Tag Archives: brain
** The Better Angels of our Nature by Steven Pinker
In The Better Angels of our Nature, Pinker tries to do two things: convince the reader that society has gotten less and less violent over time, despite what the 11 o’clock news would like us to believe, and also explain … Continue reading
Filed under Non fiction
*** Incognito by David Eagleman
I very much enjoyed Incognito and its exploration of what our subconscious is doing while we pretend we are all about consciousness and reason. The author gives many enjoyable examples of how automatic processes constantly make our life easier without … Continue reading
Filed under Non fiction
** The Tell-Tale Brain by V.S. Ramachandran
I feel a bit sheepish admitting that I did not much like The Tell-Tale Brain, despite the subject matter(our brains) and the accolades from assorted luminaries on the book cover, so I feel I have to come up with specific … Continue reading
Filed under Non fiction
The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain by Barbara Strauch
It turns out that the “grown up” of the title in The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain is really the middle-aged, that is, us, and that our brains are working wonderfully well. What a feel-good book! It turns out … Continue reading
Filed under Non fiction
Musicophilia by Oliver Sachs
I picked up Musicophilia because I had heard several interviews of the author and had enjoyed his unusual anecdotes, the kind way he talks about his patients, and his careful responses to some pretty inane audience questions. The book disappointed … Continue reading
Filed under Non fiction
Kludge by Gary Marcus
Kludge is a funny and occasionally practical description of how the vagaries of evolution gave us brains with interesting quirks that can trip us up and mislead us. Definitely not a defender of intelligent design, Gary Marcus explains clearly why our … Continue reading
Filed under Non fiction
