Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood

By Oliver Sacks

From the distinguished neurologist who is also one of the most remarkable storytellers of our time — an account of his youth, as unexpected and fascinating as his celebrated case histories.

What first aroused Sacks’ boundless curiosity?

In this wonderful memoir, he evokes, with warmth and wit, his childhood in wartime England. There was the large, scientifically minded family in which his very early fascination with meals was nurtured – particularly by “Uncle Tungsten.” There were his four years at the boarding school where he was sent at the outbreak of World War II to escape the bombings, and where, though he suffered extreme deprivation and cruelty, one can see the first gleam of his interest in the intellectual pursuits that would begin to shape him. And there was his return to London, an emotionally bereft 10-year-old who found solace in the secret garden of his passion for learning – about the nature of metals, gases and chemicals; about the hidden order of things outside himself.

Uncle Tungsten radiates the magic, the delight and the wonder of the birth, in a young boy, of the unquenchable desire for knowledge. It is an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary mind.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9780307367815

Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks was born in 1933 in London and was educated at the Queen's College, Oxford. He completed his medical training at San Francisco's Mount Zion Hospital and at UCLA before moving to New York, where he soon encountered the patients whom he would write about in his book Awakenings. Dr Sacks spent almost fifty years working as a neurologist and wrote many books, including The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Musicophilia, and Hallucinations, about the strange neurological predicaments and conditions of his patients. The New York Times referred to him as 'the poet laureate of medicine', and over the years he received many awards, including honours from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Royal College of Physicians. In 2008, he was appointed Commander of the British Empire. His memoir, On the Move, was published shortly before his death in August 2015.

Reviews for Uncle Tungsten

[steve38 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A typically slow paced, simply written but involving book from Mr Sachs. About his fascination with chemistry as a child. Inspired by his uncles and his parents he had a privileged childhood but one not without its traumas with evacuation from London during the war. We learn about his childhood but it's also a lesson in chemistry and its history. If you never understood the periodic table this book will explain it for you.

[osdolai · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Oliver Sacks' first autobiography is a frustrating read. He uses every trick in the book to hide from the limelight and instead of a memoir delivers a very comprehensive History of Chemistry with a few personal anecdotes interjected far and between. Sacks was a remarkable chronicler of the mind and lived a very eventful childhood in a bygone era. In LP Hartley's apt turn of phrase, 'the past is a foreign country: they do things differently there'. We want to find out more about that country, but Sacks leaves us high and dry. What was it like to live in England through the war, with food rationed, and national mobilization underway? He mentions people and events in a detached way, almost as a historian, certainly not as a highly gifted child who was actually there growing up in those cataclysmic times. Lastly, Sacks literary style is severely lacking in the flow department. He frequently interrupts the narrative to walk us with excruciating detail through technical explanations of the chemical properties of an element or an experiment he conducted in his basement. Feels like his editor gave him a free pass to ramble at ease. The bottom line is, this concave book has a more limited appeal than expected, given what we know of the author. Instead of reflections on his childhood, we are treated to a master lecture on chemistry and physics. His omissions tell us more about him than his narrative. Unless you have a particular penchant for the hard sciences, you may find yourself frustrated in this read.

[sgerbic · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Bits of this book were terrific. All the parts about his boyhood, life at school and WWII were terrific. But I'm only giving this book 2 stars because the rest of the book were unreadable by someone like me who has no interest in chemicals, rocks or science. I'm sorry to say that it was wasted on me. I've enjoyed many others of Sack's books, even though they were highly technical, this one felt as if Sack's were writing it for his own enjoyment, and he might just have done that. More power to him.

[jbd1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There's a "Radiolab" episode in which Oliver Sacks talks about his interest in samples of chemical elements; this is basically a longer and even more wonderful version of that, in which he ties in family history, personal memoir, and the history of chemistry (and a bit of physics too). A delight to read.

[aevaughn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed listening to Sacks's story throughout the memoir including his reminiscing of bits of chemical/physics history. His last chapter discussing his transition away from Chemistry into Medicine was the most striking. I found it disconcerting that formal study of a subject would make someone with such a love for a discipline to lose interest. Although, I took heart in knowing that more than that went into the equation. In particular, his parent's desire for him to study medicine and the quantum chemistry portion of chemistry being so troubling for him.

[stevesmits · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy Oliver Sack's works. For one who is such an accomplished scientific figure in the medical world, his prose writing is so good. "Uncle Tungsten", published first in 2001, is his memoir of his life and times in pre and immediately post war England. Sack's family were Jews who had immigrated to England around the turn of the 20th century. His parents were physicians and his uncles (he came from quite a large family) were scientists and entrepeneurs. Uncle "Tungsten" owned and ran a factory that produced light bulbs and he was deeply knowledgeable about heavy metals that could be used as filaments in these early bulbs. In addition to Uncle Tungsten, Sacks's family members were brainy and colorful characters who are quite fun to read about.Through Uncle (Dave) "Tungsten", Sacks's intellectual curiosity in chemistry was aroused. (Mathematics was also an obsession.) At an early age, he acquired all manner of chemicals and set up his own laboratory where he conducted experiments to understand better the chemical properties of various elements and compounds. One amazing aspect of the story is how easy it was for Sacks to acquire chemicals that are quite dangerous and how tolerant his parents were of the goings-on in his lab in an attached shed. One cannot imagine such liberality or forbearance today.In many ways, Sacks's memoir gives the history of chemistry advances in the 19th and 20th century. He describes the breakthrough work of many of the icons of early chemistry -- Boyle, Lavoisier, Davy, Faraday, Mendeleev and others. His burning impulse to understand how the physical world was constructed and interacted is plain to see and marked him as an unusual young person of great intellectual potential.What's perhaps even more compelling in Sacks's story is his depiction of life before and during the war. Sacks, born in 1933, was shipped off to boarding schools away from London during the Blitz and his memories (many were not happy ones) give a fascinating view of life during this time. His family was closely connected to the Jewish community in London and his stories about this culture are interesting and evocative; he says that this tight knit society ceased to be after the war.His path through the world of chemistry progresses through increasing levels of complexity. Some of his descriptions of chemical laws and processes are above my understanding; they made me aware of how much about chemistry I have forgotten, or, more likely, never knew. When he reached atomic realms of the periodic table of elements and structure of atomic entities, I was quite lost. Notwithstanding, it's worth slogging through the esoteric parts of the book, if for nothing more than to gain an appreciation of this young man's remarkable intellectual focus and his passion for knowledge.

[wweisser-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A curious mix of wartime memoir and scientific history; intersperses the story of the author's childhood with an overview of the development of chemistry. A very quick and fun read.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Autobiography of his 'chemical childhood'. Fascinating stuff, but left me feeling slightly inadequate - why was I goofing off as a 10 year old when Sacks at that age was reading Curie's bio & replicating her chemistry?Read June 2006

[amaraduende · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book took a while to digest - it's full of chemistry and nostalgia and scientific history... really enjoyable. Took me like a week to read though!

[lxydis-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderfully engaging memoir. Sacks’s conveys with deceptive simplicity and clarity the wonders of chemistry and the excitement (and the history of the last couple of centuries, no mean feat to do this so clearly and concisely!) of scientific discovery, as well as his joyous inquisitiveness as a child and his excitement at discovering this world of science. At the same time, it’s sad to read about the abuse and isolation he and his brother endured at the school they were sent to during WW2.
Typical of his generous, positive view is that even these sad times (like his brother’s eventual mental illness, and his parents’ unawareness of his own suffering at the horrible school and their inexplicably thoughtless, even insensitive, behavior, and his own anxieties and isolation) never sound regretful or self-centeredly whiny, though he describes them forthrightly. He’s generous and direct and loving in his description of his passions, as well as his depiction of his enormously engaging, supportive and remarkable family. It’s refreshing to read a personal account that is not tortured or blaming.

[hcubic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was finally impelled to read "Uncle Tungsten", which had been recommended by innumerable chemist friends, because of the opportunity to meet the author at the ACS meeting in New York last month. Oliver Sacks is a few years older than I am, but his "Memoir of a Chemical Boyhood" brought back my own memories of youthful chemistry experiments and fascination with the power of science. Sacks writes about wartime London, while I grew up on the US West coast, but it is remarkable how many interests, books and experiences we shared. I hope I am not the last chemist to discover this wonderful book, which describes a boyhood in science experiences that is unimaginable to a child today. Sacks is also author of "Awakenings", "The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat", and "The Island of the Colorblind".

[pferdina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sacks writes about his boyhood in 1940s London and also about the lives of the scientists that shaped his interest in chemistry and physics. Sketches on radioactivity, the discovery of the periodic law, metals, electricity, and atomic structure are included as well as stories about Humphrey Davy, Marie and Pierre Curie, and several others. My only complaint about this book is that it moves very slowly and all of the events in the author's life take place when he was very young (before 13 years of age, for the most part).

[dele2451 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A funny tale of one inquisitive Jewish boy's adventurous--and often dangerous--experiments in the world of chemistry and the many mentors who inspired him on his journey. Informative, entertaining, and well-written...his passion for his topic resonates throughout the entire book. A definite recommend.

[snash_44 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In some ways the book seemed schizophrenic in that it was a memoir but also a biography of a family, and a history of chemists and chemistry. The memoir was frightening, cruel at times. The family biography was enchanting. The history of chemists and chemistry was infused with boundless enthusiasm but would still be inaccessible to anyone with less that college chemistry. I have a chemistry degree so I quite enjoyed the book despite its divided focus.

[markkeeffe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really good insight into what t was like growing up in a large well-off Jewish family in London around the time of the second world war. His enthusiasm for chemistry and botany, and for learning in general, is contagious and delightful. His memory for detail and the influencing characters is amazing. Some of the chemical terms and descriptions re hard to understand which got a bit boring towards the end of the book. Also it seemed to end rather abruptly. But these small criticisms are dwarfed by an otherwise delightful read.

[gibbon_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book contains more about tungsten than it does about his uncle, and might have been better if the proportions had been reversed. Anyone without the elements of a scientific education may find it hard and consequently boring to follow, being structured as it is round the history of chemistry and the discovery and classification of the elements. It is interesting to compare it with the anecdotes of Richard Feynman concerning his upbringing. Feynman was older and from a less privileged family, so he felt the impact of the Great Depression more as he was growing up. But it is clear that both men felt the same compulsive need to discover for themselves how things worked, and the same joy when they realised what they had understood - in Sacks' case, with the help of his talented uncles, in Feynman's, by talks with his father, and for both of them, by the freedom to experiment. It was unfortunate for Sacks that his boarding schools were a bad influence on him, and that his parents didn't realise it, being preoccupied with their own careers.

[lovell_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a book that holds the attention for its woonderful fresh insights into the world of chemistry, as well as a description of the author's family and life in an extended medical scientifically literate Jewish family in London during the war years. I give it to my year 11 chem students (a chapter at a time) as it has a beguiling introduction to the importance of chemistry in our lives.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading this book, I'm still not sure if it was intended as a memoire, or as a brief history of chemistry. The author gives us glimpses of his family life, especially the role his mother and uncles played in encouraging his love of chemistry. He spends a lot more time talking about chemistry and scientific discoveries, which was less interesting to me.I found the book rather sad at the end. All the love of chemistry that permeated Oliver Sacks' life was repressed when he reading adolescence as it was expected he would become a doctor. Which he did -- and where he has made a large difference to many lives. But what would have happened had he followed his heart?

[tadad_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a memoir of the author's early boyhood when he was fascinated by chemistry. I was expecting the majority of the book to be about the many intelligent and probably interesting members of the Sacks' family, most notably his Uncle Dave (Uncle Tungsten). However, the personal glimpses were few and lacked much depth. Instead, this was primarily a quick recapitulation of the history of chemical thought. For this, I was just the wrong audience. When told that Henry Cavendish discovered hydrogen, that Mendeleev devised the periodic table, etc., instead of a quickening of interest, my response was continuously, "Yes, I know." If you didn't take (or have largely forgotten) high school chemistry, and have some interest in science, then this book will provide you with a recounting of chemical thought from earliest times up through Niels Bohr's quantum theories about electrons. It's well-written and very accessible. If you do remember your high school chemistry, the book will probably disappoint a bit.

[jnselko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A perfectly marvelous memoir- my daughter ( a Chemical Engineer) has read it three times!

[mjmorrison1971 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A childhood memoir & journey throught the history of Chemistry. For me, a very interesting read but how much of what he did as a child can we do now? - Not much

[triptropic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A bit like being back in chemistry class. Sometimes fun, sometimes as dull as ditch water. Enough with the thalium already!

[xtien_9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sacks' autobiography with a central role for chemistry, science in general, and two uncles who are running the family business: a factory for light bulbs (hence the title: "Uncle Tungsten"). Every kid deserves a youth in which nobody gets angry at you when you try to set the house on fire.

[goluban_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing look into the mind of a child who would become a great scientist.His early fascination with chemistry was based on his attraction to the physical properties of materials he saw as solid, permanent in contrast to the chaotic and unreliable social world of WWII.This early interest was encouraged and nourished by a large nurturing family of equally extraordinary, intellectually curious people. It is a vivid example of the interplay of nature and nurture.

[clothingoptional · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An ancient magic draws all little boys to fire. They sit and stare at smoldering campfires, delighting when flames stir with the breeze. Sometimes, they stand in reverent silence before a book of matches or a cigarette lighter, but more often they are overcome with an irresistible urge to spark and burn.We know a little boy like this. At the tender age of five, enamored with fire, the boy believed he could make a rocket. He took a four foot length of copper pipe into his backyard, and rammed it into the earth beneath the cavernous shade of a decrepit willow. Into this vessel, he poured a fair amount of gasoline, some measure of other dangerous chemicals, and added a good dose of industrial petroleum jelly. One can readily guess the attitude of his mother when he went inside the house to ask where the family kept the matches.Despite this early setback, the boy went on with his experiments, such as they were. He was limited by his lack of chemical guidance, and by a stock of materials that consisted of whatever he could scrounge from the garage or the basement. He never did anything important and never learned much of anything except what would and what would not readily burned. This was the extent of his explorations.As he proceeded through science classes in school, he found he had a great aptitude for chemistry. He easily grasped the principles of organic chemistry when other classmates struggled. The entire concept of a chemical bond seemed so obvious to him as to be second nature. Yet, there was something amiss with our young man's process into the world of science. While he loved to learn the laws and the measure of things, the way certain elements combined while others would not, and how one might tear apart these materials with surprising ease, he sensed a gap in his knowledge. He was learning only the data and theory, but nothing of the process. He had no understanding whatsoever of how all of this knowledge came to be, even less how he seemed to know without knowing all that his teachers would tell.It wasn't until much later in life, when the boy had left the field of chemistry behind and turned his interests elsewhere, that he discovered what he was missing all those years ago. What he was missing was history. In history, he found the stories of men and women, driven to light fires in the darkness, probing their way through a murky world of an evolving field of thought. There, he found context.Without context, one is highly unlikely to discover anything new, unless entirely by accident and then it is doubtful that one would recognize the new phenomenon when it was found. In the study of history, one will find examples of just this sort of miraculous tinkering. One will also discover how, with just a slight change in this method or another, a crackpot suddenly becomes a genius.Unlike the boy in our story, Dr. Oliver Sacks had the benefit of growing up in a scientific family. He had aunts and uncles and parents who were practicing doctors and scientists. All of these sources turned the young Oliver on to the history of science, a history which our boy was so sadly ignorant. Through young Oliver's eyes, we recognized how basic knowledge and the ready availability of materials, combined with practical experience to drive a boy to experiment. However, it was the exposure to history, Dr. Sacks's love of the lives of the scientists who had come before him, that enabled the boy to move from mere mimicry to mastery.Or at least this is what we're led to believe.Dr. Sacks does such a wonderful job of introducing history only when the reader {and the boy who is his memory} is prepared to receive it, that we wonder if reality matches the perfect and structured way his education seemed to present itself. Still, even if the truth is a picture of fits and starts, we hardly mind. The book was a pleasure to read, and ought to be required reading for all students of science. Not only will they come away with a better understanding of the facts, but context both the history and a connection with the author's experience will fuel their curiosity.As we read, we kept finding ourselves referring to the periodic table of elements included in the book. We mused on the possibility of setting up a lab of our own, playing at the experiments. When we caught ourselves in the midst of seriously considering the construction of a Leyden jar, we laughed and wondered how we could feel like such little children again, caught up in the love of science so that we might do such things if only because they could be done.We are greatly indebted to Dr. Sacks for writing this book, and sharing his personal {and often painful} history. The boy who built the rocket in his backyard would have recognized young Oliver's retreat into the solitary. Perhaps, if he'd had the same advantages, he too might have discovered some comfort in the shelter of science. For us, it was rejuvenating to muse again not just how a fire burns, but why.

[brewergirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating book. The author's passion about science and chemistry in particular was very compelling. I love it when an author can get me interested in something I don't normally care for.