This is a deep dive into the history of epilepsy— how it was viewed in different times and regions, laws, eugenics, how it was portrayed in the arts, etc. It’s very thorough but doesn’t go much into the science of epilepsy or management. It also really only deals with the most common and classic types. I have a rare form of epilepsy that was misdiagnosed until I was in my 40s, of lightning strike or sharp wave seizures. This kind of epilepsy is never mentioned. The book is very thorough about classic forms of epilepsy, often sobering, and extremely well researched. The author is not only a doctor who specializes in epilepsy but also a father of an epileptic son, which gives him another angle as a writer.

I read a digital ARC of this book via netgalley.

Whilst this book may address epilepsy in a way not previously covered , even as someone with epilepsy I was surprised to not find it of particular interest to read of famous people who had epilepsy or the appearance of epilepsy in literature and film. It felt a tad voyeuristic and despite the authors specialisation in the subject and familial interest did not find it either absorbing or well told.