The Inward Empire

"Riveting...Donlan writes with vivid candor and startling humor about topics that range from the history of neurology to the maddening grey zone between illness and diagnosis. At its heart, this is a book of awe -- at how the body works and doesn't, how it grows and fails, and how even the most unwelcome events can sometimes help us break free from old ways of thinking to powerful new ones."—Will Schwalbe, New York Times bestselling author of The End of Your Life Book Club and Books for Living

"An unprecedented first-hand account of the effects of brain disease, and what it is like to have your thoughts shift from under you. Donlan brings us a poetic, compelling and wonderful book. Simply enchanting."—Daniel Levitin, New York Times bestselling author of The Organized Mind

"Remarkable and revelatory, a dazzling achievement."—The Sunday Times

"An amazing and wonderful piece of writing. I could not put it down."—Claire Tomalin, author of Charles Dickens: A Life

"Really beautifully done; [The Inward Empire] reminds me of When Breath Becomes Air. I love it."—Kelly Corrigan, New York Timesbestselling author of The Middle Placeand Tell Me More

"In this age of compulsory happy endings, books such as [The Inward Empire] are so rare. Donlan manages to be utterly truthful without being depressing, and his passing observations about life in general are often funny...There's a toughness to Donlan's optimism that I couldn't help find rather cheerful, and his charming descriptions of fatherhood give [The Inward Empire]a pleasing energy and momentum."—The Times