NEW YORK, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Oliver Sacks, a famed neurologist known for his work to uncover the deep recesses of the human brain and the acclaimed author of Awakenings, died Sunday of cancer.
Sacks, 82, a medical doctor and writer, achieved a level of popularity not seen in many scientists. More than a million copies of his books are in print in the United States, his work has been adapted for film and stage, and he received some 10,000 letters a year. His book Awakenings, which inspired an Oscar-nominated film of the same name starring Robin Williams, detailed his work with a group of patients he treated who woke up after spending years in a catatonic state.