Book: Robin, by Dave Itzkoff

Oliver Sacks, the famous neuroscientist made more so by Robin Williams portrayal of him in Awakenings, was unsettled by Robin’s ability; “He was not imitating me; he had become me, in a sense it was like suddenly acquiring a younger twin.” Sacks, On the Move. It was too early to see perhaps the impact of perhaps depression, or addiction, or the deeper to come neurological damage that impacted Robin Williams during his last few years. The biography, Robin, is a deep dive into his external life, his life as a performer, a comic icon and how that life brought all his internal demons to life. It wasn’t until the mid 2000’s that he was diagnosed with depression, and this after years of alcoholism, and addiction of all kinds. He chose a profession that preyed on his personality prone to anxiety and self questioning. Itskoff reveals Williams pattern of picking movies after great successes that brought him down to rock bottom again. He shows how much Robin cared about what people thought, how he compared and questioned his whole life why he was famous and discounted his achievements as not special at all. The book also shows how friends, famous and not tried to lend support and struggled to understand, to be there, to not be sucked into the madness but were all equally helpless in the face of an incredibly talented man’s struggle against mental illness. In the end, his death perhaps gave people reason to talk frankly about depression. But the book also notes how far we have to go to understand the mind, as Williams was misdiagnosed, as is common, with Parkinson’s when his autopsy gave new insight to how tragic his struggle was; he was suffering from Lewy Body Dimentia, that attacked his brain, his cognition and ability to cope. A great read where I only wish it had ended before the post death lawsuit descriptions become the last things you read of before Williams is truly laid to rest.