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  • On the Move: A Life

  • By: Oliver Sacks
  • Narrated by: Dan Woren
  • Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (136 ratings)
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On the Move: A Life cover art

On the Move: A Life

By: Oliver Sacks
Narrated by: Dan Woren
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Summary

When Oliver Sacks was 12 years old, a perceptive schoolmaster wrote in his report: "Sacks will go far, if he does not go too far." It is now abundantly clear that Sacks has never stopped going. From its opening reflection on his youthful obsession with motorcycles and speed, On the Move is infused with his restless energy.

As he recounts his experiences as a young neurologist in the early 1960s, first in California and then in New York, where he discovered a long-forgotten illness in the back wards of a chronic hospital, as well as with a group of patients who would define his life, it becomes clear that Sacks' earnest desire for engagement has occasioned unexpected encounters and travels - sending him through bars and alleys, over oceans, and across continents.

With unbridled honesty and humour, Sacks shows us that the same energy that drives his physical passions - bodybuilding, weightlifting, and swimming - also drives his cerebral passions. He writes about his love affairs, both romantic and intellectual, his guilt over leaving his family to come to America, his bond with his schizophrenic brother, and the writers and scientists - Thom Gunn, A. R. Luria, W. H. Auden, Gerald M. Edelman, Francis Crick - who influenced him.

On the Move is the story of a brilliantly unconventional physician and writer - and of the man who has illuminated the many ways that the brain makes us human.

©2015 Oliver Sacks (P)2015 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Critic reviews

"His truly has been a life lived to the full – and beyond . . . it is the adventure of ideas he has undertaken that has bestowed on his life its remarkable originality." (Will Self, The Guardian)
"A compelling, surprising and sometimes astounding story of a richly lived life . . . fabulously surprising photos." (James McConnachie, The Sunday Times)
"[A] beautifully constructed and moving memoir . . . It is sad to think that Oliver Sacks's voice will soon be stilled, but his life and work are a gift to many and we can be grateful that he leaves such a legacy." (Andrew Scull, TLS)

What listeners say about On the Move: A Life

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book, shame about the voice choice

Would you listen to On the Move: A Life again? Why?

I would not listen again but I would read the book again. The choice of voice artist is quite bizarre and the production very poor.

What didn’t you like about Dan Woren’s performance?

The voice artist would be fine for an American character or novel. But he is so far removed from Oliver Sacks's London origins and English pronunciation that whilst at first it is unintentionally funny it is ultimately annoying. His mispronunciation of well known places is an especially silly mistake. The voice artist may not have realised that he was mispronouncing but the producers should not have hired him without giving him the support to correct pronunciation. Because Sacks died just before the recording was released I don't suppose he heard it. He would have pointed out the numerous faux pas but alas this undermines a brilliant book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are many shocking and hilarious moments and it is full of profound insight into the human condition.

Any additional comments?

Please producers of audio book, do your research and respect the pronunciations of things, people and places, for without this the books ring false and the meaning inferred or intended by the author is completely undermined.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Engaging insight into a stimulating mind

Oliver Sacks and his "Man who mistook his wife for a hat" are well known for their informative insights into the mysteries and wonder of the human brain. Sacks is a consummate story-teller engaging the reader with fascinating insights derived from his clinical career and personal challenges and triumphs.

In this autobiographical journey he reveals much about himself, his formative influences of family and colleagues, and his brushes with 'conservatism' (my word here... to reflect those who oppose new ideas or new thinking) in various forms. He exposes and shares his shyness, his sexuality and relationships, experimentation with drugs, and ethical dilemmas.

He reveals to us his multidimensional and varied interests, his arrogance and overconfidence (perhaps self-confidence is more accurate...) alongside his insecurities and desire to be loved, appreciated and respected.

I especially enjoyed his concluding comments on the purpose and importance of writing, a suitable book-end to this engaging and at times intimate public reflection.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Al
  • 05-08-18

Great book but needed British narrator

A sprightly, engaging and deeply interesting account of the author’s life. But the American narrator obstructs because he mispronounces certain words (or rather uses the American pronunciation) and the author, Oliver Sacks, despite living for many years in the USA retained a very British/London educated accent. So the choice of narrator, through no inherent fault of his own, spoils it. We needed to hear Sack’s voice more, and this obtrudes.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A genius among common men

An inspiring life story let down by poor performance containing mispronounced English proper and place names.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

an amazing life spoiled a little by narration

Sacks led an amazing life which he recounts excellently here. The audio book is spoiled a bit by the narration which regularly mispronounced British and medical terms. An English narrator would be more appropriate given the author

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

An interesting life

Having read a few of Oliver Sacks’ books I was keen to learn more about the man who writes with such intelligence and passion for helping others. He obviously had an interesting life, encountering many different people and learning about human beings through treating their illnesses. As other reviewers, I was puzzled by the choice of narrator, considering what a distinctive and thoroughly British accent Sacks had. This, paired with the flat delivery, ruined the story a bit for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

I loved the book- I wished it didn’t end so abruptly but I could listen to Dr Sacks thoughts and experiences for 10 more hours.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great story, disappointed with the narration

Love the book but.why have such a poor clunky narration? Would not recommend on this basis.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful

Oliver Sacks was an amalgam of wonderful, fascinating qualities and too modest for his value. On The Move is a delightful insight into his life as not just Dr Sacks, the scientist, the doctor who treated his patients with so much respect and -dare I say - love, but Oliver, the human. The man who lived carrying the burden of his mother's words to hearing about his sexuality way into late adulthood - IF he ever managed to get over it at all. The man who loved to travel, who was shy and insecure, the man who would write in his journals throughout the years, since he was 15 (if I remember correctly). And how grateful I am that he did so, for we got to know such deep and personal thoughts of his too.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Charming and eclectic

Oliver Sacks is eclectic, knowledgeable and must have been very charming to have attracted astoundingly smart and famous friends as well as genuinely sympathetic in the way he bonded w his patients... it’s an autobiography so I guess a self indulgence is allowed .
I have a medical background so aspects of his writing were easier to understand and wondered how non-medics managed the technicalities and the jargon. The balance between the personal and scientific varies and you need to persevere w the neurogenetics in the later chapters.
His writing is entertaining, a mix of narrative and science which popularised the neurological material for the uninitiated but attracted the researchers

I had an ambivalence about the choice of narrator ... it’s personal, so I want to imagine its Oliver himself and unsure if he should have been American or English....

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