The disordered mind : what unusual brains tell us about ourselves / Eric R. Kandel.

By:

Kandel, Eric R

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: New York : Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2018.Edition: First editionDescription: 285 pages : illustrations ; 24 cmISBN:

9780374287863 :
0374287864

Subject(s):

Mental illness

DDC classification:

616.89 23

Summary: Eric R. Kandel, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his foundational research into memory storage in the brain, is one of the pioneers of modern brain science. His work continues to shape our understanding of how learning and memory work and to break down age-old barriers between the sciences and the arts. In his seminal new book, The Disordered Mind, Kandel draws on a lifetime of pathbreaking research and the work of many other leading neuroscientists to take us on an unusual tour of the brain. He confronts one of the most difficult questions we face: How does our mind, our individual sense of self, emerge from the physical matter of the brain? The brains 86 billion neurons communicate with one another through very precise connections. But sometimes those connections are disrupted. The brain processes that give rise to our mind can become disordered, resulting in diseases such as autism, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinsons, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While these disruptions bring great suffering, they can also reveal the mysteries of how the brain produces our most fundamental experiences and capabilities--the very nature of what it means to be human. Studies of autism illuminate the neurological foundations of our social instincts; research into depression offers important insights on emotions and the integrity of the self; and paradigm-shifting work on addiction has led to a new understanding of the relationship between pleasure and willpower. By studying disruptions to typical brain functioning and exploring their potential treatments, we will deepen our understanding of thought, feeling, behavior, memory, and creativity. Only then can we grapple with the big question of how billions of neurons generate consciousness itself.

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Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Shelving location	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Adult Book	Phillipsburg Free Public Library	Adult Non-Fiction	Adult Non-Fiction	616.89 KAN	Available		36748002411926

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist's probing investigation of what brain disorders can tell us about human nature

Eric R. Kandel, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his foundational research into memory storage in the brain, is one of the pioneers of modern brain science. His work continues to shape our understanding of how learning and memory work and to break down age-old barriers between the sciences and the arts.

In his seminal new book, The Disordered Mind , Kandel draws on a lifetime of pathbreaking research and the work of many other leading neuroscientists to take us on an unusual tour of the brain. He confronts one of the most difficult questions we face: How does our mind, our individual sense of self, emerge from the physical matter of the brain? The brain's 86 billion neurons communicate with one another through very precise connections. But sometimes those connections are disrupted. The brain processes that give rise to our mind can become disordered, resulting in diseases such as autism, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While these disruptions bring great suffering, they can also reveal the mysteries of how the brain produces our most fundamental experiences and capabilities--the very nature of what it means to be human. Studies of autism illuminate the neurological foundations of our social instincts; research into depression offers important insights on emotions and the integrity of the self; and paradigm-shifting work on addiction has led to a new understanding of the relationship between pleasure and willpower.

By studying disruptions to typical brain functioning and exploring their potential treatments, we will deepen our understanding of thought, feeling, behavior, memory, and creativity. Only then can we grapple with the big question of how billions of neurons generate consciousness itself.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Eric R. Kandel, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his foundational research into memory storage in the brain, is one of the pioneers of modern brain science. His work continues to shape our understanding of how learning and memory work and to break down age-old barriers between the sciences and the arts. In his seminal new book, The Disordered Mind, Kandel draws on a lifetime of pathbreaking research and the work of many other leading neuroscientists to take us on an unusual tour of the brain. He confronts one of the most difficult questions we face: How does our mind, our individual sense of self, emerge from the physical matter of the brain? The brains 86 billion neurons communicate with one another through very precise connections. But sometimes those connections are disrupted. The brain processes that give rise to our mind can become disordered, resulting in diseases such as autism, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinsons, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While these disruptions bring great suffering, they can also reveal the mysteries of how the brain produces our most fundamental experiences and capabilities--the very nature of what it means to be human. Studies of autism illuminate the neurological foundations of our social instincts; research into depression offers important insights on emotions and the integrity of the self; and paradigm-shifting work on addiction has led to a new understanding of the relationship between pleasure and willpower. By studying disruptions to typical brain functioning and exploring their potential treatments, we will deepen our understanding of thought, feeling, behavior, memory, and creativity. Only then can we grapple with the big question of how billions of neurons generate consciousness itself.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Nobel Prize winner Kandel (biochemistry & biophysics, Columbia Univ.; The Age of Insight) explores topics such as autism, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction as they relate to brain function. Our understanding of how the brain works has advanced to such a degree that the divide between neurological and psychiatric diseases is narrowing and will in the future lead to better diagnosis, individualized treatment, and prevention. Particularly interesting is the chapter on addiction in which Kandel effectively argues that addiction is a brain disorder, not a moral failing, and should be treated as such. Having a firm grasp on the biology of the brain, especially as it relates to genes and the environment, improves our sense of both individuality and shared humanity. VERDICT Kandel's clear and straightforward writing makes this informative scientific exploration accessible and compelling to both medical practitioners, researchers, and general readers interested in how the mysteries of human nature arise from the physical matter of the brain.-Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's Sch., Brooklyn © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Nobel Prize-winning-neuroscientist Kandel (Reduction in Art and Brain Science) delves optimistically into the current state of the "new biology of mind," a sophisticated framework deriving from "the marriage of modern cognitive psychology and neuroscience." Kandel consolidates data and ideas from core advances, including genetic research that proves some biological basis for various psychiatric disorders, and imaging techniques that indicate the function of specific brain structures. Emphasizing that brain disorders can yield insights into normal cognitive functioning, he looks to autism for understanding the social brain, depression and bipolar disorders for understanding the emotional brain, schizophrenia for understanding decision making, dementia for understanding memory, and Parkinson's and Huntington's disease for understanding movement. His background as coauthor of the flagship textbook Principles of Neural Science is clear throughout, thanks to the highly accessible presentation, heavy on reader-friendly graphics and explanations of basics. Kandel's deep compassion for people is also evident, as when he discusses how understanding the biological basis for mental disorders might take them out of the realm of legal culpability. The result of his work is an easily comprehended, meticulous synthesis of current research into the biological grounding of the human mind. 77 color and b&w illus. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

The human brain is only about the size of two fists, weighs a meager three pounds, and accounts for just two percent of our body weight. But beyond the humdrum stats is an organ with complexity, power, and magnificence that is truly awe-inspiring. Kandel, a psychiatrist and co-recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, shares his fascination with the structure and workings of the brain, human behavior, and consciousness. He believes brain disorders Alzheimer's disease, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia in some ways offer windows onto a normal, healthy brain. Emphasizing advances in the fields of genetics, brain imaging, and animal research, Kandel writes about decision-making, sense of self, emotion, mood, addiction, and gender identity. The most important chapter focuses on the mystery of consciousness (How is it born from the biology and processes of the brain?). Another intriguing chapter looks at the connection between creativity and psychiatric disorders (illustrated with artwork by schizophrenic patients). No doubt neurons will be buzzing as readers contemplate Kandel's thought-provoking book.--Tony Miksanek Copyright 2018 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

The eminent neuroscientist examines what the injured or diseased brain can tell us about a healthy one."Today, as never before, the study of brain disorders is giving us new insight into how our mind normally functions," writes Nobel Prize winner Kandel (Neuroscience/Columbia Univ.; Reductionism in Art and Brain Science: Bridging the Two Cultures, 2016, etc.). That "normal function" is a complex process involving many parts of the brain, reflecting the emergent fact that consciousness is not a single function of the brain but instead a continuum of "different states of minds in different contexts." Complex cognitive skills such as understanding speech require input from several widely separated areas of the brain, including the arcuate fasciculus and Broca's area, while the generation and execution of emotion involve the hypothalamus, striatum, prefrontal cortex, and one tiny part of the brain whose functions are just being understood: "When we laugh or crywhen we experience any emotionit is because these brain structures are responding to the amygdala, and acting on its instructions." But just so, writes Kandel, problems such as addiction also involve several brain regions and neural circuits, requiring multiple approaches to any neuroscientific regime of treatment. Autism is another such area, manifesting itself in failures in the complex problem of interpreting "biological motion," which in turn "enables us to recognize intention, which is critical to a theory of mind." In the end, understanding various states of brain function in varying degrees of health helps address not just the question of consciousness, modern theories of which Kandel addresses in closing, but also the much larger issue of human nature and what it entails. Throughout, the author writes accessibly, though it may help readers to have some background in neuroscience and anatomy.Synaptic pruning, folded proteins, adaptive habits: all fascinating stuff ably interpreted by a master. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.