L’Homme Thermomètre is in much the same vein as Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Instead of presenting us with a dogmatic exposé on neurology and the implacable pathologies it explores, Laurent Cohen has chosen to study one specific case. He describes a patient who, when asked to name an object — a comb, a matchbox, a pair of scissors, a spoon, etc. — says it is a thermometer. The author explains the necessary aspects of neuropsychology to enable the reader to reach the diagnosis with him.
This is a particularly well-chosen case history, for it does not simply illustrate one of our cognitive capacities. Instead, it brings into play two functions, language and vision, the most often researched in studies of cognition. Not only does the author provide a detailed explanation of each function, he also describes how they come together when we read — an activity which serves to provide a precise notion of how the brain works.
Cohen succeeds admirably in arousing readers’ interest in neuropsychology and the brain by making them wish to understand this captivating and emotionally moving case history.

Laurent Cohen, a neuropsychologist, is a professor at the teaching hospital of the University of Paris VI, Hôpital de la Salpetrière.