The Man with the Bionic Brain and Other Victories over Paralysis

“The Man with the Bionic Brain and other Victories over Paralysis” tells a story of Matthew Nagle, who was paralyzed from the neck down after his spinal cord being stabbed. He contributed to the scientific history by being the first one to be implanted with a BrainGate system in his brain. With the microelectronics recognizing his thought patterns, Matt was able to manipulate a prosthetic hand and perform simple daily tasks just by thinking about performing those actions. The author, Dr. Jon Mukand, was Matt's research physician and a rehabilitation specialist. He weaved the compassionate stories of Matthew Nagle and other victims who became paralyzed from stroke, spinal injuries, and brain trauma.

Judging from the title of the book, I expected a fairly parts of the content to be detailed medical description and explanation. To my surprise, it is more like a novel combined with some biomedical science. When it comes to some complex medical terms, the author thoroughly explains them with familiar language, making the book much easier to read and follow. The book is also supplemented with pictures which are definitely helpful in explaining more complex neurological principles.

The early chapters of the book mainly focus on how Matt struggle with his new body condition. He is a former high school football star who used to be so independent. Being unable to feel anything below his shoulders and losing all functions from the neck down, Matt is now confined to a wheelchair. He became completely dependent on others for most of his daily functions. This frustrated Matthew as well as his family, but all of these troubles end up bringing Matthew and his family closer together.