The Brain: The Story of You by David Eagleman (PDF)

Description

From the renowned neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author of Incognito comes the companion volume to the international PBS series about how your life shapes your brain, and how your brain shapes your life. “An ideal introduction to how biology generates the mind…. Clear, engaging and thought-provoking.” —NatureLocked in the silence and darkness of your skull, your brain fashions the rich narratives of your reality and your identity. Join renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman for a journey into the questions at the mysterious heart of our existence. What is reality? Who are “you”? How do you make decisions? Why does your brain need other people? How is technology poised to change what it means to be human? In the course of his investigations, Eagleman guides us through the world of extreme sports, criminal justice, facial expressions, genocide, brain surgery, gut feelings, robotics, and the search for immortality. Strap in for a whistle-stop tour into the inner cosmos. In the infinitely dense tangle of billions of brain cells and their trillions of connections, something emerges that you might not have expected to see in there: you. Color illustrations throughout.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐David Eagleman is a celebrated TV presenter and neuroscience professor at Baylor University in Texas who has conducted ground-breaking research, especially in aiding chronic drug-users combat addiction by providing them with real time imaging of their craving and suppression networks, and also in the field of so-called ‘sensory substitution’ by enabling the deaf to hear through development of the ‘Variable Extra Sensory Transducer’ (VEST), a clothing-like device worn around the torso and equipped with tiny detectors to convert sounds into dynamic patterns of vibratory signals. This book is a close, at times almost word for word, transcription of his recent televised series with the same title, i.e. The Brain, and, like the TV version, is a lively, invigorating and highly informative introduction to the subject. Given his hands-on expertise, Eagleman is unsurprisingly at his most eloquent and authoritative when discussing various parts of the brain and their respective functions. Here we learn about vitally important constituents like the parietal cortex (a wide range of functions including reasoning and processing sensory data), the prefrontal cortices (handle learning, abstract thinking, planning and self-control – especially the medial, dorsolateral and ventrolateral areas which regulate self-consciousness, willpower and emotional impulses, take longest to mature and therefore hugely influence the behaviour of young people), the orbitofrontal cortex (recognizes bodily states like hunger, thirst and anxiety), anterior cingulated cortex (monitors performance), hippocampus (enables memorization, especially spatial), cerebellum (responsible for alertness, balance and motor skills), thalamus (refashions sensory processing and regulates consciousness and sleep), hypothalamus (controls energy use and the metabolism), amygdale (reacts to danger, processes pain, fear and aggression), the motor cortex (controls muscles), visual cortex (enables sight), the dopamine-loaded nucleus accumbens (arouses expectations, encourages self-gratification and addiction), the corpus callosum (links the two brain hemispheres) and last but not least, the glial cells (do regular house-keeping operations like brain waste disposal). The reader is introduced to terms like ‘plasticity’ (the brain’s ability to rewire and physically reorganize itself, especially after injury),‘procedural memories’ (repeatedly absorbed information which has become hard-wired into our cerebral circuitry), ‘neural correlation’ (the mapping of firing neurons to our outward behaviour),‘neural reusability’ (requisitioning neurons to help out in multiple brain scenarios), ‘proprioception’ (sensory awareness of our own bodily motion), the ‘binding problem’(how our various sensory inputs – visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile and gustatory – get combined into a unified, meaningful impression of external reality), and how ‘sensory transduction’ helps with the binding problem by converting photons (for color recognition), air compression waves (for hearing), scent molecules (for smell) etc. into formats accessible to sensory interpretation. Finally, there are fascinating references to major recent progress in neurological research, in particular techniques like electrode implantation (to transmit mental instructions via computer implants to robotic limbs), sensory substitution (e.g. the VEST already mentioned) to enhance non-existent or defective faculties, TMS (i.e. transcranial magnetic stimulation – which uses magnetic pulses to induce activity in particular places and/or reboot the brain), advanced EEG (i.e. electrocephalography – which measures neural activity using electrodes attached to the scalp to record brain wave frequencies, e.g. alpha (when the brain is at rest), beta (during problem solving), delta (when asleep) and theta (during deep relaxation)), fMRI (i.e. functional magnetic resonance imaging – which creates ultra high-resolution images of cerebral processing from observations of blood flow in the brain), and finally something called ‘serial block-face scanning electron microscopy’ – which assembles scanned images of micro thin slices of the brain (currently only of rats) into a ‘connectome’, i.e. a three-dimensional model of all constituent neuronal connections.Despite all this very impressive progress which Eagleman dutifully records, it has to be pointed out that neuroscience has so far achieved only a very limited understanding of how the brain actually works. Neural correlation especially has enabled a very thorough identification of areas responsible for a wide range of human behaviour, psychological as well as bodily. But whereas we now know much of what the brain does and where within itself it does what it does, neuroscience has yet to account for how it does what it does, an explanation for consciousness, the ‘hard problem’ par excellence, remaining particularly elusive. Why? Because the holy grail of neurological research – getting to grips with the brain’s internal software, no less – has yet to be realized. In these circumstances, it’s perhaps little exaggeration to say that its practitioners can be likened in some ways to a band of stone age people who, suddenly finding an abandoned car in the desert with the key still in the ignition, start playing with the dashboard controls, pressing switches, turning knobs and pulling levers, carefully noting as they do so that various lights come on and certain engine noises can be heard, some of which dim or stop when, after popping the hood, they yank out the odd cable, unscrew a few caps or drain a fluid reservoir. Do they have a clue about internal combustion, let alone electricity? No way.Eagleman’s infectious optimism and enthusiasm do much to make up for the reservations I’ve just expressed. They also let him get away with a certain amount of bold exaggeration. Early on in the book for instance, he tells us that instead of experiencing the outside world directly ourselves, we only experience a fabricated model of reality, one seamlessly and instantly assembled by the brain for our sensory benefit. The real world, he says, is ‘colorless, odorless, tasteless and silent’ and the brain must work overtime to compensate for this barren environment by interpreting the various photons, air compression waves, molecular concentrations, pressure, texture and temperature signals it receives into a meaningful representation of external reality. So far, so good, but Eagleman gives insufficient credit to the brain for the superb job it does. All the incoming signals just mentioned are also an integral part of reality and, far from being somewhat of an illusion or a mere ‘show’, the impression of reality the brain puts together is a remarkably, accurate, dependable and consistent one – indeed, it cannot be otherwise because were this the case we would have utterly failed to successfully manage our environment and evolve as a species. It’s certainly no accident that six expert water colorists, for instance, painting exactly the same scene simultaneously from the same position, will record almost exactly the same visual impression – so much for the notion they individually make much of it up in their heads!Eagleman does make a valiant attempt to tackle the problem of consciousness, but has to fall back ultimately on the old philosophy of mind concept that it’s a mental process which automatically emerges (‘emergentism’) once a sufficient threshold of cerebral complexity is attained. In support of this view, he cites the analogy of a) an engine’s mechanical parts which individually achieve nothing but collectively enable the motor to function and b) that of ants programmed to work seamlessly together for a common purpose, but (a) fails because the mechanical example is non-biological, and b) too because each ant has its own nervous system conferring a limited capability for independent activity. He also cannot seem to make up his mind where consciousness fits within the overall functional hierarchy of the brain, calling it sometimes a ‘passenger’ or ‘stowaway’ and at other times the ‘CEO’ or the ‘driver’. Perhaps it’s best to ask ourselves what the lowest manifestation of consciousness in the natural world actually is. Does an earthworm, for instance, exhibit ‘consciousness’ when it reacts instantly to human touch? Or is such instinctive behaviour to be dismissed merely as that of a primitive nervous system? If so, what is the dividing line between a nervous system and consciousness? Could consciousness be viewed as just a super-highly developed and sophisticated type of nervous system? Eagleman also seems to posit a rigid separation between consciousness and unconsciousness. But is this reasonable? Many of us are sometimes vaguely aware – even when technically asleep – that we are unconscious; we may even remind ourselves during a dream (especially an hour or two before waking up) that it simply is nothing but a dream, enjoy the show and go willingly along for the ride. Maybe consciousness and unconsciousness should be viewed therefore as denoting not two separate but one single process, e.g. like a ‘fade to black’ dimmer light which can go from brightness (full consciousness) to pitch darkness (near total unconsciousness) and vice-versa. In this connection, it should be recognized that one can when fully awake be simultaneously conscious and unconscious – as when one is conscious of talking to someone but unconscious at the same time of another individual, activity or thing close nearby. The verbal ambiguity attaching to the word ‘unconscious’ which this example demonstrates is why the reluctance of contemporary philosophers and neurologists (including Eagleman) to employ the unequivocal Freudian term ‘subconscious’- to denote purely our mental activity which takes place either when one is asleep or which one is not consciously aware of when awake – is to be deeply regretted.A most interesting point in the book is that whereas newly born animals come invariably hard-wired with an extensive range of survival skills to cope with their new environment, the human baby is virtually unequipped at birth to do so. Instead, it must learn these skills as quickly as possible through trial and error. Two million new synapses, i.e. neuronal connections, are therefore formed every second in the infant brain, resulting in a hundred trillion by age 2 – twice that of an adult; hence parental nurturing and interaction with the outside world are vitally important for its early development. Neural pathways consisting of countless new strings of neurons are constantly built to reference and represent this newly acquired knowledge as we develop, a process which slows down dramatically after we reach maturity and which is accompanied by a progressive withering away and discarding of pathways which have lapsed into disuse. This is all great stuff, but once again Eagleman goes overboard by inferring that just because young people necessarily undergo a deep and sustained process of social interaction to learn about the world and grow up, all the rest of us should do the same in order to maintain our mental fitness and lead fulfilling lives – ‘who you are is where you’ve been’ is how he sums it up. Yes, it’s obviously important to exercise our minds and bodies as much as possible and not to switch off and shut down as we age, but do we need the constant interactive proximity of others to succeed in doing so? Possibly he is unaware of the long and noble tradition of asceticism in both western and eastern culture, especially as practised by the Cynic philosophers of ancient Greece, by members of isolated, desert-based communities like the Essenes in Palestine, and by hermetic early Christian (especially Irish) and Tibetan Buddhist monks. All these adherents believed extreme self-denial and physical isolation from others to be the best route to heightened consciousness, inner peace, emotional satisfaction and contentment.Eagleman concludes his account with a brief survey of how neuroscience might benefit from anticipated progress in artificial intelligence and automation. Here, he cannot be blamed for an over-optimistic outlook (haven’t advances in these fields already done wonders for our understanding of how the brain works and enabled its capabilities to be enhanced and extended in hitherto undreamt of ways?). Yet a sober appreciation of the sinister downside of runaway AI and robotics would not have come amiss: as Asimov, Kurzweil, Hawking and others have repeatedly emphasized, therein lies the road to our future obsolescence and possible ultimate extinction as a species.

⭐The Brain: The Story of You by David Eagleman“The Brain” is an excellent companion piece to the six-part PBS series of the same title. Neuroscientist and best-selling author David Eagleman, educates and fascinates the general public with a wonderful popular-science examination of our brains. This captivating 224-page book includes the following six chapters: 1. Who am I?, 2. What is reality?, 3. Who’s in control?,4. How do I decide?, 5. Do I need you?, and 6. Who will we be?.Positives:1. Popular science at its best. Accessible, enlightening and fun to read.2. The fascinating topic of neuroscience in the masterful hands of David Eagleman.3. Full of colorful illustrations that complement the excellent narrative.4. Eagleman’s writing style is easy on the “brain”. His goal is to educate the general public and he succeeds.5. Full of interesting facts spruced throughout the book. “As many as two million new connections, or synapses, are formed every second in an infant’s brain. By age two, a child has over one hundred trillion synapses, double the number an adult has.”6. A good description of the teen’s brain. “Beyond social awkwardness and emotional hypersensitivity, the teen brain is set up to take risks.”7. Goes over some of the keys components of the brain. “The scientists were particularly interested in a small area of the brain called the hippocampus – vital for memory, and, in particular, spatial memory.”8. Includes interesting stories. The story of Charles Whitman is quite enlightening with major repercussions on a society that values evidence.9. Describes how memories are formed. “Our past is not a faithful record. Instead it’s a reconstruction, and sometimes it can border on mythology. When we review our life memories, we should do so with the awareness that not all the details are accurate.”10. Describes some of the tools of a neuroscientist. “One way to measure that is with electroencephalography (EEG), which captures a summary of billions of neurons firing by picking up weak electrical signals on the outside of the skull.”11. Considers important philosophical questions. Does the idea of an immaterial soul reconcile with neuroscientific evidence? Find out.12. Describes reality. “One way to measure that is with electroencephalography (EEG), which captures a summary of billions of neurons firing by picking up weak electrical signals on the outside of the skull.” “Everything you experience – every sight, sound, smell – rather than being a direct experience, is an electrochemical rendition in a dark theater.” “The slice of reality that we can see is limited by our biology.”13. Describes consciousness. “…the conscious you is only the smallest part of the activity of your brain. Your actions, your beliefs and your biases are all driven by networks in your brain to which you have no conscious access.” “I think of consciousness as the CEO of a large sprawling corporation, with many thousands of subdivisions and departments all collaborating and interacting and competing in different ways.”14. Describes how the brain decides. “It’s easy to think about the brain commanding the body from on high – but in fact the brain is in constant feedback with the body.”15. An interesting look at willpower. “…willpower isn’t something that we just exercise – it’s something we deplete.”16. A look at social neuroscience. “Our social skills are deeply rooted in our neural circuitry – and understanding this circuitry is the basis of a young field of study called social neuroscience.”17. A fascinating look at Syndrome E and its repercussions. “Syndrome E is characterized by a diminished emotional reactivity, which allows repetitive acts of violence.” “Genocide is only possible when dehumanization happens on a massive scale, and the perfect tool for this job is propaganda.”18. A look at the future of neuroscience. “The secret to understanding our success – and our future opportunity – is the brain’s tremendous ability to adjust, known as brain plasticity.”19. Can consciousness be uploaded? Find out.20. A helpful glossary of terms.Negatives:1. As expected, a book this succinct will leave some interesting neuroscientific topics on the table. The topic of free will gets shortchanged.2. A book intended for the general public and a companion piece no less, will lack depth.3. The eBook edition has some glitches, as an example, extra blank pages inserted.4. Endnotes included but no formal bibliography.In summary, this book exemplifies my love for science. Eagleman is a master of his craft and a skilled writer. He covers complex topics on the neuroscience with ease and provides the general public with an appetizer of knowledge. Neuroscience is a fascinating field in it is infancy and Eagleman successfully whets the public’s interest. I highly recommend it!Further recommendations: “Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain” by the same author, “How to Create a Mind” and “The Singularity is Near” by Ray Kurzwell, “Who’s in Charge?” by Michael S. Gazzaniga, “The Human Brain Book” by Rita Carter, “The Tell-Tale Brain” by V.S. Ramachandran, “Hallucinations” and “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat” by Oliver Sacks, “A Whole New Mind” by Daniel H. Pink, “In Search of Memory” by Eric R. Kandel, “Self Comes to Mind” by Antonio Damasio, and “The Mind” edited by John Brockman.

⭐To find a book about the brain, set to my level of understanding, and yours is an incredible find. There is just the perfect mixture of complex thoughts with incredible examples of experiments as well as real-life stories. This book held my interest all to the very end.

⭐This is really a very good book. Clear and brimming with enthusiasm and genuine knowledge, for anyone who isn’t up to date with brain science this book will be a revelation. Modern brain scanning techniques provide evidence for where there was previously only speculation, and as is so often the case, the truth is stranger, more uplifting, more revealing and more amazing than fiction or guesswork. Eagleman tells it well.So 4/5 may seem a bit unfair but… It used to be that if you watched a fascinating TV series, the book of the series treated you to more detail that can be easily covered on-screen. This is no longer the case and ‘The Brain’ seems more a summary of than companion to the TV series. So if you’ve seen the series the book won’t tell you more – although it does revisit and re-enforce much that is good. Secondly, I’ve also read Incognito, which is a more immersive read, does contain more detail and pulls off that trick of making you feel that you (rather than the author) is the smart one.For all that, ‘The Brain’ will leave you desperate for more – a rare compliment for a modern book.

⭐This is an excellent book of interest to everyone who has a brain. It is the book of the TV series and follows it pretty closely although the TV series was also excellent. Of particular interest to everyone, especially now, is chapter 5 (Episode 5) where Eagleman reprises one of those seminal experiments which gives deep insight into our behaviour. In essence he exposes the core mechanism which leads to the collapse of empathy and the beginning of fascistic thinking. If the lessons of that chapter were widely understood our behaviour to each other would be moderated quite differently. Certainly compulsory reading for all politicians and would-be politicians for a start.The book (and series) also gives insights this reader was only generally aware of, and had never seen written down, about how fragile our perception of our surroundings actually is. We build models in our heads and only update it with the deltas our senses sense. But if we somehow interfere with the model in other ways then entirely hallucinatory effects can be produced. As Eagleman points out our perception of colour is quite arbitrary. Reality isn’t necessarily like that and its all a matter of how you interpret what your senses give you.We are ca walking mass of illusions about ourselves. What we sense and what we are, are two different things altogether. Likewise what we perceive and what is. A salutary lesson, in fact six or more salutary lessons, for all owners.

⭐This book is written in a fun and informative way about how the human brain works and why we do the things we do. It touches many aspects around the brain. Anyone with a slight interest in psychology or psychiatry might find this book highly interesting. It is not a textbook format. Easy to read book.

⭐I really enjoyed this booked. It was full of fascinating information about how our brain works and provides great insight for those interested in neuroscience. Well worth reading. Though I think my family got a bit sick of me reciting from it, and trying to strike up conversations about some of the research mentioned.

⭐I am very new to the brain but I’m exploring the concept of memory so this book was ideal to learn the basics in how the brain functions. It is an easy book to understand and holds your attention. If you are like me and find the use of academic text difficult to retain then this is the book for you.

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