44 pages • 1 hour read
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart is a work of nonfiction by neurosurgeon and philanthropist Dr. James R. Doty. It is at once a memoir, a self-help book, and a work of popular science; Doty draws on his professional knowledge to explain the scientific underpinnings of meditative practices like visualization, while also exploring the transformative effect these practices can have on people’s lives (his own included). As a result, Into the Magic Shop has garnered praise from both scientific and faith-based quarters. This study guide refers to the 2016 Avery edition of the work.
Doty’s own story begins with an overview of his boyhood in 1960s Lancaster, California—now a suburb of Los Angeles, but at the time, a small town. Doty’s father is an alcoholic who struggles to hold down a job, and his mother suffers from clinical depression; Doty grows up with only precarious access to necessities like food and housing and is often forced to act as a caretaker to his own parents.
At age 12, Doty happens to visit a store called Cactus Rabbit Unlock all 44 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
