with his wife and a greyhound named Psyche.

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    Reviews for Phineas Gage

    4/5

    137 ratings21 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I picked this book up to read for task 6: Read a Biography (Not a Memoir or Autobiography) for the Book Riot's read harder challenge. I downloaded this book to my kindle from my library's ebooks. I found it by searching for biographies. Since I downloaded it without really getting to see the book, I didn't realize it was geared towards younger readers until I started reading it.

      This book covers a portion of the life of Phineas Gage, a medical miracle who survived being skewered through the brain. His is a fascinating case that advanced our understanding of brain injuries. Unfortunately, although portions of his life are well documented, there are many gaps in his story. I really wanted to know more about him. This was definitely an interesting book and I think it would appeal to middle grade readers.
    • 5/5
      This book report is about a man named Phineas Gage. Gage is a famous railroad construction worker in the 1800's, but he is well know for his serious injury. On September 13,1848, 26 year-old Gage was supervising rock blasting for a new railroad. While preparing for the blast, Gage was distracted looked over his right shoulder when a tamping iron slipped from between his legs into a hole with blasting powder. In less than a second, the pointy end of the rod entered under his left cheek bone and went behind his left eye through his brain and out the middle of his forehead. Amazingly, he lived and medical science learned a lot from him. Gage had abrupt changes in his mood control and personality after he recovered from the initial injury. We now know that the frontal lobe controls mood, memory, fear, and choices. In the book, the author uses Gage's injury to teach brain anatomy and science. He also describes Phrenology which is the study of brain science related to skull shape. The author believes little organs in the brain have different and specific functions. This is exemplified by Phineas Gage's story. Gage surprisingly lived 11 years after the injury. Even after his death, he still continues to teach students of neurology and psychology about how the lobes of the frontal cortex work.I decided to choose this book because I saw a show about Phineas Gage. I wanted to read and learn more about his story. I really liked this book because I learned a lot about how the frontal lobe controls fear and mood. I liked the picture models of his head and brain after the injury. Also, I enjoyed the way the author organized the book with Gage's history combined with the science of his behavior changes related to his brain injury. I would recommend this book to people who like brain science because it teaches in an entertaining way about the science of the brain and behavior. I would rate this book five stars because I really liked it for that reason.
    • 5/5
      This is a really gruesome, but in an awesome way! This is the story of a man named Phineas Gage who suffered from a brain injury after an accident. He survived but he was changed. His story is captivating and opens the door to an understanding of brain science. The author connects us with Gage’s story and lures us into learning a lot about the history of medical advancements. The best part is that there are enough gross images to really keep kids interested. Middle schoolers will love this book.
    • 5/5
      This book is a great way to get kids interested in science. Bloody and gritty, this story should interest those who are interested in mostly fantasy books because the story is wild. Better for 6th grade and up when discussing brain/ body composition, neuroscience, MRI scans and IQ. Photographs and MRI scans brings this book into the real world.
    • 4/5
      Read this in a single sitting last night. I bought it for my son to read because it was on our state's Battle of the Books list last year and he usually enjoys those titles, but he has not yet expressed interest in it. I think he is afraid it will frighten him.I found it fascinating. I have long said that the best way to learn about any new subject is to start with children's books, which usually have simple language and good illustrations. This book, which is geared for middle grades, is a wonderful example. It gives a narrative about Phineas Gage, a railroad worker who suffered brain trauma when an iron bar went completely through his head, from his left jaw, up through the top of his skull. He made a full physical recovery and lived 11 more years, but his personality was greatly changed. The case of Phineas Gage provided much data for physicians studying brain function, and it is also a fascinating human story.I'm going to hold on to this book in hopes of getting my son to read it. I highly recommend it!
    • 4/5
      In this book, I learned how a man named Phineas Gage lives even though he had a pole shot through his head. It all started when he was working on a railroad. His job was to make a hole in the ground, put explosives in the hole, and pack sand of top of that. He had a special stick that was hard and round on one side and small and sharp on the other. As he was packing the sand on the explosives with the round side, he missed and the explosion shot the rod through his cheek and out of his forehead. When he went to the hospital they were amazed that he was still alive. The doctor cleaned and 'dressed' his wounds. Once he was fully recovered he was a changed man. (Literally) Before, he was nice and everyone liked him. But now he was mean and crude. After many tests and experiments they realized that different parts of the brain affect different parts of our personality. Ever since his accident, people learned so much from him. People from our time are learning more about the brain, thanks to him.I liked this book. I thought that it was interesting. I enjoyed reading the book and learning about the brain. I would personally rate it a 4 or 5 because I think that it was incredible. I mean, how many times do you read about a guy who gets a pole shot though his head and lives? There were some parts of the book that I skimmed. But, there were other parts that I read and re-read in disbelief.
    • 4/5
      This is a great read for kids and adults. It is a first look at traumatic brain injuries, how they happen and the resulting after effects. Phineas Gage was a 26-year-old foreman of a track construction gang building a railway. He is well-regarded on the job, is fair and kind. Then tragedy strike and a 13 pound iron rod enters just under his left cheek and into the left side of his brain. Most people would have died, but Phineas was actually alert and talking! He is something of a medical miracle when he survives after narrowly escaping a few infections that almost killed him.But something was never quite right after the accident. Aside from his scar, Phineas looked the same, but his personality was forever altered. He became short-tempered, forgetful and mean and was dismissed from his job.The book goes into what happened inside his brain to cause this change. I think it is a fascinating book that would appeal to both boys and girls. I have just the girl in mind for this book!
    • 5/5
      In 1848, Phineas Gage was a strong, well-liked railroad foreman who suffered a terrible accident. An explosion shot a three and a half foot tamping iron through his eye and skull. Miraculously, Gage survived. But he had changed. Now, he was crude and disrespectful. The accident eventually killed him, but it took eleven years to do so. In the meantime, Gage became a living experiment in the new science of the brain. He was the first case where doctors were able to link personality change to brain injury, and this link made great strides in neurology.It seems like it would be very difficult to get kids interested in brain science, but this book combines exciting storytelling with full color graphics to tell a story that is both interesting and informative. Gage becomes a very real character, and students will both be sympathetic and fascinated. The brain science portions are written in easily understood language, and accompanied by photographs, illustrations, and graphs. There is also a very good glossary and comprehensive index at the end. But what will really grab readers' attention is the blood splatters, brain matter, and cracked skulls that litter the pages. As long as you aren't above using gore to get kids reading nonfiction, you'll find this to be an awesome addition to your library.Grades 7-10
    • 4/5
      John Fleischman tells the gruesome story of a man named Phineas Gage, who was struck through the brain by a temping iron while working. On September 13, 1848 Mr. Gage was at work blasting railroads like any other day, but this day is soon to take a turn for the worst. A nearly 14 pound temping iron blast through Phineas's cheek, through his brain, and out of the top of his skull. This horrible accident should have instantly killed Phineas, but it didn't. until 11 years, six months, and 19 days later. He went on with his life walking, talking, and taking care of himself. The only difference was his social skills. He became rude and vulgar to everyone he came in contact with. Doctors spend years and years studying this man's miraculous survival. It isn't until years after he dies that his main Dr., Dr. Harlow, digs up Phineas and examines his skull. Not only does Fleischman tell the story of Phineas Gage, but also the huge medical improvements and discoveries being made as time went on."In out time, Phineas Gage is a textbook case." This is a direct quote from Fleischman in the last chapter of the book. He explains how neurology and psychology students still study his case. So, that is a teaching connection in itself. If students are still using his case to learn new things about the brain, then this book is doing a good job. I think it would also be a good book to read in any science class because it is just so interesting, and I think all students would be very intrigued by the story of Phineas Gage.I enjoyed reading this book when it was talking about Phineas's injury and the discoveries of his brain. I was a little bored with all of the facts about the brain and sometimes was confused by them simply because I know nothing about the brain. I do, however, recommend this being read by all students interested in science and the brain. (Especially our future brain surgeons.)
    • 4/5
      A tamping iron enters below Phineas' cheek and out the top of his skull in a railroad construction accident. He survives for eleven more years and becomes a case study for brain researchers and neuroscientists. Pretty amazing stuff and interesting to learn about medical understanding of the brain then (1850s) and now. I listened to the audiobook as I followed along with the book. One of the great things about the book is all the illustrations, diagrams, and medical photos.
    • 5/5
      Clear description of the fate of Phineas Gage and the doctors who studied his seminal brain injury. This takes a potentially terrifying story and presents it in a direct fashion appropriate to children.
    • 5/5
      Phineas Gage: A popular science book that doesn't underestimate children, and presents a fascinating medical oddity for their enrichment and entertainment. In Phineas Gage John Fleischman chronicles the adult life of a man who has the extreme misfortune to experience an iron rod fly through his head and out the top of his skull ... and live to tell the tale. Literally, in fact, as he sat chatting with his landlord about the accident while he waited the half hour for the nearest doctor to arrive. Despite the extreme improbability given the state of medical treatment in 1848, Phineas recovers from the incident and goes on to live an additional eleven years. However, the true subject of Fleischman's narrative is not really Phineas Gage as an individual, but rather how he helped inspire the medical community. In life, aspiring surgeons look at Gage's recovery as proof of a number of neurological theories. After his death his doctor finally reveals that his patient's recovery was not as "complete" as first suggested, and Phineas' medical history and remains go on to inspire and enlighten medical minds for decades to come. Phineas Gage is remarkable all on his own, and Fleischman makes his story available to young readers.
    • 4/5
      Children's book but it tells a fascinating story. Way back when--around the time of the 'wild west'--a man working with explosives at a mine amazingly survived a horrific accident. A tamping rod was blown through his head! He survived but his personality was never the same. Science at the time could not explain this, but now we know how different parts of the brain affect personality. The book talks about Phineas' life and clearly explains what is known about the brain and how scientists used his accident and later research to develop modern theories about how the brain works. It's all easy to understand (good for a children's book!) and fascinating stuff for those interested in science, human personality, or gruesome accidents. Child or not, I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest on those things!
    • 4/5
      Phineas Gage was truly a man with a hole in his head. Phineas, a railroad construction foreman, was blasting rock near Cavendish, Vermont, in 1848 when a thirteen-pound iron rod was shot through his brain. Miraculously, he survived to live another eleven years and become a textbook case in brain science.
    • 4/5
      In 1848, Phineas Gage gained the attention of the Medical society of New England after he managed to survive a railroad blasting accident which sent a thirteen-pound iron tamping rod through his cheek and up between the frontal lobes of his brain. John Fleischman enhances Gage's story by weaving in current scientific information about the brain.
    • 4/5
      The reviews for this book were very mixed, but I really enjoyed it. I would have liked to have read more about the changes in Gage's personality, but I thought the history on brain research was interesting and easy to understand. The pictures and illustrations certainly helped to bring the text alive.
    • 4/5
      In 1848 Vermont railroad foreman Phineas Gage was struck in the head by a 13 pound spike and survived. The spike went in Phineas's check bone and exited his skull. Miraculously the doctor was able to remove it. Although Phineas recovered and was able to walk, talk, sing, and feed and dress himself, he was never really the same again. His personality took a change for the worse. Gage was never able to permanently hold a job again and eventually died 11 years later.
    • 4/5
      In 1848 Phineas Gage had an accident while working putting down railroad tracks. Blasting powder exploded and thrust a tamping iron through his skull. The interesting thing about Phineas Gage is that he didn't die... but his personality was changed forever. His case is still being studied by psychology students today and it helped further brain research by indicating that certain parts of the brain are responsible for certain functions. This is a readable account of medical science that includes information about the history and development of medicine as well as information about the life of Phineas Gage.
    • 5/5
      Teachers who have used this book in biology and other science classes rave about the engaging, present tense text; they praise the accurate, up to date science information; but most of all, they state that this is a book that gets students to read! Phineas Gage worked for the railroads in the days before dynamite. All day long he packed explosive powder into rocks with his 13-pound tamping rod. One day back in 1848, who knows why, this rod was blasted up through his cheek and out the top of his head. Phineas survived for another 11 years. With the recent advances in brain research, Fleischman comes back to look at Phineas and see what he may be able to teach us about the workings of the brain. The book has a glossary and references, including Internet references to aid in understanding and to encourage further research. Fascinating!
    • 4/5
      A little gory. Interesting story though. Scientific.
    • 5/5
      This book gives the plain facts on Phineas Gage. In 1848, Gage, a railroad foreman, suffers an accident in which a 13 lb. iron rod shoots completely through his skull. Phineas doesn't even lose consciousness. He sits outside on a porch chatting it up while waiting for the doctor to arrive. Even with the limited neuroscience information avaible in this time, Gage survived to live a somewhat normal life, but his personality was completely changed, which sparked a lot of thought and innovation in the study of the brain. This novel gives the plain facts regarding this astonishing slice of American history, outlining the accident, and Phineas' life story. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a short but thorough account of the Phineas Gage story.