Zimmermanns analysis of literature, medicine, and science addressing dementia and caregiving in diverse cultures is a reminder of the importance of cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural knowledge for social workers. * Affilia: Feminist Inquiry in Social Work * Martina Zimmermanns The Diseased Brain and the Failing Mind summarizes the preoccupation of Western culture with dementia as defining not only the aging process but also the very essence of the identity. Zimmermann, a trained neuro-scientist and a sharp-eyed literary critic, illustrates how scientific models of mind and brain, of neural networks and brain chemistry, reflect the cultural assumptions of how mind, brain, and body are believed to function. Her close reading of the literary reflections on aging and dementia from the Edwardians to contemporary film shows that science is as often indebted to cultural paradigms as cultural paradigms reflect scientific assumptions. If you still believe that playing Sudoku will prevent you from developing Alzheimers perhaps you should better spend your time reading this book! * Sander L. Gilman, Distinguished Professor of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, Emory University, USA *
