The Private Life of the Brain: Emotions, Consciousness, and the Secret of the Self - Hardcover

Greenfield, Susan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471183431 ISBN 13: 9780471183433

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2000

Synopsis

An internationally acclaimed neuroscientist and author presents a bold new theory about how our minds are made Celebrated neuroscientist and critically acclaimed science author, Susan A. Greenfield reveals why emotions are the very foundation upon which brains build unique minds out of individuals life experiences. Dr. Greenfield affords readers a brain–scientist s–eye–view of the intricate dance of emotions and cognitive abilities that gives rise to consciousness and creates the unique sense of self that we all feel. Along the way, she also provides fascinating answers to such riddles as "How do brains think?" "How do anatomically identical brains give rise to unique selves?", and "Why do some drugs make us ecstatic while other make us miserable?" Susan A. Greenfield, PhD (London, UK), is Director of the Royal Institution, which was established by the British Crown to promote the public communication of science. She is also a Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford University, where she runs conducts research into synaptic pharmacology, and into the causes of Alzheimer s disease. She was the first woman to be invited to give the prestigious Royal Institution Christmas Lecture that is broadcast live every year on the BBC.

About this title

Review

What's going on in there? One of the great scientific and philosophical mysteries is how a few pounds of wet, salty cobwebs can give rise to the rich experience that we call consciousness. Oxford neuroscientist Susan Greenfield peers inside the dimly lit skull to show us what she thinks is going on in The Private Life of the Brain. Greenfield has a great facility for explaining tricky scientific concepts in language that is engaging to all readers. She presents the basics of contemporary thought on consciousness as they relate to her own theory involving a continuum of experience between sensual, emotional grounding in the surrounding world and rational, cognitive withdrawal into mental life. Arguing from a wide range of animal and human research, as well as the work of philosophers such as John Searle and Daniel Dennett, she makes her case compellingly but gently, allowing that other theories might also hold in this still-uncharted territory. Looking in depth at depression, drug use, and fear, Greenfield shows how each is explained by her continuum theory and how each relates to the life of the human organism as a whole. Could it be true that as our minds work harder, our hearts lose some feeling, and vice versa? Whether or not the idea withstands time and testing, it is intriguing and thought-provoking, making The Private Life of the Brain essential reading for minds seeking self-enlightenment. --Rob Lightner

From the Back Cover

How does the human brain produce your private world? Critically acclaimed neuroscientist and author Susan Greenfield, who holds the prestigious position of Director of the Royal Institution in England, weaves together a thought–provoking examination of childhood experiences, primal emotions, such as fear and euphoria, and the effects drugs have on our personalities to probe the most intriguing mystery facing today s scientists: How does the human brain create consciousness and a unique sense of self? In this absorbing, lyrical exploration, Dr. Greenfield presents a provocative new theory that treats emotions as the building blocks of our consciousness and provides an illuminating glimpse into the human brain that reveals the astonishing essence of who we are.

About this edition

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0471183431
• ISBN 13: 9780471183433
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272