The Man With A Shattered World: The History of a Brain Would. A.R.

Luria

Directions:

You are about to read the work of a gifted and brilliant man who founded the field of neuropsychology. That would be Alexander
Romanovich Luria (1902-1977). Your assignment for this reading will be to keep a journal of observations and comments from your reading,
some of which may be prompted by questions I give you, most of which should be form your one reflections and thoughts. I expect you to make
comments on each chapter of the book. You may keep this journal electronically (and then print a copy to turn in) or you may keep a small
journal or notebook of your observations and comments in a small journal book (composition book, small spiral binder, blank page book, etc.)
which you will turn in as evidence of your reading and reflection. If it helps, you might imagine yourself as a young neuropsychologist in
training, and your assignment is to spend time with Zasetsky and make observations about his psychological state, his perceptions, his
interactions with other people and his thoughts.

Before you begin, I would like you to go to a website created in Luria’s honor, http://luria.ucsd.edu/index.html I would like you to click
on his Biography and read of his life and work.

• Please record any three observations that strike your interest from his biography.

From the book: I have put the chapter headings in bold headings. If there is nothing after the heading, you are free to comment on your own.
Sometimes I have listed a topic or two that should serve as suggestions for comments, and sometimes I ask a direct question for you to reply.

• From the forward to the 1987 edition by Oliver Sacks. It is obvious that Dr. Sacks holds Luria in highest esteem. Comment on some
of the accolades Sacks attributes to Luria. If you are not reading the 1987 edition, skip this question.

• Concerning the Book and Its Author. This is written by Luria. What do you learn about how the book was written? How the book
was actually composed is important, make sure you understand Luria’s and Zasetsky’s contributions.

• From the Author. Comment on why Zasetsky wrote of his experiences.

• The Past. Where exactly is Epifan, Russia? Google maps might help.

• War. If you are not prompted by my questions, you are to make your own observations or comments.

• After Being Wounded.

• The Rehabilitation Hospital.

• Our First Meeting. What clues do you have that he is suffering from aphasia?

• Excerpt from Case History 3712. Comment on the damage done to Zasetsky’s brain using terms and concepts you have learned in
class.

• A Brief Summary of Brain Anatomy: The First Digression.

o What area of Zasetsky’s brain was damaged & how did this contribute to his impairments?
o Comment on “optical agnosia.” And how does this relate to the title of the book?
o What is necessary to grasp situations or gauge spatial relationships?
o Comment on the function of the “tertiary” areas damaged by the bullet in this patient.
o Comment on the role of coherent language in our lives.
o Zasetsky did not suffer damage to his third block; yet, combined with the areas that were damaged, this intact area only
compounded his problem. How?

• First Steps in a Shattered World.

o His Vision
o His Body
o Space – Our perception of space is quite critical to so many human behaviors, make sure you comment on how it affected
Zasetsky’s sense of being-in-the-world.
o Reading – Despite his Herculean efforts to teach himself to read again, what evidence do we have that plasticity is indeed
limited?
o A Student Again

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• Writing, The Turning Point. Why was writing different from reading? How could he write spontaneously without thinking?
o The Story of a Terrible Brain Injury. Comment on how difficult the task was of compiling his story.
o Why Did He Write? Very good question, answer it. And, what if he hadn’t written anything at all? Suppose he had
given up trying to tell his story?

• My world Has No Memories.

o My Memories Came Back From the Wrong End. Why do you suppose earlier memories of his childhood came back first?
And, when he finally did return home, why was the homecoming scene with his mother and sister a bit sad?
o The Peculiar Features of “Speech Memory”. What does Zasetsky mean by “speech memory?” How might this be tied
into Broca’s aphasia?
• On Recollecting Words The Second Digression. We learn that the bullet had destroyed what area of his brain critical for word
recollection and use? What are “semantic images” and how are they related to what Zasetsky’s calls “speech memory?”

• Restricted to Undeciphered Images, Disembodied Ideas. What evidence do we have for Wernicke’s aphasia?

• Grammatical Constructions The Third Digression. Language is quite a complicated affair. Consider the following basic concepts:
o Extended or direct sentence structures
o Grammatical inversions
o The use of case endings
o Parts of speech
o Comparative forms of adjectives
o Contextual cues

Question: Why did Zasetsky have difficulty performing these immediate and complex feats of logic and grammar in word usage and
comprehension? One doctor refers to “intellectual aphasia”. Explain.

• All My Knowledge is Gone. Comment on Luria’s observation

o on p. 140 regarding how knowledge is stored and what was lost in Zasetsky
o and again on 153 referring to how his social situation was affected.
o On 155 …..what Zasetsky left us, his capacity for fantasy and empathy
• A Story That Has No Ending. This is a poignant little chapter. Comment.
• Were it Not for War . . . “In Place of an Epilogue. I suppose it is fitting to end with Zasetsky’s thoughts on war ……your comments?

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