The Secret World of the Brain

Secret World of the Brain
The brain is the most important part of our anatomy - the master controller that tells the other parts of the body what to do and when to do it. This engaging new book delves into how we use our brains in everyday life and uncovers the crucial workings of this vital organ. How does our brain store memories? How does the brain process emotion? How do we recognise faces? What is dreaming? What does it mean to be conscious? How do injuries and diseases disrupt brain function? Are male and female brains any different? What is really happening in the teenage brain? From revealing how the brain controls our basic functions such as speech, vision and movement to how it determines our perceptions, contributes to our personalities and affects our emotions, this beautifully illustrated book unlocks the key questions about the brain.

Dr Catherine Loveday is a principal lecturer on the BSc Cognitive Neuroscience and MSc Cognitive Rehabilitation programmes at the University of Westminster. She has published papers on topics including the relationship between stress hormones and attachment in adolescence, and has a long-term fascination with music in the brain, having carried out a number of studies looking at the cognitive and neuronal aspects of music processing. Much of her research is focussed on the neuropsychology of autobiographical memory and she has worked for many years with people who have amnesia and dementia. Catherine is an active member of the British Psychological Society, as a member of the editorial committee of The Psychologist and a member of the Research Board. She has a passion for public engagement with science, is regularly invited to give public lectures and has appeared as an expert psychologist on a number of television and radio shows.