Best of the Brain from Scientific American

Mind, Matter, and Tomorrow's Brain

Edited by Floyd E. Bloom

Narrated by Barrett Whitener

Approximately 8 hours

Unabridged

$18.00

buy from University Press Audiobooks

Book published by The Dana Foundation

In Best of the Brain, top neuroscientist Floyd E. Bloom has selected the most fascinating brain-related articles from Scientific American and Scientific American Mind since 1999. Bloom garnishes the impressive lineup with his own introduction.

The articles are grouped into three sections. "Mind" includes stories on consciousness and creativity, among brain researchers' most difficult topics. "Matter" features new perspectives on our senses, psychological disorders, addiction, and more. "Tomorrow's Brain" provides a peek into the future of brain-machine interactions and groundbreaking treatment approaches.

In the understandable, exciting language that has made Scientific American magazine popular among general readers and experts alike, Best of the Brain provides gripping stories from the frontlines of brain research.

Floyd E. Bloom, M.D., is chairman emeritus of the Department of Neuropharmacology at the Scripps Research Institute in California, past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and former editor-in-chief of Science. He is founder of Neurome, Inc., and author of 25 books.

Barrett Whitener (narrator) has narrated more than a hundred audiobooks for major companies and is the winner of multiple Earphones Awards (AudioFile).

REVIEWS:

“The past two decades have brought amazing breakthroughs in our understanding of the human brain…Best of the Brain is an irresistible guide to this new territory.”

—Oliver Sacks, M.D., author of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat

“Best of the Brain is an exploration of mind and matter by some of the best in the brain business. I can't think of a better place to get a crash course on what we know about brain function and what's coming down the road.”

—Joseph LeDoux, Ph.D., University Professor, New York University and author of The Emotional Brain and Synaptic Self

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Part I: Mind

Ulrich Kraft, "Unleashing Creativity"

Mark S. George, "Stimulating the Brain"

Mark Solms, "Freud Returns"

Carl Zimmer, "The Neurobiology of the Self"

Antonio R. Damasio, "How the Brain Creates the Mind"

Eric R. Kandel, "The New Science of Mind"

Part II: Matter

Nikos K. Logothetis, "Vision: A Window on Consciousness"

James M. Bower and Lawrence M. Parsons, "Rethinking the 'Lesser Brain'"

Gregory Hickok, Ursula Bellugi, and Edward S. Klima, "Sign Language in the Brain"

Juergen Andrich and Joerg T. Epplen, "Hunting for Answers"

Fred H. Gage, "Brain, Repair Yourself"

Steven E. Hyman, "Diagnosing Disorders"

Eric J. Nestler and Robert C. Malenka, "The Addicted Brain"

Daniel C. Javitt and Joseph T. Coyle, "Decoding Schizophrenia"

David Dobbs, "Turning Off Depression"

Part III: Tomorrow’s Brain

Steven D. Hollon, Michael E. Thase, and John C. Markowitz, "Treating Depression: Pills or Talk"

Ray Kurzweil, "The Coming Merging of Mind and Machine"

Miguel A. L. Nicolelis and John K. Chapin, "Controlling Robots with the Mind"

Nicola Neumann and Niels Birbaumer, "Thinking Out Loud"

Kwabena Boahen, "Neuromorphic Microchips"

Stephen S. Hall, "The Quest for a Smart Pill"