What does it mean to spend a lifetime hunting a disease—only to find it hunting you?
Dr. Harry Robertson dedicated decades to unravelling the mysteries of dopamine, Dr. Harry Robertson dedicated decades to unravelling the mysteries of dopamine, transforming our understanding of Parkinson’s disease from the inside of a lab at Dalhousie University. His pioneering discovery that the loss of smell can serve as an early warning sign of Parkinson’s helped shift an entire field toward earlier diagnosis and intervention — giving patients more time, more treatment, and more life.
Then came his own diagnosis.
Journalist Jon Tattrie follows Robertson through the arc of a remarkable scientific career and an intensely human story. Through intimate visits and frank conversation, Tattrie captures a man of boundless passion—someone who compares working with mice to a Mozart symphony—now navigating the very motor and non-motor symptoms he spent his career studying.
The result is a portrait that is honest, respectful, and quietly extraordinary: a scientist who became a subject, a researcher who became a patient, and a man who, through it all, never stopped teaching.
Jon Tattrie is the author of ten books, including To Leave a Warrior Behind: The Life and Stories of Charles R. Saunders, The Man Who Rewrote Fantasy, the best-seller Peace by Chocolate, as well as The Hermit of Africville, Redemption Songs, Daniel Paul: Mi’kmaw Elder, and Cornwallis: The Violent Birth of Halifax. After working as a journalist for more than 20 years, he now operates Write Now! with Jon to help other people write and publish their books. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with his wife Giselle, son Xavier and daughter Roslyn.
“The author becomes a fellow traveller who, with the eyes of a novice, absorbs from Harry both the science and the human dimensions of the dopamine story. Visits with Harry were intimate, revealing the challenges — and the moments allowing a look at the full man. This book is honest, respectful, and hopeful.”
— Fran Wittgens, ten-year caregiver to a husband with Parkinson’s, Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Also praised by…
“His professional research and personal experience will create a lasting impact for people living with Parkinson’s here in Canada and around the world.”
— Angelica Asis, Angelica Asis, VP Research and Advocacy, Parkinson Canada
“A highly regarded educator and beloved mentor — his work has made a significant A highly regarded educator and beloved mentor — his work has made a significant impact on understanding the mechanisms of neurodegeneration. ”
— Senator Stan Kutcher, former Head of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University
“He had a lot of good ideas, his work is recognized, and he is a wonderful human being.”
— Dr. Ivar Mendez, Professor Emeritus, University of Saskatchewan
$24.95 paperback
9781990137815
6 X 9 | 172 pages
