Available in: NOOK Book (eBook), Paperback, Hardcover. If the conscious mind--the part you consider to be you--is just the tip of the iceberg, what is the rest ..
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain is a New York Times bestselling non-fiction book by American neuroscientist David Eagleman, who directs the ..
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An example: "Your consciousness is like a tiny stowaway on a transatlantic steamship, taking credit for the journey without acknowledging the massive engineering underfoot" (pg 4). To anyone interested in the mind, it will be an illuminating read, because even if you have heard of some of the individual experiments mentioned in this book, this book pulls them all together into a revealing exploration of what the non-conscious part of the brain does, and how this all relates to aware consciousness. As I read it, I feel like I am watching an excellent science documentary series. It is the best non-fiction book I have read in a long time. However, a caveat: cognitive science and artificial intelligence are some of my areas, so I do not know how interesting the book will be as a popular science book for the general audience. The book contains some proposals, predictions, and speculations that are not yet borne out. It makes some strong claims about what consciousness is not, and how it emerges from the activities of the non-aware parts of brain activity. I find this interesting, but to some, this may detract. It certainly sets the stage for future work. The one chapter that did not work so well was where he speculated on the legal system and how our notions of punishment should be altered as a consequence of things learned about neurology. It was less grounded and just contained a lot of hand waving. There was an interesting profile of the author recently published in New Yorker magazine (April 25, 2011, p. 54-65). For me it made the book even richer by having first read the profile, to understand the interests, motivations, and background of the author. If you are interested in reading this book, you may enjoy reading the New Yorker profile first. Format: Hardcover Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this? ) I thought I already knew quite a bit about neuroscience and human behavior, but I learned so much from this book that my mind is still reeling. While reading Incognito, I actually experienced the kind of spiraling mind-expansion that I haven't felt since...well...never mind.... The book, which is grounded in a massive amount of neuroscience research, is written in a conversational manner with lots of analogies and metaphors that make the information both accessible and retrievable. For example, consciousness is described as being like the CEO of a very large company, having little awareness of the details of day-to-day operation, responsible only for setting major goals and for adapting to major changes. While his metaphors become redundant at times (especially "team of rivals," a phrase repeated so often as to become irritating), the author is generally skilled at finding ways to explain complicated processes in a straightforward manner. He also creates opportunities for active engagement by providing optical illusions and mental exercises that help the reader actually experience some of the idiosyncrasies of the brain. Since I had read some of the Amazon reviews before finishing the book, I was apprehensive about the penultimate chapter on the justice system and the concept of culpability. I thought the main point would be that nobody should be held culpable for misdeeds because so many of our actions are not under our control. But the author clearly states that "explanation does not equal exculpation." He does, however, suggest that although we don't currently have the scientific sophistication to find the biological underpinnings of all deviant behavior, we have learned enough to suggest that we will keep finding more explanations.Read more ›
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain. Most of what you do, think and believe is generated by parts of your brain to which you have no access. Here's the ..
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain is a New York Times bestselling non-fiction book by American neuroscientist David Eagleman, who directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action at Baylor College of Medicine. "If the conscious mind-the part you consider to be you-is just the tip of the iceberg, what is the rest doing?" This is the main question throughout the entirety of the book. In Incognito, Eagleman contends that most of the operations of the brain are inaccessible to awareness, such that the conscious mind "is like a stowaway on a transatlantic steam ship, taking credit for the journey without acknowledging the massive engineering underfoot." Incognito remained on the New York Times bestsellers list from 2011 through 2012. It was named a Best Book of 2011 by Amazon, the Boston Globe, and the Houston Chronicle. The book was reviewed as "appealing and persuasive" by the Wall Street Journal and "a shining example of lucid and easy-to-grasp science writing" by The Independent. A starred review from Kirkus described it as "a book that will leave you looking at yourself--and the world--differently." In July 2011, Eagleman discussed Incognito with Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Report. Incognito website (includes excerpts) David Eagleman's laboratory website 'Incognito': What's Hiding In The Unconscious Mind, NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Interview with David Eagleman, May 31, 2011.
May 31, 2011.. In Incognito, he explains what scientists are learning about this hidden world of cognition. Excerpt: 'Incognito: The Secret Lives Of The Brain'.
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
