"Parkinson lived through especially turbulent times, with the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars fomenting social and political unrest in Britain and elsewhere. Even if he had not described ‘his’ disease, Parkinson would still be an important historical figure. As Cherry Lewis shows in The Enlightened Mr. Parkinson, a fine biography of an unusual East London general practitioner, there are many reasons to admire him."

– The Wall Street Journal

"A fascinating, illustrated account of the life and times of James Parkinson. Lewis pieces together voluminous information from the late 18th and early 19th centuries to form her compelling tale. Anyone interested in the history of medicine, politics and geology will enjoy this book."

– The Washington Post

"The pensive and passionate Parkinson is portrayed as a character caught in a sort of temporal paradox as a clinician ahead of his time in some ways, a scientist infatuated with prehistoric eras, and a citizen restless and uneasy with society and living conditions in his world."

– Booklist

"Parkinson was a Renaissance man who tried his hand at natural history and politics, and British geologist and historian Lewis turns this into a fine biography of a colorful figure who lived in a turbulent era. Lewis delivers an appealing, often gruesome account of the life of a workaholic, highly respected physician from a far-off time."

– Kirkus Reviews

"Lewis’s lively, captivating biography illuminates the life and work of a pioneer who may have largely faded from medical history, but whose curiosity and passion are as relevant today as they were 200 years ago."

– Publisher's Weekly (starred)