Thank you for the early release copy of this book. I requested for consideration for the Read.Talk.Grow podcast which then went onto a recording hiatus. We are back now and I regret that we missed the promotion period for your important book.

The Face Laughs while the Brain Cries details the life of Stephen Hauser, a pioneer in western medicine, specifically with the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Part memoir, part nonfiction, this book details how the different parts of his life fit together, and how this helped impact his work. Overall, I wanted to like this book, but at times the writer said some insensitive and questionable things, likely a result of his generation, but things that should have been addressed in editing stages. It made it hard to sit with some of the better parts of the book.

So good. Dr. Hauser interweaves his own personal life with complex science in an engaging way. It can be so challenging to write and explain complex topics, but he does so with grace.

Defeating Multiple Sclerosis: Dr. Stephen Hauser's Journey

Dr. Hauser's book "The Face Laughs While the Brain Cries" chronicles the research process in the struggle against Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a horrible disease. At its worse, it sentences sufferers to years of bedridden, total paralysis before death finally comes. In the 1970s, there was no real treatment. Today, although it cannot be said that the disease can be cured, it has, like polio in the 1960s, been tamed.

“The Face Laughs While the Brain Cries: The Education of a Doctor,” by Stephen Hauser, M.D., tells the story of his 40-plus-year struggle to treat MS. It shows how Dr. Hauser pushed the boundaries of knowledge in genetics and immunology to develop effective therapies to treat the disease.

The book is a memoir as much as a chronicle relating the discoveries of how to treat MS. Hauser opens the book with his autobiography. This allows readers to understand his motivations for going into medicine and into medical research, and why he decided to focus on MS. For Hauser, the search was personal.

he work also shows his development as a doctor and researcher. He relates the steps to becoming a researcher and takes readers into the laboratory to show how research is conducted. Networking and informal connections prove as important as his actual job.

In some ways, the book reads like a first-rate mystery. It follows Dr. Hauser as he peels away the layers guarding the secrets of how MS strikes and why it progresses as it does. The search proves a labyrinth. Dr. Hauser runs into false leads and blind alleys, but ultimately puzzles through each challenge in turn.

He also shows other kinds of challenges along the way. Finding funding for his research was difficult. At different times, the federal government refused to fund his research. Bureaucrats holding the money spigot believed there was no cure for MS and the research funds would be wasted. At another point, a pharmaceutical company hesitated before funding a promising new MS medicine because it would be less profitable than their existing one. (To their credit, they funded it.)

“The Face Laughs While the Brain Cries” reminds readers that despite frustrations, today’s medicine establishment can still produce dramatic breakthroughs to tame the worst diseases. It is also a cautionary tale that shows the dangers of politicized science, federal bureaucrats, and industrial cartelization.

The book reminds readers that individuals matter. Dr. Hauser’s tenacious determination to win through, his empathetic portrayal of his patients, and his humor and excitement endow this book with a heartwarming humanity.

‘The Face Laughs While the Brain Cries: The Education of a Doctor’
By Stephen Hauser, M.D.
St. Martin's Press, May 23, 2023
Hardcover: 304 pages

This book covers the authors life, what lead to his area of study, and the research and advances in treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. The author is witty and humble and the deep care he has for his patients is evident throughout. He’s quick to give credit to other physicians and scientists and helps foster a productive respectful community.

There’s a lot of science throughout but is delivered in an interesting and easy to follow way. MS is a devastating disease and I enjoyed following along with Dr Hauser’s setbacks and successes in finding an effective treatment.

I read this book a few months ago now but it was truly inspiring. #StephenHauser takes us on this incredible journey of learning to understand #multiplesclerosis from the perspective of a doctor. I give this book 4/5 stars and read it as an #advancedreaderscopy on @netgalley thank you @stmartinspress for this lovely read!

I really enjoyed how this book was written more as a memoir than a scientific book. I really felt like I connected with the author and his life's work in the field of MS. I really did not feel like it was written with medical jargon but more from a perspective that I could understand. I have known many people who have been impacted by MS and this book gave me an understanding of how complex the disease truly is.

Dr. Hauser has dedicated his life to understanding MS and the therapies and treatments that exist for this devastating disease today. The reason I gave this book 4 stars is that the book really revolved around a White Eurocentric perspective and I understand it might not have been a reality for this doctor but I would have appreciated some more diverse perspectives!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book extremely helpful to understand the mechanics of MS and what it took to develop right approach to slow it down in some cases with medicine. The book also shows how margins could dictate what type of research can be done and what type of medicine could be cut off.

Some people treat MS as an "old person" disease, thinking that it won't hit you at earlier age. I watched a 30 something year old to have headaches, blurry vision, needing to lie down at work and not being able to read her own handwriting. Then in few short weeks, she was out for extended medical leave. She was lucky because it was an early diagnosis and it was like an episode. But it sure was enough to scare her to death and made me recognize that it can find you at any age.

Body is a great machine, but just like every machine it could easily be broken when not taken care of. It can even attack itself and unfortunately we are encouraging our bodies to do it too. This is a good book to remind you that.

I really enjoyed this book! It started off with this mysterious case, which is what I thought the rest of the book would be about, but it ultimately changed pace. Most of this book is actually about the author, which is fine, but was not necessarily what I thought I was getting into. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see how he ended up in this space, innovating on treatments for MS. I would recommend to others who are interested in the medical field!

This is extraordinary story about research and development to cure the multiple sclerosis disease…,
about curious boy from New Orleans to fascinated doctor S.Hauser.,who explained thorough the book about the disease,up and down of found,research and discovery the new drug to cure the MS..
These are about strong relationships between patients and scientists..
I’m admire of dr. S.Hauser as human being to his patients as his own family…
It was all new to me about this disease, and I learned a lot about it.
Thanks to NetGalley.

There seems to be a genre of recently published books about retired doctors looking back on their lives. I find it fascinating to follow the story from childhood to successful medical career with all the challenges both expected and unexpected. In this memoir by Dr. Stephen Hauser we have a rich story of a high achieving successful student who eventually directed his studies toward researching the cause and treatment for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It was remarkable to read of the ease with which he tackled academics at MIT and Harvard Medical School, all the while making great friends and enjoying the challenges.
The story of how he got into the field of neuroscience and why he directed his focus on MS was a significant part of his memoir. I can’t fault him for going into the details of his research, which, although I’m sure simplified for the general audience, did tend to slow things down. Getting through it, I felt I had taken an intro to neuroscience. Having said that, it did make me appreciate even more his accomplishment on changing the understanding of the medical community toward this serious condition. It also made clear this was a four decades long journey, not a Eureka moment.
It should be pointed out — as he regularly did — that he did not accomplish this achievement alone. His friendships, colleagues and the respect he earned within the medical community created a loyal working team of scientists contributing ideas, man hours and resources leading to medical breakthroughs in the understanding of MS and how to treat it.
Almost daily we read of advances in medicine. This book was a wonderful testament to the time and dedication involved in what the public sees only after the fact.

Many years ago I was diagnosed with MS I was lucky in that it was the relapsing remitting kind, and though there are times I need to use a cane or am in pain, it hasnt totally incapacitated. This book is a little memoir, the making of a doctor and how he became interested in the fields he ends up adopting, and the developments of the next new drug.

Learned so much, not just about MS but also how difficult it is to get a promising medicine into trials. All the paperwork, patience, as it sometimes takes years to get approval and the hows and whys of drug companies and drug development. It is written in a way that the regular person, like myself, with little medical knowledge, can follow and understand. After reading this I'm astonished that any new drugs or treatments are developed. Takes commitment, persistence, knowledge and patience. Lucky for us MS patients Dr. Hauser has them all.

This memoir is mesmerizing. Beginning in his youth, Stephen Hauser recalls memories of family and it's fun reading especially about the family shoe business and bittersweet as he recalls a medical condition his brother has been diagnosed. He seamlessly writes about his college years and his fascination with autoimmune disease and becoming a doctor.

The Face Laughs While the Brain Cries is an approachable read regarding the work and patience it takes to come up with an alternative medication for MS. It's quite remarkable. I appreciate that this book didn't get bogged down in technical medical jargon.

As much as I enjoyed the medical aspect, the personal reflections on family brought this book to life.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy.

I really like when journalists writing book-length nonfiction because it reads like a long form news article and just sucks you in. Well, it appears the same may be true for (some!) doctors.

Dr. Stephen Hauser is an acclaimed physician and neuroimmunologist who has spent his 40+ year career researching multiple sclerosis. The title refers to the awful and ironic reality of many MS patients - often MS symptoms will manifest as inappropriate, outlandish behavior, even while the person remains aware of reality and unable to stop themselves. Literally, their face will laugh as their brain cries.

This book is part memoir and part case study. Dr. Hauser manages to make the science behind MS accessible and understandable - no small feat. You wouldn’t expect to find humor in a book about such a tough topic, but Dr. Hauser is quick to poke fun at himself, despite all that he has accomplished. The real gems - and heartbreak - of this book are the patient stories that Dr. Hauser shares as a vehicle to teach. What a truly horrific disease.

Despite the scientific subject matter, I never found myself bored while reading this book. If you’re looking to read more nonfiction but you’re worried about dry and dusty topics, definitely check this one out!

Medical memoirs are such a beautiful way to remind those on the other side the triumphs and trials that those in the medical field endure and live through. Such an intimate reading as we journey through the life of Dr.Hauser and his relationships and connections with the patients who have MS. I don't know anyone personally who has been affected by MS but I am grateful for the insight and knowledge I gained by reading this book. It was a short read but definitely an intriguing and insightful one.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the gifted copy.

I loved this book. Dr. Hauser has written about MS as if he were writing a novel. Parts of it were impossible to put down. Dr. Hauser leads us through his medical life and how he came to know that trying to find the cause of MS became his passion. I learned so much about not only MS, but about medicine, about the good doctors, and what it takes to stay the course.
I highly recommend this book

The Face Laughs While the Brain Cries was a very interesting and informative read. It was part autobiographical and part medical research into the mysterious disease known as Multiple Sclerosis. The author nicely weaved both parts together. It was wonderfully written in layman’s terms. You could feel the excitement as the author’s research took on promising discoveries and eventually breakthrough results. I applaud Dr. Hauser for wanting to get to the heart of MS with such determination in order to help those living with this life altering disease, including myself.

Overall, I found the research behind the breakthroughs very encouraging. Hopefully, one day with scientists like this author, a cure for MS will be found.

This is an exceptional book. Part memoir, part detective story, part science - it’s the story of Dr. Hauser’s and colleagues around the world to understand multiple scenarios and find a medication that is effective.

The book reads almost like a novel; the writing is that good. I could barely put it down as I learned about MS and how medications are developed and tested. I recommend this book to anyone who has MS, knows someone who has it, or someone, like me, who has an inquiring mind and an interest in science and medicine.

Many physicians don’t write very well for the lay audience. Dr. Hauser does, and I commend him for his quest and his ability to keep this reader, at least, very interested.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.

This book has a “split personality”. Portions of the book cover the author’s biography - his family life, schooling, friends, meeting his future wife and their life together including his children. Those parts of the book are pleasant and easily understood. The medical science portions where the author describes his work to understand MS and how it develops and behaves and then goes on to explain the development of several medicines and procedures to treat MS was much more challenging for me.

I was interested in this book as I have family members who have struggled with MS. Unfortunately a significant portion of this book was so technical that I wasn’t able to always comprehend the details.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest voluntary review. In general I appreciated this book and the success that was achieved for treatment of MS.

As a former medical writer, I snap up healthcare memoirs as soon as I learn of them, and I'm so glad I did with THE FACE LAUGHS WHILE THE BRAIN CRIES.

It is a brilliant, poignant, inspiring, and informative look at the education and career of Stephen L. Hauser, M.D. -- one of the world leaders in multiple sclerosis (MS) research.

Readers without a medical background will find this book fascinating too, as Dr. Hauser explains the science clearly and writes beautifully about patients' stories and his own life.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves medical memoirs or gorgeously written accounts of science, research, the patients saved, and those whose lives are dedicated to saving them.

What drives a person to pursue a specific career path?

The Face Laughs While the Brain Cries is a memoir showing us how life circumstances led a young man to become a neuroimmunologist hyper-focused on figuring out the causes of and treatments for MS.

The writing style is conversational and easy to follow. The mix of personal and medical information provides an engaging flow to the author’s story.

This memoir would be of interest to anyone living with MS, as well as readers intrigued by medical research and those who simply enjoy a good memoir.