Bizarre: The Most Peculiar Cases of Human Behavior and What They Tell Us about How the Brain Works

Dingman PhD, Marc

ISBN 10: 1399801201 / ISBN 13: 9781399801201

Published by Nicholas Brealey, 2023

About this Item

, . Author: Marc DingmanFormat: Paperback Number of Pages: 288The human brain is an impossibly complex and delicate instrument - capable of extraordinary calculations, abundant creativity and linguistic dexterity. But the brain is not just the most brilliant of evolutionary wonders. It's also one of the most bizarre. This book shows a whole other side of how brains work - from the patient who is afraid to take a shower because she fears her body will slip down the drain to a man who is convinced, against all evidence, that he is a cat, and a woman who compulsively snacks on cigarette ashes. Entertaining though they are, these cases are more than just oddities. In attempting to understand them, neuroscientists have uncovered important details about how the brain works. BIZARRE will examine these details while explaining what neuroscience's most unusual patients have taught us about normal brain function -ideal both for readers seeking a better appreciation of the inner workings of the brain and those who simply want some extraordinary topics for dinner-party conversation.

Seller Inventory # 9781399801201-RETAIL

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Bizarre: The Most Peculiar Cases of Human Behavior and What They Tell Us about How the Brain Works
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1399801201
• ISBN 13: 9781399801201
• Binding: Paperback
• Book Type: Paperback

About this title

Synopsis

The brain: brilliant, powerful... and utterly bizarre.

Why would someone be terrified they might slip down a shower drain? Or insist they've turned into a cat? What can rare brain disorders—and surprisingly common mental quirks—teach us about how we think, feel, and behave?

In Bizarre, neuroscientist Dr. Marc Dingman explores the strangest corners of the mind, from delusions and phobias to everyday oddities that defy logic. These phenomena aren't just curiosities—they offer surprising insights into memory, emotion, decision-making, and the very nature of consciousness.

With clarity, empathy, and a touch of humor, Bizarre invites readers to see the brain not just as our most powerful tool, but as a machine that is endlessly weird—and endlessly revealing.

About the Author

Marc Dingman received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2013 from The Pennsylvania State University. Since then, he has been a faculty member in the Biobehavioral Health Department at Penn State, where teaches courses in neuroscience and the health sciences. He also spends much of his free time teaching people about neuroscience through his website (neurochallenged.com) and his popular YouTube series, 2-Minute Neuroscience.