Synopsis
What makes us human and unique among all creatures is our brain. Consciousness, perception, emotion, memory, learning, language, and intelligence all originate in and depend on the brain. Over the past century, our understanding of the brain has raced forward to reveal many of the mechanisms by which the brain creates mind and consciousness. In this brief introduction to the brain, neuroscientist John Dowling conveys to the general reader the essence and vitality of the field of neuroscience-the progress we are making in understanding how brains work and some of our strategies for studying brain function. Dowling often relates the exciting discoveries of neuroscience to specific examples of brain phenomena such as disease, mental illness, aging, or brain injury, demonstrating how these alterations in brain function cast light on normalcy and describing some of the therapies enabled by our understanding of the brain.
Reviews
As the teacher of a popular undergraduate course at Harvard, neuroscientist John E. Dowling has had lots of practice explaining the brain to people who know nothing about it--and it shows in this concise and lucid book.
In this compact volume, Dowling, a Harvard biologist specializing in vision, explains how the human brain is structured, how it processes and stores information and how it occasionally malfunctions, while discussing its evolutionary roots. Topics as diverse as developmental biology, mental illness, the aging process, the biochemical basis of emotions, spinal cord injuries and the nature of optical illusions are touched upon, as are a range of current and projected treatments for disorders of the nervous system. Although Dowling's didactic style of posing questions to be answered wears a bit thin, a good deal of information is presented in a form largely accessible to the lay reader. While perhaps not surprising given his specialty, Dowling spends a disproportionate amount of time on the intricacies of the visual system while largely ignoring the other senses. Also omitted is any discussion of recent work examining structural differences in the brain between the sexes as well as correlational research suggesting possible links between brain configuration and homosexuality. Nonetheless, Dowling provides a competent introduction to the quickly developing field of neuroscience. Photos and line drawings throughout.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
In this guide to the "nuts and bolts" of the human brain, neurobiologist Dowling explains how basic brain functions work and are interconnected. He then explores in clear, concise prose the brain's major functions: vision, language, memory, emotion, perception, and consciousness. A good jumping off point for learning about neuroscience and its fascinating discoveries.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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