The Brain: The Story of You

My perspective of how I see myself was enhanced after reading this book. Recommend for anyone looking for a very scientific approach to life

This is a brilliant book. Not only does it lucidly explain a lot of complicated (but useful and relevant) aspects of the human brain, it enables the reader to co-analyse and co-imagine the future of humans, based on the kind of research that is taking place today. There is actually a plausible future reality where humans can either live forever because they have been able to fully digitise themselves, or at least where they are no longer constrained by the inevitable decay that all biological material necessarily goes through. Human biological cells cannot live beyond a few decades but artificial material can potentially be created to survive much longer. The key lies in being able replicate the trillions of neurons and their quadrillions of synaptic connections.

Intricately knitted book on the brain. worth reading and eye opening book I would say. Fine complementary book to books on meditation.

David Eagleman takes us on remarkable journey of our brain. The book is divided into 6 chapters and each chapter deals with an important question like Who am I ? What is Reality ? How do I decide ? Do I need You ? and most importantly Who will we be ? Each of these questions are directly related to functioning of our brain. This organ which still remains a mystery for neuroscience is capable of such miracles that we don't even realize it in our daily lives. Our perception of reality, ourselves and people around us are nothing but electrochemical cell signals getting generated in our brain. Neurons getting fired up whenever we feel or experience anything. The world that we perceive as reality is nothing but a picture getting created inside brain based on sensory inputs. The book has given me a new insight about how we look at the world around us and at ourselves. Perhaps one day we will unravel the mystery of brain completely and as author tells in the last chapter, would be able to transfer our consciousness on digital systems, just like copying data. It still sounds like science fiction but the more we understand this part of ours the quickly we can make such progress. I would suggest everyone to read this book. Just read and marvel how this amazing brain does these amazing things for us. The book is truly Mind Blowing

India is the land where practices like meditation were discovered and as Dalai lama once said 'the level of knowledge of human psychology in ancient India was much ahead of the current understanding in the west". This was based on experiments and observing the human body and human minds over hundreds and thousands of years In the 20th century, there is now beginning to be a lot of research on nuero science and some of the things that we thought of intuitively and read in ancient texts have theory and experimentation behind them. In that context, reading a book like the Brain that combines academic theory with experiments and stories about human beings in the 20th century makes for a fascinating reading. Some of the things that stood out for me were: 1. The human brain is highly plastic. This implies that things that we take for granted actually need to develop in earl childhood e.g., art of seeing. It also means that humans are flexible, they can live in a variety of environments and have the ability to adapt and grow. Downside is that proper growth requires a loving and a nurturing childhood. 2. The brain is designed to eventually tell a story. The reality can be interpreted differently based on the story. Different brains can have different interpretations of reality for the same incident. Other interesting thing to keep in view is that memory changes with time. So a trick to remembering things is to recall them periodically and often. 3. Senses help us understand our external environment. Interesting is the comment "Color is an interpretation of wavelengths that only exist internally". 4. Role of emotions in coming to decisions is very important. As the author says to land on a choice the brain and the body have to be in sync. 5. Body and brain are in constant communication. Ancient indian texts say that mind is the subtle part of the body and body is the gross part of the mind. 6. As the book points out, humans are designed to co-operate with each other socially to survivev and to thrive. Social ostracism is a way of inflicting great pain. So the author says that the way to avoid mental diseases is to be physically active to learn new things to do and to have a good social life. Author also goes onto say that we over estimate the role of free will and our lives are steered by forces much beyond our awareness and control. Yet as the author say, the human brain is very complex, difficult to simulate and still only partially understood. So artificial intelligence is till very far away from being able to replace humans. All in all, a fun book to read. I give it my highest recommendation.

Very good book for someone who is interested in learning basics of how brain works. The book is not technical and a common man is able to understand the concept well. The book gives you good idea about some of the research that is going on in the area of understanding brain

🌟🧠 "Eagleman's exploration of the brain's intricacies is both captivating and enlightening. From the depths of neuroscience to the implications for our daily lives, 'The Brain' offers a fascinating journey into the very essence of what makes us human. A must-read for anyone curious about the inner workings of the mind." 📖🔬

Excellent book

Wonderful book that talked about the Miracls of the brain in a very simple interesting way.

Excelente libro me encantó como el autor explica el desarrollo de nuestras neuronas, gracias a eso eh podido entender más nuestro proceso de aprendizaje.

The book is simply and elegantly written and eminently readable. But apart from the author's charisma in writing there is wisdom in the layout and structure of the book which results in such an unimpeded flow of the text; apart from several simple illustrations there is nothing in the text to distract your attention. But unbeknownst to the reader, at the end of the book there are End notes which provide additional information and references; also a glossary. In the body of the text there are boxes which elaborate on points raised in the text. Finally at the beginning of the six chapters comprising the book, each featuring a trait of the human brain, there is a text highlighting the essence of the ensuing chapter. Our brain weighing roughly 1400 g - apparently the most complex structure in the known universe - a dense tangle of billions of cells and trillions of connections is what makes us human. One of the remarkable traits of the human brain is its plasticity. Humans are born with their brains unfinished with the result that we are helpless and totally dependent on those around us for many years. By contrast baby animals develop quickly because their brains are wiring up according to a largely p reprogrammed routine. But that preparedness trades off with flexibility which enables humans to thrive in many different environments. Instead of arriving with everything wired up - hardwired - a human brain allows itself to be shaped by the details of life experience. All the experiences of our life shape the microscopic details of our brain. Our brain constantly re writes its own circuitry and since our experiences are unique, so are the vast, detailed patterns in our neural networks. Because they continue to change during our whole life, our identity is a moving target. I imagine that many of us have pondered as to whether we perceive physical reality or reality is something reconstructed in our brain. Well, it is very much the latter. Outside our brain is just energy and matter. Over millions of years of evolution the human brain has become adept at turning this energy and matter into a rich sensory experience of being in the world. Our brain has no access to the world outside. There is only one way that information from out there gets into the brain. Our sensory organs - eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin - act as interpreters. They detect a spectrum of information sources (photons, air compression waves, molecular concentrations, pressure, texture, temperature) and translate them into the common currency of the brain namely signals. I shall conclude this part with Synesthesia for which the author has written a whole book. Synesthesia is a condition in which senses are blended e.g they perceive sounds as colors. I imagine that most of us do not realize the enormous power of the unconscious brain. The universe inside our heads extends far beyond the reach of our conscious experience. At every moment in our life, networks in our brain are buzzing with activity. Our life is shaped and colored by what is happening in the subconscious part of our brain: how we act, what matters to us, what we believe is true and false. Our experience is the final output of these hidden processes. It is the power of the unconscious brain that flawlessly orchestrates our movements ( walking, riding, bicycling etc). Between sleep and being awake, the biological material in the brain is the same but the activity patterns slightly change. Being awake (and conscious) we are aware of an identity, a life, needs, desires, plans. Consciousness reacts to surprises but also plays a vital role in settling conflicts within the brain. Consciousness makes plans and sets goals for the system as a whole. Humans do not simply have social needs, they are hardwired to be social creatures. Normal brain function depends on the social web around us. Our neurons require other people's neurons to thrive and survive. From our families, co-workers, and business partners, our societies are built on layers of social interaction. The world around us is a large part of who we are, the self does not exist in a vacuum. Finally, we are at a moment in human history when the marriage of our biology and our technology will transcend the brain's limitations . This is poised to fundamentally change what it will mean to be human.

Ho comprato questo libro dopo aver visto il documentario composto da 6 episodi dello stesso autore del libro ovvero David Eagleman. Cosi come mi ha piacevolmente stupito il documentario cosi mi ha stupito anche il libro . Presenta in maniera molto chiara con esempi molto interessanti il funzionamento del nostro cervello e devo dire che le informazioni scritte in questo libro non sono assolutamente banali e già note a tutti . Il libro presenta in maniera sintetica i frutti degli ultimi 10-13 anni di ricerca di D. Eagleman. Nel libro vengono considerati argomenti come la plasticità del nostro cervello, come fa il cervello ad adattarsi all'ambiente circostante, come fa a percepire la realtà che ci circonda , cosa noi siamo in relazione al nostro modo di pensare e infine come la tecnologia cambierà in futuro noi stessi in relazione ai cambiamenti ai quali il cervello va incontro. Lo consiglio a tutte le persone affascinate del nostro cervello , del nostro modo di pensare.Inoltre a chi è interessato consiglio anche di comprare i cd del documentario collegato in quanto tale documentario permette di avere una visione migliore delle cose spiegate nel libro grazie alle animazioni molto belle e alla chiarezza espositiva.

This book doesn't just explain how the brain works—it challenges the way you think about who you are as an individual with conciousness and awareness. Each chapter dives into a core question that will make you keep reflecting the rest of your day. Great read!