The Great Balancing Act: An Insider’s Guide to the Human Vestibular System

Author:   Jeffrey D. Sharon
Publisher:   Columbia University Press
ISBN:  

9780231218634


Pages:   264
Publication Date:   09 December 2025
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
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The Great Balancing Act: An Insider’s Guide to the Human Vestibular System


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Full Product Details

Author:   Jeffrey D. Sharon
Publisher:   Columbia University Press
Imprint:   Columbia University Press
ISBN:  

9780231218634


ISBN 10:   023121863
Pages:   264
Publication Date:   09 December 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Introduction: A Sense of Wonder Part I. How We Got Here 1. An Aural History 2. How Cheetahs Prosper (Evolution) Part II. How It All Works 3. A Head Full of Hair Cells 4. The Eyes Have It: Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex 5. The Brains Behind the Operation 6. Don’t Fall for It: Vestibulospinal Reflexes 7. A Balanced Mind: Memory and Cognition Part III. When Things Go Wrong 8. Like a Rolling Stone: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) 9. Unsolved Mysteries: Vestibular Migraine and Ménière’s Disease 10. Senseless: Bilateral Vestibular Loss 11. A Hole in the Head: Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome Part IV. The Future 12. Restoring a Sense of Balance: The Vestibular Implant 13. Vestibular Rogaine: Hair Cell Regeneration 14. Spacing Out Part V. The Ending 15. Spinning Out of Control: Advice for Patients Epilogue: Vestibular Dreaming Illustrated Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

Reviews

Sharon’s The Great Balancing Act is an enlightening and engaging exploration of the human vestibular system—an essential yet often overlooked component of our daily lives. Sharon instills a sense of wonder about the intricate anatomy and function of this system, making it clear why he is a true vestibular enthusiast. With its compelling narrative, rich historical context, and scientifically rigorous yet accessible explanations, The Great Balancing Act is a must-read. -- Cynthia Ryan, executive director, Vestibular Disorders Association Sharon has written a thoughtful, engaging, and highly informative book on the vestibular system. He has achieved a brilliant balance between providing a high-level overview and an understandable description of the physiology of the system and the pathologies affecting its function. This book will be of interest and importance to all who desire an overview of the vestibular system as well as to patients who suffer from vestibular disorders. -- Lloyd Minor, Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the School of Medicine, vice president for medical affairs, Stanford University


Sharon’s The Great Balancing Act is an enlightening and engaging exploration of the human vestibular system—an essential yet often overlooked component of our daily lives. Sharon instills a sense of wonder about the intricate anatomy and function of this system, making it clear why he is a true vestibular enthusiast. With its compelling narrative, rich historical context, and scientifically rigorous yet accessible explanations, The Great Balancing Act is a must-read. -- Cynthia Ryan, executive director, Vestibular Disorders Association Sharon has written a thoughtful, engaging, and highly informative book on the vestibular system. He has achieved a brilliant balance between providing a high-level overview and an understandable description of the physiology of the system and the pathologies affecting its function. This book will be of interest and importance to all who desire an overview of the vestibular system as well as to patients who suffer from vestibular disorders. -- Lloyd Minor, Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the School of Medicine, vice president for medical affairs, Stanford University How does the vestibular system integrate a barrage of sensory information to enable animals to navigate the world? In ‘The Great Balancing Act,’ Jeffrey Sharon addresses these and other questions about this elegant sensory system that helps regulate proprioception and spatial reasoning. Sharon discusses how the vestibular system evolved and how it interacts with brain areas that process vision, abstract thought and memory. He ends the book on a forward-looking note, explaining how insights from basic neuroscience are propelling exciting advances in prosthetic implants and gene therapies to help rebuild cellular structures in diseased vestibular systems. * The Transmitter *


Dr. Sharon’s The Great Balancing Act is an enlightening and engaging exploration of the human vestibular system—an essential yet often overlooked component of our daily lives. Sharon instills a sense of wonder about the intricate anatomy and function of this system, making it clear why he is a true vestibular enthusiast. With its compelling narrative, rich historical context, and scientifically rigorous yet accessible explanations, The Great Balancing Act is a must-read. -- Cynthia Ryan, MBA – Executive Director, Vestibular Disorders Association Dr. Sharon has written a thoughtful, engaging, and highly informative book on the vestibular system. He has achieved a brilliant balance between providing a high-level overview and an understandable description of the physiology of the system and the pathologies affecting its function. This book will be of interest and importance to all who desire an overview of the vestibular system as well as to patients who suffer from vestibular disorders. -- Lloyd Minor, M.D., Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the School of Medicine, Vice President for Medical Affairs, Stanford University


Author Information

Jeffrey D. Sharon is the director of the Balance and Falls Center and an associate professor in the Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery Division at the University of California, San Francisco.

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