The Mind Electric

Luminous … an engrossing exploration of the brain’s extraordinary powers and terrifying frailties – Publishers WeeklyThe book fans of Oliver Sacks have been craving * The i *The Mind Electric is stunning, full of wisdom, revelation and poetry. I was continually awed by Dr. Pria Anand’s insight into the darkest shadows of the human experience. I loved every minute of this remarkable book and I will never think of my brain and body in the same way again. – Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on FireA rich and humane work, compelling in its compassion for the personal stories behind the symptoms that bring people to clinics. Pria Anand deftly weaves her own story of change with those of her patients – Gwen Adshead, author of The Devil You KnowAt once epic and intricate, personal and universal, The Mind Electric is a fascinating journey through the curious capacities of our brains. A moving and compelling testimony to the importance of telling - and listening to - the stories of what makes us human – Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell WomenPria Anand just might be the heir to Oliver Sacks. Her gorgeous writing and incisive analysis reveal the marvellous neurological underpinnings of our existence. A stunning debut! – Danielle Ofri, author of What Doctors FeelPria Anand shares the strangeness and sheer wonder of our brains in a testament to the wildness inside us all * New Scientist, The Best Popular Science Books to Look Forward to in 2025 *Pria Anand braids together science and narrative in this magnificent exploration of how the mind shapes - and upends-the story of our life. The Mind Electric is as gorgeous and complex and astounding as the brain itself – Laura van den Berg, author of State of ParadiseVivid and entertaining, The Mind Electric Takes us into the strange and sometimes wonderful landscape of neurological impairment. This is a beautifully written book – Tanya Luhrmann, author of How God Becomes RealAnand’s writing is reminiscent of Oliver Sacks and the best of medical writing. I found the tales of her personal experiences and the dive into history fascinating. The Mind Electric is a compelling read – Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for StoneA beautifully composed debut by a US neurologist about the peculiar ways individual brains behave and how this can teach us something universal about being human. If you love the work of Oliver Sacks, you’ll embrace this as I did * Bookseller, Editor’s Choice *

Superb. Anand writes with circumspection and sensitivity, and with creativity and verve as well. Delightfully labyrinthine … a compelling tapestry of stories somehow both discrete and happening all at once, its threads overlapping and interweaving with layers hidden underneath

Pria Anand is a neurologist at the Boston Medical Center and an Assistant Professor at the Boston University School of Medicine. She is a graduate of Yale University and Stanford Medical School, and she trained in neurology, neuro-infectious diseases, and neuroimmunology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital.