2004-12-13
Book: V. S. Ramachandran, A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness
A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness : From Impostor
Poodles to Purple Numbers
by V. S. Ramachandran
Editorial Review From Publishers Weekly
What does an amputee who still feels a phantom limb
have in common with an avant-garde artist, or a
schizophrenic who claims to be controlled by alien
implants, or an autistic child who can draw a
hyper-realistic horse? According to neuroscientist
Ramachandran (coauthor, Phantoms in the Brain), named
by Newsweek one of the 100 people to watch in the 21st
century, the answer lies deep in the physical
structures of the brain, and his new book offers a
thought-provoking survey of his area of research.
Through examples, anecdotes and conjecture,
Ramachandran aims "to make neuroscience... more
accessible to a broad audience." In this he succeeds
admirably, explaining how the roots of both
psychological disorders and aesthetic accomplishment
can be located in the various regions of the brain and
the connections (or lack thereof) between them. The
text is engaging and readable , feeling as though
Ramachandran had sat down for an afternoon to explain
his research over tea (no surprise, as the book grew
out of the author's 2003 BBC Reith lectures). Though
the topic of neuroscience might initially seem
daunting, readers who enjoy science popularization in
the vein of Oliver Sacks, Richard Dawkins (both of
whom enthusiastically blurb this book) and Stephen Jay
Gould will find much to appreciate here.
Poodles to Purple Numbers
by V. S. Ramachandran
Editorial Review From Publishers Weekly
What does an amputee who still feels a phantom limb
have in common with an avant-garde artist, or a
schizophrenic who claims to be controlled by alien
implants, or an autistic child who can draw a
hyper-realistic horse? According to neuroscientist
Ramachandran (coauthor, Phantoms in the Brain), named
by Newsweek one of the 100 people to watch in the 21st
century, the answer lies deep in the physical
structures of the brain, and his new book offers a
thought-provoking survey of his area of research.
Through examples, anecdotes and conjecture,
Ramachandran aims "to make neuroscience... more
accessible to a broad audience." In this he succeeds
admirably, explaining how the roots of both
psychological disorders and aesthetic accomplishment
can be located in the various regions of the brain and
the connections (or lack thereof) between them. The
text is engaging and readable , feeling as though
Ramachandran had sat down for an afternoon to explain
his research over tea (no surprise, as the book grew
out of the author's 2003 BBC Reith lectures). Though
the topic of neuroscience might initially seem
daunting, readers who enjoy science popularization in
the vein of Oliver Sacks, Richard Dawkins (both of
whom enthusiastically blurb this book) and Stephen Jay
Gould will find much to appreciate here.
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