Full name: The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World

Author: Iain McGilchrist Year: 2009 Rank: Rating: Original Rating: Pop Rating: Genres/categories: Psychology, Science, Non Fiction, History, Philosophy Purchase/reserch links: Amazon Goodreads Barns&Noble LibraryThing ISBNs: 9780300188370 9780300148787 0300188374 030014878X

Why is the brain divided? The difference between right & left hemispheres has been puzzled over for centuries. In a book of unprecedented scope, McGilchrist draws on a vast body of recent brain research, illustrated with case histories, to reveal that the difference is profound - not just this or that function, but two whole, coherent, but incompatible ways of experiencing the world. The left hemisphere is detail oriented, prefers mechanisms to living things & is inclined to self-interest. The right hemisphere has greater breadth, flexibility & generosity. This division helps explain the origins of music & language, & casts new light on the history of philosophy, as well as on some mental illnesses. The 2nd part of the book takes a journey thru the history of Western culture, illustrating the tension between these two worlds as revealed in the thought & belief of thinkers & artists, from Aeschylus to Magritte. He argues that, despite its inferior grasp of reality, the left hemisphere is increasingly taking precedence in the modern world, with potentially disastrous consequences. List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Asymmetry and the brain -- What do the two hemispheres 'do'? -- Language, truth and music -- The nature of the two worlds -- The primacy of the right hemisphere -- The triumph of the left hemisphere -- Imitation and the evolution of culture -- The ancient world -- The Renaissance and the Reformation -- The Enlightenment -- Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution -- The modern and post-modern worlds Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index Similar books: Introducing Mind & Brain by Angus Gellatly An Alchemy of Mind by Diane Ackerman Mapping the Mind by Rita Carter Descartes' Error by Antonio Damasio The Mind and the Brain by Jeffrey M. Schwartz The Owner's Manual for the Brain by Pierce J. Howard Making up the Mind by Chris Frith Incognito by David Eagleman Phantoms in the Brain by V. S. Ramachandran Mind Hacks by Tom Stafford Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett The Feeling of What Happens by Antonio Damasio The Ravenous Brain by Daniel Bor Kluge by Gary Marcus Self Comes to Mind by Antonio Damasio The Origins and History of Consciousness by Erich Neumann Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science by Martin Gardner A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilber The Ghost in the Machine by Arthur Koestler Blueprint by Nicholas A. Christakis