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Disordered Mind: What Unusual Brains Tell Us about Ourselves
Disordered Mind: What Unusual Brains Tell Us about Ourselves | Eric R Kandel
1 post | 1 read | 7 to read
A Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist's probing investigation of what brain disorders can tell us about human natureEric R. Kandel, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his foundational research into memory storage in the brain, is one of the pioneers of modern brain science. His work continues to shape our understanding of how learning and memory work and to break down age-old barriers between the sciences and the arts.In his seminal new book, The Disordered Mind, Kandel draws on a lifetime of pathbreaking research and the work of many other leading neuroscientists to take us on an unusual tour of the brain. He confronts one of the most difficult questions we face: How does our mind, our individual sense of self, emerge from the physical matter of the brain? The brain's 86 billion neurons communicate with one another through very precise connections. But sometimes those connections are disrupted. The brain processes that give rise to our mind can become disordered, resulting in diseases such as autism, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While these disruptions bring great suffering, they can also reveal the mysteries of how the brain produces our most fundamental experiences and capabilities--the very nature of what it means to be human. Studies of autism illuminate the neurological foundations of our social instincts; research into depression offers important insights on emotions and the integrity of the self; and paradigm-shifting work on addiction has led to a new understanding of the relationship between pleasure and willpower.By studying disruptions to typical brain functioning and exploring their potential treatments, we will deepen our understanding of thought, feeling, behavior, memory, and creativity. Only then can we grapple with the big question of how billions of neurons generate consciousness itself.
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review
jillrhudy
Pickpick

Not quite a pick; not quite so-so. Rounding up. Quite textbooky (the Nobel-winning neuroscientist author writes textbooks) and the publisher plumped up the book with glossy paper, illustrations, and so on to make it look more substantive. I learned some interesting things about depression and anxiety (these states actually kill synapses, which sometimes heal) but felt that the book didn‘t live up to its cover billing. #science #neuroscience

Aimeesue Have you listened to this week‘s On Being yet? John Doty - The Magic Shop of the Brain. He talked a bit about neuroplasticity and studies where they found meditation and compassionate practices can shrink your amygdala. Interesting stuff! (edited) 6y
jillrhudy @Aimeesue OMG no!!!! I can‘t wait! 6y
jillrhudy My amygdala needs to go on a massive diet. 6y
Aimeesue @jillrhudy We got a whole NATION that needs to go on an amygdale shrinking spree. Or start flight-ing instead of fighting. 6y
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