The Winner's Brain was a good starter. Dr. V S Ramachandran (VSR) also talks about the developments in the last 15-20 years in 'Neuro---' departments. He engages readers with lucid style, though the concepts he is unveiling are complex. Just finished the preface, can't wait to finish the book!
20th May 2011
Finished the first chapter. VSR takes the reader through the exciting world of phantom limbs, mirror neurons, mirror boxes, ... He concludes that human beings are endowed with special capabilities in their brains to leverage plasticity & neoteny to their advantage.
22nd May 2011
VSR has employed a conversational style, not undermining the intellect of the reader. He brings the reader to his own intellectual level by self deprecating now and then.
He, not only quotes the experts in respective fields, to bring tongue-cheek-humor, he gets the quotes from others too. Sample this: Woody Allen said that the brain is 'the second most favorite organ!'
While talking about the mechanism of seeing and knowing; he explains a commonly held fallacy even amongst the learned, 'Homunculus Fallacy'. In the same chapter, explains about 'Capgras Syndrome' with illustrative case studies. And, ends the chapter with the implications of Capgras Syndrome, with respect to wife, may lead to 'Coolidge effect'. The explanation about how, medical students memorize about Amygdala's role is quite illuminating;) 'Amygdala plays role in feeding, fighting, fleeing & wooing' situations. The medical students remember it as 4Fs!
Amidst these pieces the author succeeds illuminating the reader. Probably, while writing, VSR might be imagining the different specific areas of the reader's brain getting illuminated specifically!
25th May 2011
VSR offers elegance in prose and brilliance in content, in the book.
He introduces the readers to 'Synesthesia' through exciting case studies to establish link between our different senses and shows the anatomical links/proximity (which might have led to overlap) in the brain. The case studies include 'Synesthates' who can see martian colors in numbers, some can see colors in the musical notes they hear! He wonders whether the mystery behind creativity & metaphors can be solved through this knowledge. But, this is just the beginning!
Then, he takes us on the journey through 'mirror Neurons' and how their advancement within human brains might have distinguished human beings from the other animals.
He takes us to the autists and wonders whether the solution lies in mirror neurons. He makes the readers, co-researchers in the journey through the 'Brain Atlas'! and tries to solve the riddle of 'autism'.
In the next chapter, he leverages the knowledge of synesthesis and mirror neurons to propose language evolution linkage with our brain's evolution. He also coins 'synekinesis' (mimic of facial and hand gestures for forming a word) as the basis for proto-language formation.
Mr. Dawkins has rightly called VSR 'Marco Polo of the Brain'. VSR takes us through the exciting journey into the brain. In the process, he establishes that human brain's anatomical evolution set aside human beings from the other animals.
30th May 2011
Completed reading the book y'day. VSR explores universal laws of fine arts to explain how anatomy of human brain is uniquely endowed to create & enjoy (through 'hyper-excitation' of brain) fine arts.
In the last chapter, the author delineates the quest for understanding 'self' and 'qualia' by philosophers. The neuroscientists have started exploring the answers through the anatomy of brain. He explains this journey through exciting case studies of 'I'm with God', 'phantom twin', 'This-is not my arm', ... syndromes.
The book is highly enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. Looking forward to the next installment!
I will not be surprised if VSR gets a Nobel within a few years!
