On the Move: A Life - by Oliver Sacks

I sometimes ponder the idea of my “fantasy dinner party”, where I get to sit at a table with a handful of people, whom I find interesting, but who may be alive or dead. The idea is to assemble the ultimate group, where the conversation would leave a life-long impression. Oliver Sacks is now on my list.

This book was a wonderful insight into a life well lived. On one level, he was a name dropper. The number of well-known scientists and other celebrities, with whom he was close friends, is phenomenal. But also believable. Sacks achieved so much in his life, that it leaves me very humbled. Then, having achieved a lot, he also found time to eloquently write about it. If I write 1000 words in a day, I think that I am doing OK; for Sacks, 10,000 seemed to be a starting point.

I always enjoy reading autobiographies. Sometimes, I do not really like the person, but that does not stop it being interesting. In this case, I know that I would like the author, even though we have somewhat different backgrounds and slight deviations in interests. I find myself very sad in the knowledge that he is no longer with us, but excited by the legacy he left. There are so many more books to read…