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Mind Shift: How culture transformed the human brain
John Parrington argues that social interaction and culture have deeply shaped the exceptional nature of human consciousness.
The mental capacities of the human mind far outstrip those of other animals. Our imaginations and creativity have produced art, music, and literature; built bridges and cathedrals; enabled us to probe distant galaxies, and to ponder the meaning of our existence. When our minds become disordered, they can also take us to the depths of despair. What makes the human brain unique, and able to generate such a rich mental life?
In this book, John Parrington draws on the latest research on the human brain to show how it differs strikingly from those of other animals in its structure and function at a molecular and cellular level. And he argues that this 'shift', enlarging the brain, giving it greater flexibility and enabling higher functions such as imagination, was driven by tool use, but especially by the development of one remarkable tool - language.
The complex social interaction brought by language opened up the possibility of shared conceptual worlds, enriched with rhythmic sounds, and images that could be drawn on cave walls. This transformation enabled modern humans to leap rapidly beyond all other species, and generated an exceptional human consciousness, a sense of self that arises as a product of our brain biology and the social interactions we experience.
Our minds, even those of identical twins, are unique because they are the result of this extraordinarily plastic brain, exquisitely shaped and tuned by the social and cultural environment in which we grew up and to which we continue to respond through life. Linking early work by the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky to the findings of modern neuroscience, Parrington explores how language, culture, and society mediate brain function, and what this view of the human mind may bring to our understanding and treatment of mental illness.
The mental capacities of the human mind far outstrip those of other animals. Our imaginations and creativity have produced art, music, and literature; built bridges and cathedrals; enabled us to probe distant galaxies, and to ponder the meaning of our existence. When our minds become disordered, they can also take us to the depths of despair. What makes the human brain unique, and able to generate such a rich mental life?
In this book, John Parrington draws on the latest research on the human brain to show how it differs strikingly from those of other animals in its structure and function at a molecular and cellular level. And he argues that this 'shift', enlarging the brain, giving it greater flexibility and enabling higher functions such as imagination, was driven by tool use, but especially by the development of one remarkable tool - language.
The complex social interaction brought by language opened up the possibility of shared conceptual worlds, enriched with rhythmic sounds, and images that could be drawn on cave walls. This transformation enabled modern humans to leap rapidly beyond all other species, and generated an exceptional human consciousness, a sense of self that arises as a product of our brain biology and the social interactions we experience.
Our minds, even those of identical twins, are unique because they are the result of this extraordinarily plastic brain, exquisitely shaped and tuned by the social and cultural environment in which we grew up and to which we continue to respond through life. Linking early work by the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky to the findings of modern neuroscience, Parrington explores how language, culture, and society mediate brain function, and what this view of the human mind may bring to our understanding and treatment of mental illness.
- GenresPsychologyNonfiction
544 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2021
3 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
John Parrington
15 books8 followersJohn Parrington is an Associate Professor in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at the University of Oxford.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 15, 2022
Considering myself to be this author's biggest fan, I have been eagerly awaiting cracking into this book. John Parrington is a tutor at Worcester and Exeter (yuck) colleges in Oxford. Currently on sabbatical for a year, hopefully he will have plenty of time to take my upcoming comments into account and correct this book accordingly.
Despite being an Oxford fellow, John is originally from Bradford. This takes me to my first critique with the book. This subject matter seems to be the perfect opportunity to discuss the age old question of whether Northerners and Southerners differ significantly in terms of brain chemistry. As a Yorkshireman who has sold out by moving down South, John is perfectly positioned to tackle this topic so, alas, it's omission is glaring.
Another item missing from the text is reference to an old favourite of mine, two pore channel 2 (or, by the tautology that John refers to them as, TPC2 channels). One may ask what business TPCs have in a book tacking the intricacies of the human mind. Yet what one must understand is TPCs are magical proteins capable of almost everything. And given they are on the forefront of everyone's mind these days, a gaping hole is left by their absence. John, I implore you, give the people what they want!
I was also rather disappointed by the cover. Rather than splashing a random assortment of different coloured and overlapping circles, surely the clear choice was a picture of the author himself. And of the many possible options, it is hard to look past John holding a pig in his arms in Southern Spain. And while we're on the topic, where on earth was the mention of pig sperm in this book that we have all come to expect from John?
Having covered what is missing from this book, it feels fitting to address what is actually in it. The first part is entitled 'Origins of the mind'. I would describe this as good with a hint of excellent. It could be improved with more clinical and experimental evidence. 69/100 so in the high 2:1 phase but, if you spend some time working on this I'm confident you can get a 71/100.
The following sections of the book are completely different, both in terms of quality and content. Yet they still have their fair share of good, excellent and even some lesser-spotted very good in there. Whilst I graded the first section out of hundred, I feel it will be more appropriate to give a mark out of 76. My final judgement is 55/76, which equates to a gold star, or a pat on the back (redeemable at any time).
I'm sure everyone can relate with me in saying that life feels deeply empty having finished this book and I am counting down the days before John's next release. The chatter on the streets is that Parrington's next work already has a title. If all the rumours are to be believed, I would like to throw my hat in the ring early on to be a collaborator. And, as a piece of free advice, may I suggest releasing the book in 15 second segments on TikTok (read by John of course) in order to build anticipation. Of course that would be totally unnecessary for me as it is already the last thing I think of when I go to bed and my first thought when I wake up.
Despite being an Oxford fellow, John is originally from Bradford. This takes me to my first critique with the book. This subject matter seems to be the perfect opportunity to discuss the age old question of whether Northerners and Southerners differ significantly in terms of brain chemistry. As a Yorkshireman who has sold out by moving down South, John is perfectly positioned to tackle this topic so, alas, it's omission is glaring.
Another item missing from the text is reference to an old favourite of mine, two pore channel 2 (or, by the tautology that John refers to them as, TPC2 channels). One may ask what business TPCs have in a book tacking the intricacies of the human mind. Yet what one must understand is TPCs are magical proteins capable of almost everything. And given they are on the forefront of everyone's mind these days, a gaping hole is left by their absence. John, I implore you, give the people what they want!
I was also rather disappointed by the cover. Rather than splashing a random assortment of different coloured and overlapping circles, surely the clear choice was a picture of the author himself. And of the many possible options, it is hard to look past John holding a pig in his arms in Southern Spain. And while we're on the topic, where on earth was the mention of pig sperm in this book that we have all come to expect from John?
Having covered what is missing from this book, it feels fitting to address what is actually in it. The first part is entitled 'Origins of the mind'. I would describe this as good with a hint of excellent. It could be improved with more clinical and experimental evidence. 69/100 so in the high 2:1 phase but, if you spend some time working on this I'm confident you can get a 71/100.
The following sections of the book are completely different, both in terms of quality and content. Yet they still have their fair share of good, excellent and even some lesser-spotted very good in there. Whilst I graded the first section out of hundred, I feel it will be more appropriate to give a mark out of 76. My final judgement is 55/76, which equates to a gold star, or a pat on the back (redeemable at any time).
I'm sure everyone can relate with me in saying that life feels deeply empty having finished this book and I am counting down the days before John's next release. The chatter on the streets is that Parrington's next work already has a title. If all the rumours are to be believed, I would like to throw my hat in the ring early on to be a collaborator. And, as a piece of free advice, may I suggest releasing the book in 15 second segments on TikTok (read by John of course) in order to build anticipation. Of course that would be totally unnecessary for me as it is already the last thing I think of when I go to bed and my first thought when I wake up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2026
The author of this excellent book is an expert in pharmacology and genetics, but he is totally opposed to genetic determinism. He convincingly shows that to understand human behaviour, human differences, social inequality, mental illness etc, the study of our biology is not enough. We also need to take account of the vital importance of factors relating to upbringing, environment and society.
The book is incredibly wide-ranging. It covers everything from the origin of humans to the amazing flexibility of the human brain; from genetics and epigenetics to human consciousness; from mental illness to creativity and imagination.
I don’t feel qualified to comment on some of the technical sections of the book. But most of the book is very accessible for the interested non-specialist, and I found that I agreed with most of the arguments that Parrington puts forward.
That does not mean that I agree with everything the author says. For example, after rightly listing many of the weaknesses in Freud’s ideas, he disappoints me by saying that there are still things we can learn from Freud. Personally, I go along with biologist Peter Medawar’s view that psychoanalysis is “the most stupendous intellectual confidence trick of the twentieth century”. (Quoted by Parrington himself!)
Underlying all the specific things wrong with Freudianism, some of which Parrington mentions, is the fundamental problem that it is totally unscientific. Darwinism, for example, IS a scientific theory because it can be tested against the real world. There is evidence to support it. This does not apply to Freud’s ideas, which are basically untestable assertions – sometimes plausible but more often bizarre.
Freud was an expert at imposing his own preconceived ideas onto vulnerable, suggestible and gullible patients, and thousands of psychotherapists (whether well-intentioned or downright fraudulent) have followed in his footsteps.
Finally, Parrington is a Marxist. This is fine by me, because he belongs to the genuine Marxist tradition which puts democracy at its core. He is strongly opposed to Stalinism, with its bureaucracy and tyranny. But given his Marxism, I was disappointed that there was no discussion of the dialectical approach to science and society, as advocated, for example, by the (sadly recently deceased) geneticist and Marxist, Richard Lewontin. In fact Lewontin does not even get a mention in the index – a big omission as far as I am concerned.
Overall, this is an important book which I strongly recommend.
The book is incredibly wide-ranging. It covers everything from the origin of humans to the amazing flexibility of the human brain; from genetics and epigenetics to human consciousness; from mental illness to creativity and imagination.
I don’t feel qualified to comment on some of the technical sections of the book. But most of the book is very accessible for the interested non-specialist, and I found that I agreed with most of the arguments that Parrington puts forward.
That does not mean that I agree with everything the author says. For example, after rightly listing many of the weaknesses in Freud’s ideas, he disappoints me by saying that there are still things we can learn from Freud. Personally, I go along with biologist Peter Medawar’s view that psychoanalysis is “the most stupendous intellectual confidence trick of the twentieth century”. (Quoted by Parrington himself!)
Underlying all the specific things wrong with Freudianism, some of which Parrington mentions, is the fundamental problem that it is totally unscientific. Darwinism, for example, IS a scientific theory because it can be tested against the real world. There is evidence to support it. This does not apply to Freud’s ideas, which are basically untestable assertions – sometimes plausible but more often bizarre.
Freud was an expert at imposing his own preconceived ideas onto vulnerable, suggestible and gullible patients, and thousands of psychotherapists (whether well-intentioned or downright fraudulent) have followed in his footsteps.
Finally, Parrington is a Marxist. This is fine by me, because he belongs to the genuine Marxist tradition which puts democracy at its core. He is strongly opposed to Stalinism, with its bureaucracy and tyranny. But given his Marxism, I was disappointed that there was no discussion of the dialectical approach to science and society, as advocated, for example, by the (sadly recently deceased) geneticist and Marxist, Richard Lewontin. In fact Lewontin does not even get a mention in the index – a big omission as far as I am concerned.
Overall, this is an important book which I strongly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews