Mysteries of the Social Brain: Understanding Human Behavior Through Science

Mysteries of the Social Brain describes the scientific underpinnings of human behavior and values. Through the retelling of fascinating clinical stories of people with neurological conditions, this book explores the parts of the brain that allow humans to thrive as social and creative beings. The authors reveal the relevance of our brain circuits to our well‑being―and the well‑being of our societies―and show what happens when changes in our brain circuitry drive changes in empathy, altruism, moral beliefs, and creativity.

By integrating perspectives from neurology, psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience, the stories in this book offer novel insights into the inner workings of the social brain and reveal groundbreaking findings from work in frontotemporal dementia, emotion, and the science of human values. This book showcases the novel discovery that creativity can emerge when there is decline in the brain’s language systems, a finding that highlights the robust, yet underappreciated connections between science and art. Readers will learn about the biological basis of social behavior as well as simple steps that they can take to improve the functioning of their own social brains.

Miller and Sturm take us on an engaging dive into the field of behavioral neurology and neuroscience, exploring what we can learn from people with neurological conditions, and revealing the ways that neuroscience can change societies for the better. It will captivate general readers as well as clinicians and scientists who are interested in human social behavior, cognition, and emotion.

Bruce L. Miller, MD, is the A.W. and Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he is the founding director of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and Global Brain Health Institute. Dr. Miller studies social behavior and creativity in neurodegenerative disorders.

Virginia Sturm, PhD is the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation Endowed Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Sturm, an affective neuroscientist and neuropsychologist at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, studies emotions, empathy, and social behavior in neurodegenerative disorders and neurodevelopmental conditions.