A 3lb mass of moist biological matter, the brain is locked away in the dark and silent fortress of the skull, and yet somehow it produces the extraordinary multi-sensory experience that comprises us, every day of our lives. Just how it does this is revealed through six fascinating chapters, as Eagleman shows how the brain - a great storyteller - constructs reality and allows us to navigate a complex world of decision-making. Eagleman also takes the long view of the human brain's trajectory in the coming centuries and millennia, asking pertinent questions about our future. 

 

Along the way, Eagleman meets nuns, extreme sports athletes, convicted criminals, genocide survivors, autistic people, and multi-disciplinary experts from child psychologists to brain surgeons. He takes part in experiments that shine an important light on the brain's inner cosmos. He also explores the dark side of human behaviour, as he comes to the realisation that the best and worst of what humans do to each other can be understood through the prism of the brain. From empathy to genocide, neuroscience is vital to understanding human nature. Drawing on the latest discoveries, Eagleman shows that it also has the power to change our world for the better - it can enhance our wellbeing, boost our cognitive skills and even forge a more just society, and ultimately a better future for everyone.

 

Packed with photographs of specially commissioned computer-generated images, as well as accessible and glossy visualisations of scientific data, The Brain is a celebration of one of the most extraordinary stories on earth.

 

David Eagleman is an assistant professor of neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, where he directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action as well as the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. His scientific research is published in journals from Science to Nature, and his neuroscience books include Re-wire: The Shape-Shifting Brain and Wednesday is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia. He is also the author of the international fiction bestseller, Sum, and Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain.