Scientific American Book of the Brain

by The Editors of Scientific American

• ISBN13: 9781558219656
• ISBN10: 155821965X
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 1999-11-01
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

Arguably one of the most compelling and elusive territories of scientific research is the landscape of the human brain. The reach of neuroscience is vast, extending to nearly every other scientific and philosophical discipline. From research on the neurobiology of depression to recent breakthroughs in humancomputer communication, the implications of neuroscience are immense. Now, "The Scientific American Book of the Brain" presents the most fascinating and often most controversial contributions of world-renowned scientists to our understanding of the brain. Over thirty articles reveal the diverse research currently being conducted by Walter J. Freeman, Kay Redfield Jamison, Joseph E. LeDoux, Dennis J. Selkoe, and many more. Read about how scientists are honing in on the biological "risk factors" some believe may predispose certain minds to criminal behavior. Learn about how new treatments for Alzheimer's disease may be used to boost memory in healthy individuals. Understand the meaning of dreams and eavesdrop on a debate among psychiatrists, philosophers, and s

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
Antonio R. Damasio
Mapping the Brain	1	(54)
The Developing Brain	3	(14)
Carla J. Shatz
The Visual Image in Mind and Brain	17	(12)
Semir Zeki
Brain and Language	29	(14)
Antonio R. Damasio
Hanna Damasio
Visualizing the Mind	43	(12)
Marcus E. Raichle
Reasoning and Intelligence	55	(34)
The General Intelligence Factor	57	(12)
Linda S. Gottfredson
The Genetics of Cognitive Abilities and Disabilities	69	(12)
Robert Plomin
John C. DeFries
Uncommon Talents: Gifted Children, Prodigies, and Savants	81	(8)
Ellen Winner
Memory and Learning	89	(66)
Working Memory and the Mind	91	(14)
Patricia S. Goldman-Rakic
Emotion, Memory, and the Brain	105	(14)
Joseph E. LeDoux
Creating False Memories	119	(10)
Elizabeth F. Loftus
The Split Brain Revisited	129	(10)
Michael S. Gazzaniga
The Biological Basis of Learning and Individuality	139	(16)
Eric R. Kandel
Robert D. Hawkins
Behavior	155	(62)
Sex Differences in the Brain	157	(14)
Doreen Kimura
Evidence for a Biological Influence in Male Homosexuality	171	(12)
Simon LeVay
Dean H. Hamer
The Biological Evidence Challenged	183	(12)
William Byne
The Neurobiology of Fear	195	(12)
Ned H. Kalin
Seeking the Criminal Element	207	(10)
W. Wayt Gibbs
Disease of the Brain and Disorder of the Mind	217	(68)
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder	219	(10)
Russell A. Barkley
Autism	229	(10)
Uta Frith
Understanding Parkinson's Disease	239	(12)
Moussa B. H. Youdim
Peter Riederer
Amyloid Protein and Alzheimer's Disease	251	(12)
Dennis J. Selkoe
The Neurobiology of Depression	263	(14)
Charles B. Nemeroff
Manic-Depressive Illness and Creativity	277	(8)
Kay Redfield Jamison
Consciousness	285	(40)
The Puzzle of Conscious Experience	287	(10)
David J. Chalmers
Can Science Explain Consciousness?	297	(14)
John Horgan
The Problem of Consciousness	311	(14)
Francis Crick
Christof Koch
About the Authors	325	(6)
Index	331