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The Burning House : Unlocking the Mysteries of the Brain
Winner of the 1995 Canadian Science Writers Book Award, this book explores the brain and how it works. It includes investigations into the stroke victim who denies the existence of the world's left side, and the epileptic patient who after brain surgery has no capacity to store new memories.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 1995
5 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Jay Ingram
56 books42 followersJay Ingram CM (born March 20, 1945) is a Canadian author and broadcaster. He was host of the television show Daily Planet (originally titled @discovery.ca), which airs on Discovery Channel Canada, since the channel's inception in 1995. Ingram's last episode of Daily Planet aired on June 5, 2011. Ingram announced his retirement but stated he will make guest appearances on Daily Planet. He was succeeded by Dan Riskin. His book The End of Memory: A Natural History of Aging and Alzheimer’s is forthcoming from St. Martin's Press in 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 5, 2017
The Burning House, subtitled Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain, is a fascinating look at some of the discoveries of how the brain functions. Many of these arise when stroke victims find they are no longer able to do various things or more specifically, when therapists or researchers put them through various tests to find out what these missing functions may be.
Although at times I found some of the concepts or explanations of them required re-reading, I still found that the book was very interesting. As well as introducing many different cases and methods of research, he compares some of the theories which have been put aside on the strength of new learning. He also explains some of the opposing theories which have not yet been accepted or rejected. The science of brain study seems to be one of constant revision.
Jay Ingram is a very witty and engaging writer who has had many years' experience presenting and explaining scientific concepts for the average person in both print media and on television.
Although at times I found some of the concepts or explanations of them required re-reading, I still found that the book was very interesting. As well as introducing many different cases and methods of research, he compares some of the theories which have been put aside on the strength of new learning. He also explains some of the opposing theories which have not yet been accepted or rejected. The science of brain study seems to be one of constant revision.
Jay Ingram is a very witty and engaging writer who has had many years' experience presenting and explaining scientific concepts for the average person in both print media and on television.
July 20, 2019
Although now a little outdated, it’s still a fairly accurate & comprehensive look at the brain, and particularly on remembering.
Ingram takes us through many interesting stories including savants, brain damage, dreams & false memories.
Ingram takes us through many interesting stories including savants, brain damage, dreams & false memories.
January 9, 2012
By Jay Ingram, published in 1994.
The title of this science book, ‘The Burning House’, comes from a very interesting case of people with brain damage to the right hemisphere. Why are you looking at me - both of mine are damaged so does not apply.
In short, this is a book which explores the (1994) knowledge of the human brain and how it operates and what happens when things go wrong. It is written for the laymen so understanding is not mired in techno speak.
It’s a fun read which takes a look at a brain museum (no, really) and even talks about how Einstein’s brain is still in a jar in the apartment of the man who performed his autopsy. This novel attempts to explain the parts of the brain and how they contribute to our perceptions of the world around us and how it does the things it does - like feats of memory and face recognition.
I have to say I was quite sucked in by the topics, though it seemed a wee bit random in its approach. Still, a good read that will have you taking note of what has been researched and wondering what it all means.
It seems that stroke victims, those that suffer a stroke in the right hemisphere, lose the ability to pick up information on the left side of images in some cases - hence the burning house. These stroke victims were tested by being shown a picture of two houses. One is burning of the left side and the other is whole. When asked to decide which one they would like to live in, they responded by saying they were both the same so it didn’t matter.
Strange. But even more strange cases of the brain are explored inside this book. Like the man who could recall and entire blackboard of numbers and equations after looking at it only once. The case where a patient had his hippocampus removed, later to find out he could no longer store long term memories at all.
And the end of the book deals with dreams and why we have them. And, since the human brain is so complex and we don’t really know how it does what it does, rival theories abound. If you don’t get the brain answers you are looking for, you will at least be opened up to the general idea of how the brain works and what happens when some of it is damaged or removed.
Fascinating reading in any event. If you want a quick overview of the brain and some fun case studies this is the book to read. Be warned though, you may be scratching your head afterwards as most topics have no definitive answers. The brain, rest assured, is very complex and good at what it does.
The title of this science book, ‘The Burning House’, comes from a very interesting case of people with brain damage to the right hemisphere. Why are you looking at me - both of mine are damaged so does not apply.
In short, this is a book which explores the (1994) knowledge of the human brain and how it operates and what happens when things go wrong. It is written for the laymen so understanding is not mired in techno speak.
It’s a fun read which takes a look at a brain museum (no, really) and even talks about how Einstein’s brain is still in a jar in the apartment of the man who performed his autopsy. This novel attempts to explain the parts of the brain and how they contribute to our perceptions of the world around us and how it does the things it does - like feats of memory and face recognition.
I have to say I was quite sucked in by the topics, though it seemed a wee bit random in its approach. Still, a good read that will have you taking note of what has been researched and wondering what it all means.
It seems that stroke victims, those that suffer a stroke in the right hemisphere, lose the ability to pick up information on the left side of images in some cases - hence the burning house. These stroke victims were tested by being shown a picture of two houses. One is burning of the left side and the other is whole. When asked to decide which one they would like to live in, they responded by saying they were both the same so it didn’t matter.
Strange. But even more strange cases of the brain are explored inside this book. Like the man who could recall and entire blackboard of numbers and equations after looking at it only once. The case where a patient had his hippocampus removed, later to find out he could no longer store long term memories at all.
And the end of the book deals with dreams and why we have them. And, since the human brain is so complex and we don’t really know how it does what it does, rival theories abound. If you don’t get the brain answers you are looking for, you will at least be opened up to the general idea of how the brain works and what happens when some of it is damaged or removed.
Fascinating reading in any event. If you want a quick overview of the brain and some fun case studies this is the book to read. Be warned though, you may be scratching your head afterwards as most topics have no definitive answers. The brain, rest assured, is very complex and good at what it does.
March 12, 2014
Książka zdecydowanie popularnonaukowa, w której autor nie silił się na gruntowne opracowanie jakiegoś tematu. Zamiast tego skakał po rozmaitych co ciekawszych zagadnieniach z zakresu neuropsychologii. Niektóre rzeczy były dla mnie nowe, więc to na plus. Sporą część badań jednak już znałem, ale to nic dziwnego przy książce mającej już 18 lat. Wadą książki jest też to, że czasem daje się odczuć jakby była ona pisana dla ludzi z brakami w wykształceniu lub zainteresowanymi sensacją a nie nauką. Ukłony w stronę realności OOBE, Freuda itp. obniżają moją ocenę. Niby autor pisze, że to nienaukowe, ale z drugiej strony nie waha się żeby pisać dalej o tłumionych wspomnieniach z dzieciństwa itd. Daję 3-/5
May 5, 2013
Quite absorbing - a discussion of some research into the workings of the brain/mind. Better than I feared, since I never much cared for Ingram’s condescending Geewhiz style on the radio.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews