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An Alchemy of Mind : The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain by Diane Ackerman (2004, Hardcover)

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About this product

Product Information

The most ambitious and enlightening work to date from the bestselling author ofA Natural History of the Senses, An Alchemy of Mindcombines an artist's eye with a scientist's erudition to illuminate, as never before, the magic and mysteries of the human mind.Long treasured by literary readers for her uncommon ability to bridge the gap between art and science, celebrated scholar-artist Diane Ackerman returns with the book she was born to write. Her dazzling new work,An Alchemy of Mind,offers an unprecedented exploration and celebration of the mental fantasia in which we spend our days -- and does for the human mind what the bestsellingA Natural History of the Sensesdid for the physical senses.Bringing a valuable female perspective to the topic, Diane Ackerman discusses the science of the brain as only she can: with gorgeous, immediate language and imagery that paint an unusually lucid and vibrant picture for the reader. And in addition to explaining memory, thought, emotion, dreams, and language acquisition, she reports on the latest discoveries in neuroscience and addresses controversial subjects like the effects of trauma and male versus female brains. In prose that is not simply accessible but also beautiful and electric, Ackerman distills the hard, objective truths of science in order to yield vivid, heavily anecdotal explanations about a range of existential questions regarding consciousness, human thought, memory, and the nature of identity.

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Scribner
ISBN-10
0743246721
ISBN-13
9780743246729
eBay Product ID (ePID)
30248056

Product Key Features

Author
Diane Ackerman
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Topic
Neuroscience, General, Life Sciences / Human Anatomy & Physiology, Neuropsychology
Publication Year
2004
Type
Textbook
Genre
Psychology, Science, Medical
Number of Pages
320 Pages

Dimensions

Item Length
9.1in
Item Height
1.1in
Item Width
6.2in
Item Weight
16.3 Oz

Additional Product Features

Lc Classification Number
Qp376.A225 2004
Reviews
Dr. Michael S. GazzanigaDirector of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Dartmouth College and editor of Cognitive NeuroscienceA beautiful book. Diane Ackerman has done it again. She has taken the largely inaccessible and confusing scientific literature on the brain and made sense out of it. With clarity, spunk, and feeling, what is known about the brain becomes up-front and personal.
Publication Name
Alchemy of Mind : the Marvel and Mystery of the Brain
Table of Content
Contents Miracle Waters(Evolution)Chapter 1. The Enchanted LoomImagining the brain.Chapter 2. This Island EarthEvolution; the world's tiniest reptile; our brain and other animals'.Chapter 3. Why We Ask "Why?"What happens in the right brain vs. the left brain; why we're driven to tell stories.Chapter 4. The Fibs of BeingConsciousness; some definitions and theories.Chapter 5. Light Breaks Where No Sun ShinesThe unconscious; how it collaborates with the conscious mind.Sweet Dreams of Reason(The Physical Brain)Chapter 6. The Shape of ThoughtNeurons, dendrites, axons; how all the parts speak to each other.Chapter 7. Inner SpaceSynapses, the plasticity of the brain; how we influence brain development; medication and the brain.Chapter 8. Attention PleaseHow we unconsciously choose what to pay attention to; multitasking; absentmindedness.Chapter 9. A Passion for PatternsHow our brain quests for meaning in what it senses.Chapter 10. In the Church of the PinesThe spiritual brain.Chapter 11. Einstein's BrainWhat happened to it? Was it different?Chapter 12. The Mind's EyeThe brain's ability to imagine/see things that aren't in view at the time.Pavilions of Desire(Memory)Chapter 13. What Is a Memory?The importance of memory to who we are; how memories are formed; how they're influenced.Chapter 14. Reflections in a Gazing BallHow memories are recalled; association of pain and memory; unconscious memory.Chapter 15. Remember What?What happens when we learn; words on the tip of the tongue; Alzheimer's and the aging brain; IQ; short-term vs. long-term memory; how memories affect the present.Chapter 16. Remember, I DreamThe role of dreams in memory.Chapter 17. "Hello," He LiedTrue and false memories; subliminally influencing thought and memory.Chapter 18. Traumatic MemoriesHow they're stored and recalled; connections between emotions and memory.Chapter 19. Smell, Memory, and the EroticProust; perfume; love.Never a Dull Torment(The Self, and Other Fictions)Chapter 20. Introducing the SelfHow we think of ourself; the multiple facets of a self.Chapter 21. The Other SelfBody and mind; immune system and brain; brain damage and loss of self.Chapter 22. PersonalityNature vs. nurture; genetics and experience; development as babies.Chapter 23. "Shall It Be Male or Female? Say the Cells"Male and female brains; if they work differently; how they're shaped; how traits get passed on.Chapter 24. Creating MindsArtistic minds, mathematical minds -- inherited, cultivated; how they differ; synesthesia.The World Is Breaking Someone Else's Heart(Emotions)Chapter 25. The Emotional ClimateAnger, stress, adrenaline, how they affect and are relieved by the brain; our brain isn't made for the modern world; fear, painful thoughts.Chapter 26. The Pursuit of HappinessHappiness as hereditary and achieved; the difference in the brain between natural and forced laughter; optimistic and pessimistic brains.The Color of Saying(Language)Chapter 27. Memory's AccompliceLanguage acquisition, use, and nonverbal thinking.Chapter 28. Metaphors Be with YouHow words organize experience.Chapter 29. The Color of SayingThe origin of words; how we reveal ourselves through words; the brain finding relations among things.Chapter 30. Shakespeare on the BrainHow Shakespeare's brain was different.The Wilderness Within(The World We Share)Chapter 31. OasisEvolution of life; how our brain came to be.Chapter 32. Conscience and ConsciousnessAre we the only conscious an
Copyright Date
2004
Target Audience
Trade
Lccn
2004-041621
Dewey Decimal
612.8/2
Dewey Edition
22
Illustrated
Yes

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I would never ever ever use awesome sauce. FYI! Other than that everything was great. Thank you for having this book available. It is a beautiful book.
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