Cahalan, Susannah. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

Brain on Fire is one of those books that will be hard for you to put down.  This engrossing memoir, by a young New York Post reporter, is about her experience in the grips of a rare autoimmune disease.  While the doctors try to figure out what is wrong with her, the author suffers violent seizures, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and eventually near death.  Not only is this a gripping story full of suspense, it is also a reflection on the thin line between sanity and insanity, the fragility of our health, and what makes us human.  In addition, this book gives us a fascinating glimpse into the world of cutting-edge neuroscience.