--- product_id: 9841037 title: "The Island of the Colorblind" brand: "oliver sacks" price: "AR$43182" currency: ARS in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/9841037-the-island-of-the-colorblind store_origin: AR region: Argentina --- # The Island of the Colorblind **Brand:** oliver sacks **Price:** AR$43182 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Island of the Colorblind by oliver sacks - **How much does it cost?** AR$43182 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.ar](https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/9841037-the-island-of-the-colorblind) ## Best For - oliver sacks enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted oliver sacks brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Part travelogue, part autobiography, part medical mystery, this moving book by the "poet laureate of medicine" ( The New York Times ) and bestselling author of Awakenings takes us to a tiny Pacific atoll and the island of Guam to explore the genesis of disease, the wonders of botany, and the complexities of being human. "Sacks's total immersion in island life makes this luminous, beautifully written report a wonderous voyage of discovery. As a travel writer, Sacks ranks with Paul Theroux and Bruce Chatwin. As an investigator of the mind's mysteries, he is in a class by himself." — Publishers Weekly For Oliver Sacks, islands conjure up equally the romance of Melville and Stevenson, the adventure of Magellan and Cook, and the scientific wonder of Darwin and Wallace. Drawn to the tiny Pacific atoll of Pingelap by intriguing reports of an isolated community of islanders born totally color-blind, Sacks finds himself setting up a clinic in a one-room island dispensary, where he listens to these achromatopic islanders describe their colorless world in rich terms of pattern and tone, luminance and shadow. And on Guam, where he goes to investigate the puzzling neurodegenerative paralysis endemic there for a century, he becomes, for a brief time, an island neurologist, making house calls with his colleague John Steele, amid crowing cockerels, cycad jungles, and the remains of a colonial culture. Out of this unexpected journey, Sacks has woven an unforgettable narrative which immerses us in the romance of island life, and shares his own compelling vision of the mysteries of being human. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Dimensions | 5.2 x 0.72 x 7.95 inches | | Edition | First Paperback Edition | | Isbn 10 | 0375700730 | | Isbn 13 | 978-0375700736 | | Item Weight | 2.31 pounds | | Language | English | | Print Length | 336 pages | | Publication Date | January 12, 1998 | | Publisher | Vintage | ## Images ![The Island of the Colorblind - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81+gIRFZEbL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Unusal study of the differently sighted *by on Reviewed in the United States May 29, 2025* One of my all time favorite books! Memorable, touching studies of the strengths of those with abnormal color perception. Oliver Sachs writes with such genuine empathy and understanding. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ fascinating pair of stories *by on Reviewed in the United States March 22, 2014* Oliver Sacks finds the most interesting stories - one is the effects of eating cycad palm flour - creating Parkinson's like symptoms over time and the other is about an island where everyone is colorblind because they are related to the king who is colorblind (after the small island's population is devastated by a natural disaster) ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Interesting medical travelogue of two cultures *by on Reviewed in the United States December 16, 2013* For a through review read the comment by the Dr. Coleman. I will try not to repeat his comments. I have not read Sacks before so I was intrigue to find a medical commentary and travelogue written in a style that was understandable by someone who is not a scientist.I have some minor disappointments. This is actually two different medical commentaries. One about totally colorblind ( a very rare occurrence) groups of people in the Pacific Islands and the other about a group of people suffering from a disease similar to ALS but somewhat different. I would have liked a more thorough discussion of the sociology and psychology of the people who have this. The cause is known and the only "cure" is sunglasses an special training in reading and other coping strategies. I would have like more notes on the life styles, sense of isolation caused by the sun blindness during the day, reaction from "normal" members of the community. Dr. Sacks did not stay on the islands long enough to do a through job in this regard.With regard to the ALS type disease, Dr. Sacks did a far better job of describing the various paths two similar diseases take and the physical and psychological progression of the diseases as well as some comments on the cultural and family reaction to the suffering members. I was fascinated by the various theories that have been raised to explain the diseases and finding no conclusive explanation.The last few pages of my book had a chapter on Dr. Sacks fascination with ferns and how that developed. Though it was a nice comment on his background, I found it irrelevant to the book. Was he required to have x numbers of pages and therefore threw this commentary in? I do not like wasted paper and this seemed like wasted paper.The footnotes were extensive but those that I bothered to read filled in some detail very well. Frankly I read only a few. I question if so many were needed.This book is a little outside of my normal reading tastes. I lean toward sci-fi and biographies with some mysteries throw in. In a sense this travelogue was a little of all three with a never leaning on the mystery of the ALS type disease. I am glad that I took a chance on reading it. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/9841037-the-island-of-the-colorblind](https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/9841037-the-island-of-the-colorblind) --- *Product available on Desertcart Argentina* *Store origin: AR* *Last updated: 2026-11-07*