A Portrait of the Brain - Hardcover

Zeman, Adam

3.57

93 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300114168 ISBN 13: 9780300114164

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2008

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In this compelling book, neurologist Adam Zeman tells the stories of patients with a variety of neurological disorders, some familiar (epilepsy, chronic fatigue, stroke, memory loss) and others relatively mysterious (narcolepsy, chronic d�j� vu, compulsive fidgeting, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). Chapter by chapter, the author reveals the various levels of the brain, from the atom to the mind, and explores what happens when workings at each level go awry. Zeman requires of his readers no special knowledge of medicine or science, yet he takes us to the very frontiers of current scientific knowledge and elucidates the workings of the brain in astonishing detail.

The book weaves together fascinating case histories, clear accounts of concepts and discoveries in neuroscience, and an intimate view of the suspense, excitement, fun, and angst that color a neurologist’s days. Zeman also considers what the brain’s behavior and misbehavior can tell us about the human self as physical system, living creature, and conscious mind. In a final chapter he reflects on the place of the mind in nature. On every page Zeman both entertains and informs, and readers will find themselves pondering the enigmas of brain and mind long after closing the covers of this thought-provoking volume.

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About the Author:

Adam Zeman is professor of cognitive and behavioral neurology, Peninsula Medical School, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. He is the author of Consciousness: A User’s Guide, published by Yale University Press. He lives in Exeter, UK.

Review:

"In this accessible, erudite and wise book Adam Zeman moves effortlessly from the narrative and personal to the scientific and empirical. He writes with passion of his fascination for the subject, together with the sheer excitement of making a diagnosis. This book is inspiring; give it to any student with an inclination towards neuroscience and they ought to be hooked." - Jonathan Cole, author of Still Lives: Narratives of Spinal Cord Injury

(Jonathan Cole)

"Adam Zeman's latest book on the brain is a masterpiece. He has taken a wonderfully original approach to this, the most extraordinary object in the Universe. The wit, wisdom and encyclopaedic knowledge of an exceptional neurologist and neuroscientist is combined with the erudition of a man steeped in a multitude of cultures... The human brain is very lucky to have such a human being as its spokesman." - Professor Raymond Tallis, author of Knowing the Animal: A Philosophical Inquiry into Knowledge and Truth (Raymond Tallis)

"In this book Adam Zeman has (re)placed the human brain in the person, and placed the person in the wider context of human society and culture. Drawing the case studies from his clinic, Zeman brings his own voice and experience to a subject made famous by Oliver Sacks, and makes it his own." - Rita Carter, author of Consciousness

(Rita Carter)

"Brilliantly conceived and masterfully executed, Zeman's Portrait of the Brain is a spellbinding read." - Dan Zahavi, author of Husserl's Phenomenology (Dan Zahavi)

"An elegant, step-by-step, state-of-the-art guide to the most important thing in the Universe" - Professor John Carey, emeritus Merton Professor of English Literature and author of What Good Are the Arts? (John Carey)

"This book is, in short, a remarkable achievement. . . . Neurology has found a fine advocate."—The Lancet
(The Lancet 2009-02-01)

"A fascinating tale about what we do know about the brain, and what happens when it goes wrong. . . . [Zeman] comes across as a lucid explainer of scientific complexity, but also as a humane medical practitioner."—Clive Cookson, Financial Times Magazine
(Clive Cookson Financial Times Magazine 2009-02-01)

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