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The Idea of the Brain: A History
A monumental, sweeping journey from the ancient roots of neurology to the most astonishing recent research.
This is the story of our quest to understand the most mysterious object in the universe. Today we tend to picture the brain as a computer. Earlier scientists thought about it in their own technological as a telephone switchboard, or a clock, or all manner of fantastic mechanical or hydraulic devices. Could the right metaphor unlock the brain's deepest secrets once and for all?
Galloping through centuries of wild speculation and ingenious, sometimes macabre anatomical investigations, scientist and historian Matthew Cobb reveals how we came to our present state of knowledge. Our latest theories allow us to create artificial memories in the brain of a mouse, and to build AI programmes capable of extraordinary cognitive feats. A complete understanding seems within our grasp.
But to make that final breakthrough, we may need a radical new approach. At every step of our quest, Cobb shows that it was new ideas that brought illumination. Where, he asks, might the next one come from? What will it be?
This is the story of our quest to understand the most mysterious object in the universe. Today we tend to picture the brain as a computer. Earlier scientists thought about it in their own technological as a telephone switchboard, or a clock, or all manner of fantastic mechanical or hydraulic devices. Could the right metaphor unlock the brain's deepest secrets once and for all?
Galloping through centuries of wild speculation and ingenious, sometimes macabre anatomical investigations, scientist and historian Matthew Cobb reveals how we came to our present state of knowledge. Our latest theories allow us to create artificial memories in the brain of a mouse, and to build AI programmes capable of extraordinary cognitive feats. A complete understanding seems within our grasp.
But to make that final breakthrough, we may need a radical new approach. At every step of our quest, Cobb shows that it was new ideas that brought illumination. Where, he asks, might the next one come from? What will it be?
470 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
71 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Cobb
16 books107 followersMatthew Cobb (born 4 February 1957) is a British zoologist and professor of zoology at the University of Manchester. He is known for his popular science books The Egg & Sperm Race: The Seventeenth-Century Scientists Who Unravelled the Secrets of Sex, Life and Growth; Life's Greatest Secret: The Race to Crack the Genetic Code; and The Idea of the Brain: A History. Cobb has appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage, The Life Scientific, and The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry, as well as on BBC Radio 3 and the BBC World Service.
Cobb has written and provided expert comments for publications including New Scientist and The Guardian, translated five books from French into English, and written two books on the history of France during World War II.
Cobb has written and provided expert comments for publications including New Scientist and The Guardian, translated five books from French into English, and written two books on the history of France during World War II.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 23, 2025
Acc a 3.5 star-er but it won’t let me. Long book, I enjoyed what I read. Seriously interesting to understand how the brain came to understand itself. Life is a mystery even to itself, how HECKIN cool.
May 22, 2025
I wish my brain had let me understand this book.
Currently reading
July 7, 2024Knowledge is by necessity contained in a 'body' of knowledge , i.e. a story , otherwise it becomes isolated atoms rather than matter
A body of knowledge is a story , or history , and science is by neccessity contained within the history of science , which is contained within the history of everything , which is the grand narrative of man, i.e. the religious myth
Studying the history of science , it becomes apparent that the drama of humanity repeats itself , with the types being the typical roles played by different characters
A catholic danish polymath , Nicolaus Steno , is the father of modern medicine (founding the french academy of science) neuroscience. This is remarkable and very much in contrast with individualistic, so called 'secular' history writing
The author is writing soberly about the history of science. He states , however , that the bible as well as aristotle, makes no mention of the brain in relationship to cognition , instead mentioning the heart
Both aristotle and the bible surely though mentions the HEAD, which is the limb where the brain resides - it is therefore not entirely fair to accuse the bible of not describing the brain. I think that the bible probably has a more profound understanding of the mind than the most profound of the authors and poets. In some sense , mind is more relevant than matter , and should be the primary focus for science rather than studying the brain in isolation - understanding the mind will lead to a proper understanding of the 'function of the brain' rather than describing its mere structure
A body of knowledge is a story , or history , and science is by neccessity contained within the history of science , which is contained within the history of everything , which is the grand narrative of man, i.e. the religious myth
Studying the history of science , it becomes apparent that the drama of humanity repeats itself , with the types being the typical roles played by different characters
A catholic danish polymath , Nicolaus Steno , is the father of modern medicine (founding the french academy of science) neuroscience. This is remarkable and very much in contrast with individualistic, so called 'secular' history writing
The author is writing soberly about the history of science. He states , however , that the bible as well as aristotle, makes no mention of the brain in relationship to cognition , instead mentioning the heart
Both aristotle and the bible surely though mentions the HEAD, which is the limb where the brain resides - it is therefore not entirely fair to accuse the bible of not describing the brain. I think that the bible probably has a more profound understanding of the mind than the most profound of the authors and poets. In some sense , mind is more relevant than matter , and should be the primary focus for science rather than studying the brain in isolation - understanding the mind will lead to a proper understanding of the 'function of the brain' rather than describing its mere structure
May 21, 2024
God that was long
August 29, 2024
A wonderful biography of neuroscience - can't wait to read it all again!
September 25, 2024
This volume is really a history-of-science book, with more emphasis on history than science. I was hoping for more details on brain structure, cell types, neurone signalling, modulation, and neurotransmitters. Sadly, Cobb doesn't even provide a full explanation of the generation and propagation of an action potential. Given the glittering reviews, I wondered whether I was being harsh and expected too much from a popular science book so revisited some old Stephen Rose books in a similar vein (the making of memory and the 21st century brain). Both these volumes provide far more depth on the development, structure, and biochemistry of the brain. Cobb has certainly researched the history of developments in the field and has provided a thorough account of studies and speculations surrounding the brain and its function. The structure is intended to view these developments in line with ever changing paradigms and metaphors used through the ages (Forces, Electricity, Machines, Computers, etc). This approach is a bit hit and miss and entails some repetition as ideas discussed under one chapter re-emerge in others.
The overall message is of the incredible complexity of the brain, which means models based on computers are likely to fall far short in providing even an approximation of the functioning of the brain. Cobb is critical of the overblown hype of much of the computer modelling approach and no less scathing of the claims of the imaging approaches ( lack of temporal and spatial resolution and reliance on blood flow as a proxy for neuronal activity ).
This may be a good corrective to the claims of AI fanatics and PET/fMRI fan boys - sadly, it is just a bit lacking in details, a bit too superficial on occasions. Call me old-fashioned but I like my science books to have a bit more science.
The overall message is of the incredible complexity of the brain, which means models based on computers are likely to fall far short in providing even an approximation of the functioning of the brain. Cobb is critical of the overblown hype of much of the computer modelling approach and no less scathing of the claims of the imaging approaches ( lack of temporal and spatial resolution and reliance on blood flow as a proxy for neuronal activity ).
This may be a good corrective to the claims of AI fanatics and PET/fMRI fan boys - sadly, it is just a bit lacking in details, a bit too superficial on occasions. Call me old-fashioned but I like my science books to have a bit more science.
January 26, 2025
This really is a history on brain science. It covers various topics surrounding the brain, diving into the different understandings and interpretations over the years. Matthew Cobb creates a nice compilation off lots of information whilst managing to leave out bias for the most part.
On this front, I highly recommend it. The content matches the cover beautifully.
However, the structure of the book struggles, feeling muddled and lost from the halfway point onwards. Understandably, it gets to a point where the same names and the same research appears but to discuss a different point in a different chapter.
Ultimately, the first half follows a timeline where the second half abandons the timeline to focus on topic headings. This is not bad, messy, underwhelming or boring by any means. It may just get tiring to keep reading after the timeline is partially lost or retraced.
A recommended read if you want something heavy.
On this front, I highly recommend it. The content matches the cover beautifully.
However, the structure of the book struggles, feeling muddled and lost from the halfway point onwards. Understandably, it gets to a point where the same names and the same research appears but to discuss a different point in a different chapter.
Ultimately, the first half follows a timeline where the second half abandons the timeline to focus on topic headings. This is not bad, messy, underwhelming or boring by any means. It may just get tiring to keep reading after the timeline is partially lost or retraced.
A recommended read if you want something heavy.
September 30, 2025
Our understating of the world shapes how we frame things that remain mysterious to us - including the brain. A brilliantly related history of how we have thought about the organ that does our thinking. Weaving together histories of science, philosophy, culture, industry and technology - the book explores how these all converge to influence our understanding of the brain. And we have a way to go yet ….. our windows on the world, our analogies, metaphors and paradigms, are, for example, yet to fully illuminate the machinations of consciousness.
Great read. Also helped me get through first year neuroscience - not because of the detail, but because of the context and language and story - it added depth to enrich my learning.
Great read. Also helped me get through first year neuroscience - not because of the detail, but because of the context and language and story - it added depth to enrich my learning.
January 5, 2025
Great and interesting book! It is the best book about neuroscience i have read. I must admit the last third of the book was a bit too complicated for me and would better be enjoyed by a neuroscientist, computer engineer or entomologist. But i am glad i didn't give up on this challenging and fascinating read!
September 19, 2024
Properly good stuff.
October 21, 2024
Thoroughly fascinating!
September 1, 2025
This book is about the history of the brain.
August 11, 2025
It can be abit dry at points but does an excellent job of explaining how what we know about the brain has changed alongside the cultures trying to understand it. It’s pretty science heavy but if you can get through that it’s a great read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews