Getting Stoned With Oliver Sacks
Ep. 280 w/ show notes
Ravi dives into the extraordinary life of Dr. Oliver Sacks, the beloved neurologist and storyteller who humanized medicine. Joined by Bill Hayes – author, photographer, and Sacks’ partner – they explore Sacks’ groundbreaking career, his personal struggles, and the profound empathy he brought to his work that redefined how we understand the human mind.
Bill then shares more about Sacks’ creative process, the transformative power of their relationship, and Sacks’ experimentation with psychedelics, part of a lifelong journey toward self-acceptance and love. Finally, Ravi and Bill reflect on Sacks’ legacy, and what we can learn from his unique perspective on life, death, and the human experience.
The Oliver Sacks I Knew and Loved Once Saw Himself as a Failure (New York Times, 10/19/24)
Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me (Bill Hayes, 2/14/17)
Oliver Sacks: His Own Life (Ric Burns, 9/23/20)
Hallucinations (Oliver Sacks, 11/6/12)
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Oliver Sacks, 1/12/85)
Awakenings (Book) (Oliver Sacks, 1/7/73)
Awakenings (Movie) (Penny Marshall, 12/20/90)
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