The Perpetual Now

December 19, 2016
Lemonick (Mirror Earth), opinion editor at Scientific American, recounts the curious medical case of Lonni Sue Johnson, whose 2007 bout of encephalitis destroyed her hippocampus and left her with dense amnesia that affected both her past episodic memories and her ability to retain new information for longer than a few minutes. It’s a life-affirming exploration that combines a sympathetic biography of Johnson with the history of Henry Molaison, a notable case study of amnesia who for years was known only as “H.M.” Lemonick illuminates what these patients have taught researchers about the creation and storage of memories. Johnson’s retention of some skills and information from her past as a violist, an illustrator for the New Yorker, and a pilot has allowed researchers to do detailed experiments on where in the brain skilled procedural memories reside. Lemonick’s prior connection to the Johnson family adds an extra dimension to his discussions with Johnson’s mother, sister, and colleagues. That history, combined with Lemonick’s personal delight at Johnson’s optimism and obsession with word puzzles and spontaneous bouts of song, bridges the gap between his interest in Johnson as a research topic and his affection for her as a human being. Fans of the late Oliver Sacks will appreciate the blend of heart and science in Lemonick’s account.

Starred review from November 1, 2016
A veteran science journalist uses the story of Lonni Sue Johnson, a young woman who suffered a severe infection that destroyed her hippocampus, to illuminate his journey into the murky subject of memory itself.Scientific American opinion editor Lemonick (Mirror Earth: The Search for Our Planet's Twin, 2012, etc.) skillfully employs both a personal voice--he knew the victim's sister from middle school--and a scholarly authority as he travels through the incredible life of Lonnie Sue, a successful artist (among other projects, she produced covers for the New Yorker) and writer whose life changed forever in late 2007 when the infection hit her. Her nonagenarian mother and her sister swooped in to care for her in ways that seem miraculous in today's warehouse-the-elderly and -disabled culture. Since the destruction of the region of the brain responsible for "relational processing," Lonni Sue has maintained a cheerful, friendly manner (despite her inability to remember people she has just met) and shows an astonishing capacity for word games. She can also still play her viola, can describe how to fly a plane (she had a pilot's license), and can draw--and much more. Lemonick focuses on her case and biography, but he has larger goals: to acquaint us with the history of research on memory, to review some of the most notable cases in memory loss, and to help us comprehend current theories about types of memory--and how memory works. (He even provides a bit of film criticism--Memento comes off fairly well; 50 First Dates does not.) Although there are some familiar names--Oliver Sacks, William James--most of his references are to working neuroscientists today. His great accomplishment is helping us see the "new" Lonni Sue as a most remarkable person. An absolutely memorable book.

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November 1, 2016

Lemonick (opinion editor, Scientific American; Mirror Earth: The Search for Our Planet's Twin) one day ran into a former classmate who asked, "Did you hear what happened to my sister?" Thus began his investigation into the life of Lonnie Sue Johnson and the science of memory. In midlife, Johnson contracted encephalitis, which destroyed her hippocampus, the brain structure that was removed from the famous amnesia patient H.M. (Henry Molaison). Johnson was an accomplished woman before her illness; not only did she have a successful career as an illustrator with several New Yorker covers to her credit, but she also was a violist and certified pilot, who lived on a farm. After illness struck, Johnson's mother and sister devoted themselves to her recovery while helping her participate in research studies, to which she made groundbreaking contributions. The story is fascinating, and Lemonick's prose is accessible and engaging. This title covers some of the same ground as Luke Dittrich's Patient H.M., devoting a chapter to what happened to H.M.'s brain after death; those who enjoyed Dittrich's work may want to seek out this volume. VERDICT Eminently approachable, this book will be attractive to lay readers curious about memory and the brain, particularly those who have followed the career of H.M.--Nancy H. Fontaine, Norwich P.L., VT

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
What is it like to not be able to make new memories? That is the baffling question behind science writer Lemonick's (Mirror Earth, 2012) fascinating and poignant portrait of Lonni Sue Johnson, an artist who designed covers for the New Yorker, a musician, and an amateur pilot, whose life suddenly changed in 2007 when she contracted encephalitis. The virus raced through the hippocampus of her brain, leaving her in a severe state of amnesia in which she lives in the perpetual now. She has retained her artistic skills but lives in 10-to-15 -minute increments. For Johnson, every experience is the first time, over and over again. Lemonick addresses profound mysteries, such as, If we have no memories of the experiences that made us, how can we know who we are? With the consent of family members and Johnson herself, who remains relentlessly cheerful, doctors are mapping her brain, hoping to learn more about the human mind. Lemonick's compassionate look at illness, memory, and what it means to be human will appeal to Oliver Sacks fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)