The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own: Insights from a Practicing Neurologist

by Richard Restak

If you're feeling disconnected from the world, it might not be because of your mood; you could be a temporal lobe epileptic. In this collection of fascinating, accessible essays, Richard Restak--bestselling author of Brainscapes--explores the relationship between mind and brain. " ... I still find it difficult to believe," he states in the introduction, "that this three-pound mass of protoplasm with the consistency of an overripe avocado is the seat of who I am, of who we all are." If you've ever wondered how much our humanity is shaped by the gray, wrinkled organ between our ears, or even what's going on in our brains when we daydream or ride a bicycle, this book of spirited anecdotes will provide some interesting answers and raise even more questions.

Genres: Psychology, Science, Neuroscience, Nonfiction, Brain

Mass Market Paperback

First published April 13, 1991

About the author

Richard M. Restak M.D. is an award-winning neuroscientist, neuropsychiatrist and writer. The best-selling author of nineteen acclaimed books about the brain, he has also penned dozens of articles for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today. A fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Neuropsychiatric Association, he lives and practices in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I especially appreciate the way this author writes. He explains complex medical terms as if he is a friend sitting on your couch having coffee with you. His obvious admiration and delight in the human brain is contagious, and he has a special talent for explaining what we know about the brain and what we have still to discover. This particular book is a collection of essays that he wrote over time in his earlier career. It is a big picture view of the brain more than a deep dive into cutting edge neuroscience. This book is like meeting a new friend when you have moved to a new town who takes the time to show you around and help you get acquainted with people and places you want to know about. The book is a great jumping off point for many topics concerning the brain and neuroscience. I highly recommend this book if you have never read about the human brain and how it works.

[Novis Fuller · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book serves as a history more than anything else. With information that was cutting-edge over 30 years ago but widely discredited now, it at least helps demonstrate where we WERE a generation ago.

Quite often, Restak seems to cast moral judgment on things that aren’t inherently good or bad, giving the book the feel of a slightly cranky but well meaning older relative who like things better back in his day. Paired with some cultural relics best left in the past when this book was written (light “humor” about tension in his marriage, racial terms no longer in favor, etc), it leaves this book entirely avoidable.

[Amy Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of interesting cases and insights into how your brain works without being dry and boring. The only downside is the good doctor was on vacation at Martha's Vineyard when he wrote it so he dedicates about 25 pages of the book to bragging about the Martha's Vineyard experience.

[Pradnya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting chapters. The shortness of those makes it easier to assimilate the main thought.

[Deborah Zwayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are who we are.