A brief tour of human consciousness: from impostor poodles to purple numbers Ramachandran, V. S.

Table of contents:

1. A Pain in the Brain
2. Believing Is Seeing
3. The Artful Brain
4. Purple Numbers and Sharp Cheese
5. Neuroscience - The New Philosophy

"What does an amputee who still feels a phantom limb have in common with an avant-garde artist, or a schizophrenic who claims to be controlled by alien implants, or an autistic child who can draw a hyper-realistic horse? According to neuroscientist Ramachandran, the answer lies deep in the physical structures of the brain, and his new book offers a thought- provoking survey of his area of research. Through examples, anecdotes and conjecture, Ramachandran aims to make neuroscience... more accessible to a broad audience. He succeeds admirably, explaining how the roots of both psychological disorders and aesthetic accomplishment can be located in the various regions of the brain and the connections (or lack thereof) between them. The text is engaging and readable. Though the topic of neuroscience might initially seem daunting, readers who enjoy science popularization in the vein of Oliver Sacks, Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould will find much to appreciate here." -- Quantumbooks.