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

Greenfield, Susan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471399752 ISBN 13: 9780471399759

Publisher: Wiley, 2001

Synopsis

Drawing on many different sources the effects of neurological disorders and injuries, the actions of drugs, the character of thought in dreams, in schizophrenia, in reverie, and in childhood Susan Greenfield has given us a synthesis which is challenging, original, readable, and personal Oliver Sacks How does the human brain produce your private world? In this groundbreaking exploration, neuroscientist and author Susan Greenfield demystifies the private life of the brain. She examines the physical basis of our emotions and searches for the answer to one of the most enduring mysteries in modern science: How does the brain create a unique, subjective experience for each one of us? Utilizing cutting-edge research and compelling personal anecdotes, Greenfield reveals that emotions, triggered by individual life experiences, are the very foundation upon which our brains build our unique minds. In this absorbing, lyrical exploration, Dr. Greenfield presents a provocative new theory that provides an illuminating glimpse into the human brain and reveals the astonishing essence of who we are. "This is one of those rare books that can make a reader happy to have been led to think" Booklist

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

About the Author:

SUSAN GREENFIELD, M.A., D.Phil., D.Sc., C.B.E., is the first female director of Britain’s Royal Institution, which was established in 1799 to "diffuse science for common purposes of life." She is also a Fellow of Lincoln College and Professor of Pharmacology at Oxford University, where she conducts research into the causes of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Her previous books include Journey to the Centers of the Mind: Toward a Science of Consciousness, The Human Mind Explained, and The Human Brain: A Guided Tour, which has been translated into fourteen languages.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0471399752
• ISBN 13: 9780471399759
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272