A Portrait of the Brain - Softcover

Zeman, Adam

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300158319 ISBN 13: 9780300158311

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2009

Synopsis

Bizarre, perplexing, and moving cases of brain disorder, told by a neurologist with an extraordinary gift for storytelling

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 déjà 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.

About this title

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:

"Lucid, conversational. . . . Zeman steps us through the brain's inner workings, starting with the most fundamental element―the atom―and, by chapter, guiding us from there . . . to the psyche and then even to the anatomy of the soul."―Tina Hesman Saey, Science News (Tina Hesman Saey Science News 2008-05-10)

"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)

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0300158319
• ISBN 13: 9780300158311
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256