Phineas Gage

Phineas Gage
By John Fleischman
Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 86 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

In 1848, Phineas Gage had an iron rod shoot through the roof of his head--and he survived the injury. However, the previous responsible, rational, hard-working man became illogical and short-tempered, indicating that while his body had healed, his brain had not, and the damage he sustained made him an important case in the field of brain science.

Phineas's accident is gruesome, but the author handles it without being overly gory. The discussion about the field of brain science is very interesting, comparing what doctors knew then and what they know now. This is a great book for teen guys or those interested in how the body works.

AE