Ahmed Abdo Abdo itibaren Cherneche, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrayna
Interesting but not what I was looking for.
I'll try not to give 5-star ratings willy-nilly, but this was a pretty amazing family biography, spanning centuries' worth of generations and shedding light on a variety of subjects through the lens of this bizarre and incredibly rare genetic disease. Agriculture, attitudes toward disease, the relationship between science and doctors, the mysterious biological function of sleep, international politics, economic competition and, of course, personal profiles of the afflicted. The drama of the current generation, who have a 50/50 chance of one day suddenly losing the capacity for sleep, ties it all together, and gives you a significant reason to keep reading and caring. I learned so much! Also, I gained an appreciation for the medical significance of the anomoly. A successful and engaging blend of family biography and the wide-reaching social history. Note: seems like every other word in this book is "sleep," so read it when you're not too tired, or you won't make it very far. Furthermore, you will feel like a jerk when this family's exhaustion somehow functions as your bedtime story/lullaby.