The Birth of the Mind: How a Tiny Number of Genes Creates the Complexities of Human Thought - Hardcover

Marcus, Gary

3.93

274 ratings by Goodreads

9780465044054: The Birth of the Mind: How a Tiny Number of Genes Creates the Complexities of Human Thought

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465044050 ISBN 13: 9780465044054

Publisher: Basic Books, 2003

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

In The Birth of the Mind, award-winning cognitive scientist Gary Marcus irrevocably alters the nature vs. nurture debate by linking the findings of the Human Genome project to the development of the brain.Startling findings have recently revealed that the genome is much smaller than we once thought, containing no more than 30,000-40,000 genes. Since this discovery, scientists have struggled to understand how such a tiny number of genes could contain the instructions for building the human brain, arguably the most complex device in the known universe. Synthesizing up-to-the-minute biology with his own original findings on child development, Marcus is the first to resolve this apparent contradiction by chronicling exactly how genes create the infinite complexities of the human mind. Along the way, he dispels the common misconceptions people harbor about genes, and explores the stunning implications of this research for the future of genetic engineering.Vibrantly written and completely accessible to the lay reader, The Birth of the Mind will forever change the way we think about our origins and ourselves.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

"Marcus strikes a rare and delicate balance of scientific detail and layperson accessibility in this overview of an exploding field of inquiry....a joy to read....Marcus gives most readers more than enough to think about here." Publishers Weekly "Expert and lucid... carries the reader to the edge of current knowledge." Noam Chomsky "Marcus does particularly well to make the relevant issues in these areas understandable to the lay reader, and does an even better job of dispelling the myths that impede the way we think about genes and their role in making brains, and hence minds.... Anyone interested in the topic would be encouraged to read this book." Nature"

Synopsis:

The first book to show precisely how genes build the wonders of the human brain, and why the Human Genome project could radically alter our view of the world. In The Birth of the Mind , award-winning cognitive scientist Gary Marcus irrevocably alters the nature vs. nurture debate by linking the findings of the Human Genome project to the development of the brain. Startling findings have recently revealed that the genome is much smaller than we once thought, containing no more than 30,000-40,000 genes. Since this discovery, scientists have struggled to understand how such a tiny number of genes could contain the instructions for building the human brain, arguably the most complex device in the known universe. Synthesizing up-to-the-minute biology with his own original findings on child development, Marcus is the first to resolve this apparent contradiction by chronicling exactly how genes create the infinite complexities of the human mind. Along the way, he dispels the common misconceptions people harbor about genes, and explores the stunning implications of this research for the future of genetic engineering.

Vibrantly written and completely accessible to the lay reader, The Birth of the Mind will forever change the way we think about our origins and ourselves.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.