The Mind: Consciousness, Prediction, and the Brain

by E. Bruce Goldstein

An accessible and engaging account of the mind and its connection to the brain. The mind encompasses everything we experience, and these experiences are created by the brain—often without our awareness. Experience is private; we can't know the minds of others. But we also don't know what is happening in our own minds. In this book, E. Bruce Goldstein offers an accessible and engaging account of the mind and its connection to the brain. He takes as his starting point two central questions—what is the mind? and what is consciousness?—and leads readers through topics that range from conceptions of the mind in popular culture to the wiring system of the brain. Throughout, he draws on the latest research, explaining its significance and relevance. Goldstein discusses how the mind has been described and studied since the nineteenth century, and surveys modern approaches to studying mind–brain connections; considers consciousness and how the nervous system creates experience; and explores the hidden mechanisms of the brain. Then, in the heart of the book, he focuses on one principle that holds across a wide range of the mind's prediction. All the behaviors and physiological processes associated with prediction—including eye movements, tactile sensation, language, music, memory, and social processes—involve communication between different places in the brain. The mind emerges not from the firing of neurons in one specialized area but from communications that travel across what Goldstein calls “highways of the mind.”

Genres: Science, Neuroscience, Psychology, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Brain

248 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

E. BRUCE GOLDSTEIN is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona. He received the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of Pittsburgh for his classroom teaching and textbook writing. He received his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University and his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Brown University. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the Biology Department at Harvard University before joining the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Goldstein has published papers on a wide variety of topics, including retinal and cortical physiology, visual attention and the perception of pictures. He is the author of SENSATION AND PERCEPTION, 10th Edition (Cengage, 2017), and the editor of the BLACKWELL HANDBOOK OF PERCEPTION (Blackwell, 2001) and the two-volume SAGE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PERCEPTION (Sage, 2010).

Reviews

[Lubinka Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good primer on the subject that covers the basics of the mind-brain connection, without offering insights that are not already covered in many other books. Although it was well structured and informative, I found it a bit dry, especially compared to John Medina's Your Best Brain: The Science of Brain Improvement which more or less covered the same topic, but with a humoristic approach and some funny and unexpected examples to illustrate the ideas presented. Not really much to offer to people who have already delved deeper into the science of the brain.

[Blaze Kotsenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that describes the difference between your mind and brain. The book dives into the many hidden processes that our brain executes to generate what we know as consciousness. Fascinating book for anyone interested in a high level explanation of consciousness, prediction, and our hidden processes within our brains.

[Luis Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the read and learn a ton regarding the differences between the brain and the mind within our current knowledge levels and scientific methods. It’s a short book that feels like an appetizer to a bigger topic and in that sense I think the author nailed it.

[Khan Ashraf Alif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and well organized. If the author could mix a lil bit humour the presentation would have been more enjoyable.

[Kumail Akbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short primer is an excellent introductory read on the subject of the mind - how it differs from the brain, and the philosophical and scientific issues dealing with consciousness. The authors perspective is the non dual, materialist scientific perspective shared by the likes of Dennett, etc. As a primer, this is a good book to begin with, however its short length left me feeling if there was more the author wanted to speak on the subject but somehow decided not to. Did not learn anything particularly new, but would recommend this to anyone interested in dipping their toes into this subject.

Rating 4 of 5

[Kalyan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened the audio version of the book. I did not find anything new in this book which I do not know, due to which I felt it boring and uninteresting.

I will choose my books wisely this time.

disclaimer: nothing against the book or narration of the author, its just that I read the same shit millions of times.

[Erich Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a subject I really enjoy and although I found not much I’d not read about before, I did find it a great overview. I’d love to have read this book years ago and highly recommend it to anyone starting this journey of discovery.

[Sam Kosak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting at the beginning, was giving examples about the class he teaches, however, fell off at the end for me and ended up feeling more like a textbook a less like a leisure reading book. Well written book for the most part and if you are just looking for an informative book it's great.

[Frank Corriveau · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as exciting as I thought it would be. Quite dry and very scientific. It does explain the mind-brain connection, but I thought it would have been more interesting.

[Harris Bolus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an intro psych course turned into a book. Similar to Subliminal.

[Art Beqiraj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it. Thought provoking and full of examples which will make you feel comfortable with the toughest concepts.