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The NeuroGeneration: The New Era in Brain Enhancement That Is Revolutionizing the Way We Think, Work, and Heal
Brain science is at the dawn of a new era—and the technologies emerging as a result could forever alter what it means to be human.
Welcome to what tech pioneer and inventor Tan Le calls “the NeuroGeneration.” It will blow your mind.
Welcome to what tech pioneer and inventor Tan Le calls “the NeuroGeneration.” It will blow your mind.
The human brain is perhaps the most powerful and mysterious arrangement of matter in the known universe. New discoveries that unravel this mystery and let us tap into this power offer almost limitless potential—the ability to reshape ourselves and our thought processes, to improve our health and extend our lives, and to enhance and augment the ways we interact with the world around us. It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but it is quickly becoming reality.
In The NeuroGeneration, award-winning inventor Tan Le explores exciting advancements in brain science and neurotechnology that are revolutionizing the way we think, work, and heal. Join Le as she criss-crosses the globe, introducing the brilliant neurotech innovators and neuroscientists at the frontiers of brain enhancement. Along the way, she shares incredible stories from individuals whose lives are already being transformed by their inventions—an endurance racer paralyzed in a fall, who now walks thanks to neural stimulation and an exoskeleton; a man who drives a race car with his mind; even a color-blind “cyborg” whose brain implant allows him to “hear” colors.
The NeuroGeneration reveals the dizzying array of emerging technologies—including cranial stimulation that makes you learn faster, an artificial hippocampus that restores lost memories, and neural implants that aim to help us keep up with or even outpace artificial intelligence—that promise to alter the brain in unprecedented ways, unlocking human potential we never dreamed possible.
Le also explores how these futuristic innovations will impact our world, disrupt the way we do business, upend healthcare as we know it, and remake our lives in wondrous and unexpected ways. As fascinating as it is timely, The NeuroGeneration offers a thrilling glimpse of the future of our species, and how changing our brains can change human life as we know it.
300 pages, Hardcover
Published January 21, 2020
41 people are currently reading
1342 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 31, 2020
The author does a good job of introducing a lot of mind-bending projects from Brain Enhancing Nootropic drugs through Robotics, Cyborgs, Alzheimer’s, Stroke, PTSD, and Parkinson’s therapies to Big Data, Deep Learning and the issues facing all theses technologies. The uninitiated reader will definitely learn of and be impressed by the remarkable work being done around the world in this futuristic field.
My issue was with the Author’s late-night Infomercial style presentation, emphasizing her travels, speeches and conferences and all the wonderful, though not well dressed or culinarily sophisticated enough, people she met. It was like the Cool Kids telling you about their super-cool ski vacation in Davos and how Elon Musk wears the most terrible shoes! Really!!!
She is undoubtedly a brilliant and accomplished leader in her field and I appreciate the significance of the work being done but I would have preferred a more data-driven approach. Sorry. Three stars.
My issue was with the Author’s late-night Infomercial style presentation, emphasizing her travels, speeches and conferences and all the wonderful, though not well dressed or culinarily sophisticated enough, people she met. It was like the Cool Kids telling you about their super-cool ski vacation in Davos and how Elon Musk wears the most terrible shoes! Really!!!
She is undoubtedly a brilliant and accomplished leader in her field and I appreciate the significance of the work being done but I would have preferred a more data-driven approach. Sorry. Three stars.
May 30, 2020
Some interesting content about advances in various brain-related technologies, but the book is bloated with buzz words, unnecessary background information, and starry-eyed optimism, none of which add anything but pages.
April 3, 2020
Eh. At it's best, this book is an interesting update about the front edges of the field of neuro-enhancement and new tech treatments for mental un-health and a warning against the errors and oversights that come from bias and unwarry profit-seeking. The new products seeking objective measurements of brain disorders, AI enabling early detection of disease, and the advancements in non-invasive treatment for disorders are really interesting.
The conversation about bias in research is shockingly un-shocking. We now have proof that if we only study the brains of western, college-educated men we won't understand the human brain... So it's cool that a Vietnamese-Australian woman is changing the way that research is done and making data more accessible, but it feels like calling researchers to look at more and more diverse brains doesn't solve the problems created by the fact that western scientists are framing the problems, determining the needs, asking the questions, directing the funding, and designing the experiments. Not sure how we keep making this mistake, especially when all of the people that she interviews insist that the "human race is about to take a huge leap forward" or something very similar.
The conversation about bias in research is shockingly un-shocking. We now have proof that if we only study the brains of western, college-educated men we won't understand the human brain... So it's cool that a Vietnamese-Australian woman is changing the way that research is done and making data more accessible, but it feels like calling researchers to look at more and more diverse brains doesn't solve the problems created by the fact that western scientists are framing the problems, determining the needs, asking the questions, directing the funding, and designing the experiments. Not sure how we keep making this mistake, especially when all of the people that she interviews insist that the "human race is about to take a huge leap forward" or something very similar.
January 18, 2020
Really interesting and not your usual book about the brain, and I am delighted because I had not read "new" books about the brain for a while now, due to the fact that this topic is all the hype now....
It is not particularly easy anyway, but the stories told as examples, made them smoother.
Molto interessante e diverso dai soliti libri pubblicati a centinaia ora che il cervello é diventato un argomento "in".
Non é particolarmente semplice, ma gli esempi forniti dall'autrice (la cui storia é giá un bell'esempio di per sé) facilitano di molto il compito.
THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
It is not particularly easy anyway, but the stories told as examples, made them smoother.
Molto interessante e diverso dai soliti libri pubblicati a centinaia ora che il cervello é diventato un argomento "in".
Non é particolarmente semplice, ma gli esempi forniti dall'autrice (la cui storia é giá un bell'esempio di per sé) facilitano di molto il compito.
THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
May 10, 2020
Being one of the biggest neurotech enthusiasts alive, I was very excited about reading this book.
However, I was very disappointed as it's a self-promoting book, focusing primarily on the author herself and her company. She doesn't depict a fair portrait of the field but showcases mainly her friends. She writes in a "wow-ish" tone and it feels like she's name-dropping all the cool events she's going to just to make a point that she connected with someone "relevant" for the story. I felt that the book was written for herself rather than the reader.
I know the author personally so it broke my heart to be disappointed her the book...
However, I was very disappointed as it's a self-promoting book, focusing primarily on the author herself and her company. She doesn't depict a fair portrait of the field but showcases mainly her friends. She writes in a "wow-ish" tone and it feels like she's name-dropping all the cool events she's going to just to make a point that she connected with someone "relevant" for the story. I felt that the book was written for herself rather than the reader.
I know the author personally so it broke my heart to be disappointed her the book...
June 17, 2025
I worked with EGG throughout my bachelor's and master's. I primarily focused on cognition and exercise. So, when I came across this book, I was extremely interested and had high hopes for it. it definitely fell short of my expectations. It is a great book to update yourself on the recent advances in brain technology. I feel like I learned a ton about what else is being done for the brain and the advances in neurotechnology. However, the way the author named dropped and described some things made it feel more like a blog or self-help books for networking. It made the book lose the flow and honestly took away from more pressing topics.
The lab I worked in during my time in college was aiming to lay a better foundation for EEG and exercise research since most of the research was subpar. We didn't have huge funding and could barely get college students to volunteer. The author discusses needing more collaboration, but how are we supposed to get the middle man involved? The research labs striving to do the best they can with limited resources, the professors/researchers who are striving to improve the field and raise standards, seem to be left out. It felt very much about the big names trying to improve things and us not leaving out those in remote areas. So, again, how do we get those in the middle involved and contributing? Yes, I know databases are being proposed, but is that all we have to offer those who aren't in flashy labs?
The lab I worked in during my time in college was aiming to lay a better foundation for EEG and exercise research since most of the research was subpar. We didn't have huge funding and could barely get college students to volunteer. The author discusses needing more collaboration, but how are we supposed to get the middle man involved? The research labs striving to do the best they can with limited resources, the professors/researchers who are striving to improve the field and raise standards, seem to be left out. It felt very much about the big names trying to improve things and us not leaving out those in remote areas. So, again, how do we get those in the middle involved and contributing? Yes, I know databases are being proposed, but is that all we have to offer those who aren't in flashy labs?
January 21, 2022
For a book about brain research and ways we're finding to make the brain work better, this book was very accessible. Tan Le does this so well by focusing on the people in the field including herself - what they want to accomplish and why, what they've found and how that can impact us now and in the future. It's a fine line between hardcore tech and human interest that she navigates marvelously.
I learned a lot from reading this book about where we are in our understanding of how the brain works, how new sensor technology that Le and her company has invented is revolutionizing our understanding of what's going on inside our minds, and how to take advantage of it. From artificial prosthesis that the body can see as an actual limb rather than an add-on, to how we can learn faster, remember better, and cure anxiety.
The most surprising aspect of this book was how far along some of this technology is. What sounds like science fiction is quickly becoming science fact. Video games designed to counter ADHD without drugs have already been validated and approved by the FDA.
By reading this book, I feel like I've gained early insight into some of the most critical technologies of the next 5-10 years. But unlike a textbook, I enjoyed reading every page.
I learned a lot from reading this book about where we are in our understanding of how the brain works, how new sensor technology that Le and her company has invented is revolutionizing our understanding of what's going on inside our minds, and how to take advantage of it. From artificial prosthesis that the body can see as an actual limb rather than an add-on, to how we can learn faster, remember better, and cure anxiety.
The most surprising aspect of this book was how far along some of this technology is. What sounds like science fiction is quickly becoming science fact. Video games designed to counter ADHD without drugs have already been validated and approved by the FDA.
By reading this book, I feel like I've gained early insight into some of the most critical technologies of the next 5-10 years. But unlike a textbook, I enjoyed reading every page.
August 3, 2023
While this book is written with the layperson in mind, it is a notable work of scholarship as evidenced by exhaustive diagrams, endnotes and bibliography. (The diagrams are difficult to see properly on an e-reader, it must be said.) Tan Le introduces the reader to the amazing frontiers of scientific wisdom on the brain, mind, memory, cellular memory, the body-mind connection and much more. He posits a cross-disciplinary future in which neuroscience, philosophy, psychiatry, biology, and yes, even spirituality may speak to and inform each other.
Tan gives me a basis for accepting in myself various phenomena which I have experienced, but which have seemed to be beyond what is generally accepted as 'normal' human experience: the highly sensitive connection that I have with my brother, the out of body experience of my childhood, my experiments with lucid dreaming and healing, the power of prayer and positivity and so on.
I am grateful for this book. It is a challenge to read but worth the effort.
Tan gives me a basis for accepting in myself various phenomena which I have experienced, but which have seemed to be beyond what is generally accepted as 'normal' human experience: the highly sensitive connection that I have with my brother, the out of body experience of my childhood, my experiments with lucid dreaming and healing, the power of prayer and positivity and so on.
I am grateful for this book. It is a challenge to read but worth the effort.
April 17, 2020
Nice overview of neurotechnology, but sounds extremely naive. Author is describing bright future where everybody will be enhanced with neurotechnology, rich and poor, but fails to acknowledge that we have been trying already for at least five decades and failed so far. Same old story that AI will save us this time is not a good answer. It sounds like magic. I was expecting more educated view of the roadmap towards technological future, better description of obstacles and problems and outline of possible solutions. Essentially the same book could have been written 10 years ago in the same cheerful tone.
But for outsiders who search for introduction, this is a good start.
But for outsiders who search for introduction, this is a good start.
March 20, 2022
Great book!
The language used was so easy and the way the author wrote it made me feel genuinely excited about the field. You can really tell she's an experienced speaker in a lot of ways.
She always makes sure to relate the product in question to current issues, then goes back to the technical details of it (but not too much jargon, because then people might get a bit lost), and then finishing it off with how much work has been done and how it might proceed in the future.
Reading it reminded me of why I chose the degree I'm currently studying. 😄 It brought back the excitement of the pursuit.
The language used was so easy and the way the author wrote it made me feel genuinely excited about the field. You can really tell she's an experienced speaker in a lot of ways.
She always makes sure to relate the product in question to current issues, then goes back to the technical details of it (but not too much jargon, because then people might get a bit lost), and then finishing it off with how much work has been done and how it might proceed in the future.
Reading it reminded me of why I chose the degree I'm currently studying. 😄 It brought back the excitement of the pursuit.
June 25, 2020
Not what I was expecting. The book does a good job on introducing some neuroenhancement possibilities that we‘ll possibly experience in a near future, but in my personal opinion it’s missing more scientific/experimental facts to complement the arguments and propositions. Non the less you do get some exposure of interesting topics like: adaptive stair case algorithms, optogenetics and expansion microscopy — to name a few. I read it on Audible and the narration is quite good, Tan Lee (the author) is the narrator.
Want to read
February 5, 2020eARC provided by BenBella Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. RTC!
September 15, 2020
It's a good starting point for anyone interested in what the future of brain enhancement may bring.
March 19, 2020
This is a very accessible chronicle of the last 50 or so years of the evolving relationship between Neuroscience and technology. Or, more in step with the book's title, our progression/emergence into the 'NeuroGeneration', one of the most prominent themes of the book itself. The NeuroGeneration is a well-organized breakdown of the various modalities and aspects in which advances in technology have allowed us to make small enhancements, alterations, additions and adaptations to our brains and Central Nervous systems to grant us access to our previous facilities, enhance learning and cognition, and work to prevent and mitigate the inevitable degradation that we can all anticipate in our lives. The book is semi-autobiographical, with several mentions of the author's childhood, obsession with science fiction and her experience leading a technology start up (EMOTIV).
It is important to note that the NeuroGeneration is a book about technology highlighted by case studies that exemplify her thesis about the transition into the 'NeuroGeneration', not a a Neuroscience book and that Tan Le is a tech entrepreneur, not a Neuroscience researcher. The book is riddled with plugs for her wearable technology and her company, as can be expected.
It would have been helpful and informative to see some more specific examples of how her EMOTIV wearable technology has been utilized to help the general populations or suggestions as to it's practical application apart from independent enthusiasts and Bio/Neuro hackers.
Overall, a well-balanced, efficiently organized and detailed account of technology and it's connection to our brains as humans with not too much technical information or verbose diction to deter the reader. It provides an exciting account into our past, present and speculative future while keeping a mindfulness of the need for Neurotechnology to be available to a more global audience. Recommended for anyone excited about technology, history, psychology and global health.
It is important to note that the NeuroGeneration is a book about technology highlighted by case studies that exemplify her thesis about the transition into the 'NeuroGeneration', not a a Neuroscience book and that Tan Le is a tech entrepreneur, not a Neuroscience researcher. The book is riddled with plugs for her wearable technology and her company, as can be expected.
It would have been helpful and informative to see some more specific examples of how her EMOTIV wearable technology has been utilized to help the general populations or suggestions as to it's practical application apart from independent enthusiasts and Bio/Neuro hackers.
Overall, a well-balanced, efficiently organized and detailed account of technology and it's connection to our brains as humans with not too much technical information or verbose diction to deter the reader. It provides an exciting account into our past, present and speculative future while keeping a mindfulness of the need for Neurotechnology to be available to a more global audience. Recommended for anyone excited about technology, history, psychology and global health.
March 14, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and BenBella Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
"The Neuro Generation" by Tan Le focuses on brain science and the new advances in technology that are in the works or coming soon. Le presents research by the top minds in neurology, AI, and more in this expansive and informative work.
The most impressive part of this book is how interesting Le made research sound. I'm not typically into science, so to read a whole book on science and discovery was a lot for me. Le gives all the information, but somehow it's not boring or over the top. Her passion shows throughout the book, that's likely what will keep readers interested.
Le covers all kinds of topics, but the most interesting was the potential of treatment for dementia and Alzheimer's, among other brain diseases. So much of the research went over my head, but I loved seeing that there are brilliant minds working on a cure for something that is in the lives of so many people.
I think Le is more hopeful for good usages of AI and other neurological treatments than I am, but it was interesting to see a different perspective on all the ways technology can be good. I think in the Communication community we tend to see technology as something that works against us, rather than something that works for us. Our human tendency is laziness and technology can enhance that.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it could be a little too technical at times. I give it 4 stars.
"The Neuro Generation" by Tan Le focuses on brain science and the new advances in technology that are in the works or coming soon. Le presents research by the top minds in neurology, AI, and more in this expansive and informative work.
The most impressive part of this book is how interesting Le made research sound. I'm not typically into science, so to read a whole book on science and discovery was a lot for me. Le gives all the information, but somehow it's not boring or over the top. Her passion shows throughout the book, that's likely what will keep readers interested.
Le covers all kinds of topics, but the most interesting was the potential of treatment for dementia and Alzheimer's, among other brain diseases. So much of the research went over my head, but I loved seeing that there are brilliant minds working on a cure for something that is in the lives of so many people.
I think Le is more hopeful for good usages of AI and other neurological treatments than I am, but it was interesting to see a different perspective on all the ways technology can be good. I think in the Communication community we tend to see technology as something that works against us, rather than something that works for us. Our human tendency is laziness and technology can enhance that.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it could be a little too technical at times. I give it 4 stars.
March 4, 2020
Terrific book to understand the future of our Brain and Technology.
The pioneer entrepreneur and visionary Tan Le explores the history, state of art and future projections of the field, with a beautifully narrated mix of lived experiences and inspiring thoughts, from a first-person perspective and with interviews to the key players of Neurotech’s and beyond. Simply a must read!
The pioneer entrepreneur and visionary Tan Le explores the history, state of art and future projections of the field, with a beautifully narrated mix of lived experiences and inspiring thoughts, from a first-person perspective and with interviews to the key players of Neurotech’s and beyond. Simply a must read!
February 25, 2020
This book could easily have been three times longer and completely unreadable by a layperson. There is a massive amount of technology covered in this book, and Tan Le was trained as an attorney, she knows how to write undecipherable erudition if she wants to. (I love the old law review joke about the perfect article: it has a title with a subtitle together running a full page, fifty pages of footnotes, and absolutely no actual text. Good times!) As written, this book is almost too easy of a read given the seriousness of the topic and the massive amounts of science and technology behind the innovations discussed. If anyone wants to delve deeper, the book contains 23 pages of end notes. What was particularly so amazing to me is that the majority of this book covers technologies that are in some level of actual use right now. Maybe some of them will never be accessible to the masses, maybe some of them won't need to be (the last two chapters do discuss ethics). But, to this layperson, it was kind of mind-blowing just how much is being done right now, particularly with consumer electronics that cost less than a new lawn mower (Halo Neuroscience, EMOTIV)! This book will also satisfy the 2020 Watauga County Public Library Reading Challenge categories: A Book by an Author Who Is New to You; A Non-Fiction Book; A Book Published in 2020. I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
February 15, 2020
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you, Goodreads!
This non-fiction book addresses the study of the brain and advances in technology and science that are currently being developed and where this has us in the current state, where I could have us in the future, as well as the ethical and moral questions we should be asking ourselves before getting too far down this path.
Written by an inventor with an interest in neurotechnology, the writing is friendly, engaging and approachable. It is not dry, technical and difficult to wade through as you might expect. In 2 parts, the first part addresses where science is now - brain operated games, prosthetics and the beginning of cyborgs. The second investigates more closely where this road is taking us and what ethical questions we should be asking and regulating now, in terms of proper usage, and more. A highly recommended read that really makes you think about the future in different terms. Thank you for being readable and thought provoking.
This non-fiction book addresses the study of the brain and advances in technology and science that are currently being developed and where this has us in the current state, where I could have us in the future, as well as the ethical and moral questions we should be asking ourselves before getting too far down this path.
Written by an inventor with an interest in neurotechnology, the writing is friendly, engaging and approachable. It is not dry, technical and difficult to wade through as you might expect. In 2 parts, the first part addresses where science is now - brain operated games, prosthetics and the beginning of cyborgs. The second investigates more closely where this road is taking us and what ethical questions we should be asking and regulating now, in terms of proper usage, and more. A highly recommended read that really makes you think about the future in different terms. Thank you for being readable and thought provoking.
February 17, 2020
I won a copy of this book.
Medical stuff intrigues me. I find it especially intriguing when it's doing modifications to the body to enhance it (There's a South Park episode where Kyle wants to play basketball, but isn't tall enough, that I highly recommend you watch). Tan Le discusses some amazing people doing amazing things with the brain.
Want to learn and retain knowledge better? Cranial stimulation is what you need. Color blind? Let's give you an implant that can turn colors into music notes only you can hear. Paraplegic? We can turn your brain signals into real world movements, allowing you to be part of society again and not stuck in a useless body. We are at the start of something that is truly a game changer.
Medical stuff intrigues me. I find it especially intriguing when it's doing modifications to the body to enhance it (There's a South Park episode where Kyle wants to play basketball, but isn't tall enough, that I highly recommend you watch). Tan Le discusses some amazing people doing amazing things with the brain.
Want to learn and retain knowledge better? Cranial stimulation is what you need. Color blind? Let's give you an implant that can turn colors into music notes only you can hear. Paraplegic? We can turn your brain signals into real world movements, allowing you to be part of society again and not stuck in a useless body. We are at the start of something that is truly a game changer.
February 6, 2020
Excellent book through Tan’s journey to establish and pioneer the Emotiv company.
Highly recommended book A++++.
Highly recommended book A++++.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews