Lisa Genova

OK
About Lisa Genova
Lisa Genova graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, she is the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens and Every Note Played. Her first nonfiction book, REMEMBER: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, was released March 23, 2021 and became an instant New York Times bestseller.
Lisa's extensively researched fiction focuses on people living with neurological diseases and disorders, people who tend to be ignored, feared, or misunderstood, portrayed within a narrative that is accessible to the general public. Through fiction, she is dedicated to describing with passion and accuracy the journeys of those affected by brain diseases and conditions, thereby educating, demystifying, destigmatizing, and inspiring support for care and scientific research. She has written novels about Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, autism, Huntington's disease, and ALS.
Still Alice (Alzheimer’s) was adapted into a film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, and Kate Bosworth. Julianne Moore won the Best Actress Oscar. Every Note Played (ALS) is in production and will star Christoph Waltz. The film adaptation for Inside the O’Briens (Huntington’s) is in production.
Speaking about brain health, memory, and the neurological diseases and disorders she writes about, Lisa has appeared on Today, the Dr. Oz Show, GPS with Fareed Zakaria, CNN, PBS NewsHour, and NPR and was featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary film To Not Fade Away and Have You Heard About Greg? She will be featured in an upcoming PBS Special about memory in June 2021.
In 2015, Lisa was named one of the U.S. Top 50 Influencers in Aging by Next Avenue. She received The Pell Center Prize for Story in the Public Square, for "distinguished storytelling that has enriched the public dialogue," The Sargent and Eunice Shriver Profiles in Dignity Award, The Global Genes RARE Champions of Hope Award, and The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Media Award for "informing the public about Treatment and ongoing research in medical illness." In 2016, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bates College, The Alzheimer's Association's Rita Hayworth Award, and The Huntington’s Disease Society of America Community Awareness Award.
Lisa’s first TED talk, What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer’s, has been viewed over 5 million times. Her latest TED talk, How Memory Works (and Why Forgetting Normal), will be released April 21, 2021.
Customers Also Bought Items By
Author updates
Books By Lisa Genova
'I think some small part of me knew I was living an unsustainable life. Every now and then, it would whisper, slow down. You don't need all this.'
Sarah Nickerson has it all: a high-flying career, a loving husband and children, a second home. But does she have time to enjoy it? Too busy to pay full attention, can she see what's left neglected?
One fateful day while driving to work, Sarah looks away from the road for one second too long. In the blink of an eye, her overfull life comes to a screeching halt. In the wake of a devastating accident that affects her body and mind in surprising ways, it's time for her to choose: who does she really want to be?
Have you ever felt a crushing wave of panic when you can’t for the life of you remember the name of that actor in the movie you saw last week, or you walk into a room only to forget why you went there in the first place? If you’re over forty, you’re probably not laughing. You might even be worried that these lapses in memory could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s or dementia. In reality, for the vast majority of us, these examples of forgetting are completely normal. Why? Because while memory is amazing, it is far from perfect. Our brains aren’t designed to remember every name we hear, plan we make, or day we experience. Just because your memory sometimes fails doesn’t mean it’s broken or succumbing to disease. Forgetting is actually part of being human.
In Remember, neuroscientist and acclaimed novelist Lisa Genova delves into how memories are made and how we retrieve them. You’ll learn whether forgotten memories are temporarily inaccessible or erased forever and why some memories are built to exist for only a few seconds (like a passcode) while others can last a lifetime (your wedding day). You’ll come to appreciate the clear distinction between normal forgetting (where you parked your car) and forgetting due to Alzheimer’s (that you own a car). And you’ll see how memory is profoundly impacted by meaning, emotion, sleep, stress, and context. Once you understand the language of memory and how it functions, its incredible strengths and maddening weaknesses, its natural vulnerabilities and potential superpowers, you can both vastly improve your ability to remember and feel less rattled when you inevitably forget. You can set educated expectations for your memory, and in doing so, create a better relationship with it. You don’t have to fear it anymore. And that can be life-changing.
‘Using her expertise as a neuroscientist and her gifts as a storyteller, Genova explains the nuances of human memory. As with her previous books, this is an engaging and edifying read.’ Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, author of How the Mind Works
‘No one writes more brilliantly about the connections between the brain, the mind, and the heart. Remember is a beautiful, fascinating, and important book about the mysteries of human memory—what it is, how it works, and what happens when it is stolen from us. A scientific and literary treat that you will not soon forget.’ Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, New York Times bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness
‘In Remember, Lisa Genova provides easy-to-follow, no nonsense advice on how to maximize one of the greatest outputs of your brain—memory. But, more important, she also lets us know that while memory is a tremendous gift, the real you is much more than just what you can remember!’ Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD, professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School, coauthor of The Healing Self
Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a renowned expert in linguistics, with a successful husband and three grown children. When she begins to grow forgetful and disoriented, she dismisses it for as long as she can until a tragic diagnosis changes her life - and her relationship with her family and the world around her - for ever.
Unable to care for herself, Alice struggles to find meaning and purpose as her concept of self gradually slips away. But Alice is a remarkable woman, and her family learn more about her and each other in their quest to hold on to the Alice they know. Her memory hanging by a frayed thread, she is living in the moment, living for each day. But she is still Alice.
'Devastating. A story about the resilience of love in the face of a tragic, inevitable fate' Julie Cohen, author of Dear Thing
The breathtaking new novel from the author of STILL ALICE, now adapted into an Academy Award-winning film starring Julianne Moore.
Joe O'Brien is a Boston cop; his physical stamina and methodical mind have seen him through decades policing the city streets, while raising a family with his wife Rosie. When he starts making uncharacteristic errors, he attributes them to stress. Finally, he agrees to see a doctor and is handed a terrifying, unexpected diagnosis: Huntington's disease.
Not only is Joe's life set to change beyond recognition, but each of his four grown children has a fifty-fifty chance of inheriting the disease. Observing her potential future play out in his escalating symptoms, his pretty yoga teacher daughter Katie wrestles with how to make the most of the here and now, and how to care for her dad who is, inside, always an O'Brien.
An accomplished concert pianist, Richard’s inspired performances received standing ovations from audiences all over the world. Every one of his fingers was a finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago.
Richard now has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralysed. His fingers are impotent, still, devoid of possibility. The loss of his hand feels like a death, a loss of true love, a divorce – his divorce. He knows his left arm will go next.
Three years ago, Karina removed their framed wedding picture from the living room wall and hung a mirror there instead. But she still hasn’t moved on. Karina is paralysed by excuses and fear, stuck in an unfulfilling life as a piano teacher, afraid to pursue the path she abandoned as a young woman, blaming Richard and their failed marriage for all of it.
When Richard is no longer able to live on his own, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. As Richard’s muscles, voice, and breath fade, both he and Karina try to reconcile their past before it’s too late.
As poignant and powerful as Jojo Moyes's Me Before You, Every Note Played is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness.
Praise for Every Note Played
‘Only Lisa Genova could bring such honesty and grace to the war against ALS. Searing writing and a must-read.’ Helen Simonson, New York Times bestselling author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand
‘Lisa Genova writes with humor and humanity, but also with a scientist’s eye about the daily depredations of disease, the incremental losses, the slower acceptances, the rage, the love, the courage, and, strangely enough, the joy. A nocturne of the soul. Read this book, read it all night, and wake up glad to be alive.' Bill Roorbach, author of Life Among Giants, The Remedy for Love and The Girl of the Lake
‘Genova expertly details the devastation ALS wreaks on Richard, and though her latest is a sometimes difficult read, she finds hope in the opportunities Richard has to repair his relationships with his daughter and brothers before it’s too late.’? Booklist
From the bestselling author of Still Alice and Every Note Played comes a heartfelt novel about friendship and a mother coping with the loss of her autistic son.
Olivia Donatelli's dream of a 'normal' life was shattered when her son, Anthony, was diagnosed with autism at age three. He didn't speak. He hated to be touched. He almost never made eye contact. And just as Olivia was starting to realise that happiness and autism could coexist, Anthony died. Now she's alone in a cottage on Nantucket, separated from her husband, desperate to understand the meaning of her son's short life, when a chance encounter with another woman facing her own loss brings Anthony alive again for Olivia in a most unexpected way. In a piercing story about motherhood, love and female friendship, Lisa Genova offers us two unforgettable women on the verge of change who discover the small but exuberant voice that helps them both find the answers they need.
Fans of The Reason I Jump and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time will love Lisa Genova's story: always authentic and utterly moving.
Erschrecken Sie, wenn Ihnen der Name eines bekannten Menschen nicht einfällt? Wenn Sie nicht wissen, warum Sie in einen bestimmten Raum gegangen sind? Sind das simple Gedächtnislücken oder bedenkliche Anzeichen? Lisa Genova beruhigt: Unser Gehirn kann sich nicht alles merken, Vergessen gehört zu seinen Grundfunktionen. Was unser Gedächtnis leistet, grenzt an ein Wunder. Aber perfekt ist es nicht. Vergesslichkeit ist etwas ganz Natürliches. Lisa Genova erklärt, wie Erinnerungen entstehen und wie wir sie abrufen können, und zeigt, wie es uns gelingt, Erinnerung zu gestalten und zu sichern und wie wir durch das Vermeiden toxischer Verhaltensweisen unser Erinnerungsvermögen steigern und das Risiko von Alzheimer und Demenz minimieren.
Karinas Traum war eine glanzvolle Karriere als Pianistin. Für ihre große Liebe Richard verzichtete sie darauf. Als die Ehe scheitert, ist er ein gefeierter Star, und Karina fühlt sich um ihr Lebensglück betrogen. Jahre später erfährt sie, dass Richard unheilbar krank ist, und fasst einen Entschluss: Sie wird ihren Exmann zu sich holen. Doch was zunächst aus Pflichtgefühl geschieht, wird schon bald zu einer ungeahnten Chance. Karina begreift, dass Versöhnung so viel mehr sein kann als Frieden schließen, denn manchmal öffnet sie das Herz für einen lang ersehnten Neuanfang ...
"Genovas neuster Roman ist einer ihrer stärksten - ein sprachgewandtes und berührendes Porträt zweier Menschen, die im Angesicht einer verheerenden Diagnose ihren Frieden finden.>Lisa Genova gelingt es auf beeindruckende Weise, die Gedanken und Gefühle ihrer Figuren lebendig werden zu lassen.
Wie jedes seiner vier Kinder muss auch Katie befürchten, die Krankheit ihres Vaters geerbt zu haben. Gewissheit könnte ein Gentest bringen. Doch kann sie tatsächlich mit dem Wissen leben, das der Test ans Licht bringt?
Bella y estremecedora, esta novela es un retrato vívido y conmovedor de la irrupción precoz del Alzheimer.
Alice Howland está orgullosa de la vida que tanto esfuerzo le ha costado construir. A los cincuenta, es profesora de psicología en Harvard y una lingüista de fama mundial. Tiene un marido al que ama y tres hijos adultos. Cuando empieza a sentirse desorientada y olvidadiza, un trágico diagnóstico cambia su vida para siempre.
Bella y estremecedora, esta novela es un retrato vívido y conmovedor de la irrupción precoz del Alzheimer. Al adentrarnos en la historia, nos enteramos de lo que Alice piensa y siente a medida que avanza la enfermedad, haciéndola dejar de ser la persona que era y modificando su relación con su familia y con el mundo.
Un libro escrito con realismo y al mismo tiempo con ternura.
Reseña:
«Genova nos prueba que aunque perdamos la mente, conservaremos el corazón.»
Globe and Mail
In DER LIEBE EINE STIMME GEBEN erzählt Bestsellerautorin Lisa Genova die berührende Geschichte einer Freundschaft zweier Frauen, in der ein außergewöhnlicher kleiner Junge eine ganz besondere Rolle spielt.
Auf dem Weg zur Arbeit hat Sarah einen Unfall. Als sie Tage später aus dem Koma erwacht, kann sie ihre linke Körperhälfte nicht mehr steuern. Die einst so selbstständige Frau ist auf einmal von anderen abhängig. Und dazu gezwungen, ihr Leben dramatisch zu entschleunigen. Doch während es Sarah allmählich besser geht, stellt sie sich immer öfter die Frage: Will ich mein altes Leben überhaupt zurück?
- ←Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- Next Page→