Mindfield: How Brain Science is Changing Our World

by Lone Frank

The age of the brain is upon us. The realisation that the fundamental building blocks of our world consist of brains rather than nations, electrons, or even DNA is ushering in a ‘neurocentric’ revolution, challenging how we think about everything from morality to the stock market, and how we view ourselves. Serving as guide and human guinea pig, the author introduces the leading brain researchers whose work is changing our understanding of ethics, religion, and personal happiness, and influencing economics, society, and even the judicial system. This is the first book to document the rise of ‘neurocentrism’: a concept in which the very essence of what it is to be human is located in the brain. While it may seem limiting to reduce humanity to the 1300 grams of tissue between our ears, the emerging truth is that such acceptance will allow us to transcend human nature. Writer, editor, presenter, and public lecturer, Dr Lone Frank has been involved in the study of science and ethics for over ten years.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Psychology, Popular Science, Neuroscience, Biology, Atheism

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Lone Frank is a Danish science journalist, author and PhD in neurobiology. Since 1998 she has written for newspapers. She is also a commentator and lecturer and has worked in radio and television; including organized and participated in science series on television, talking about controversial issues such as heritability of IQ and race and intelligence. She received her master's degree in biology on a thesis about "the transcriptional regulation of glutamate receptors in cerebral ischemia" from Aarhus University in 1992.

In September 2011 her book, My Beautiful Genome: Exposing Our Genetic Future, One Quirk at a Time was released to positive reviews. The book is based on a number of genetic-based tests, which aims to clarify the biological context of human personal development. It was also released in German, Norwegian and Dutch.

(Source)

Reviews

[Nicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lone Frank writes well and clearly, but the attitude is very much one of Science Is Greater Than Everything. I'm fairly sympathetic to those who oppose organised religions, but implications that anyone who believes in a god or gods are childish/stupid really get on my nerves. The idea seems to be that religion should be stamped out so that it doesn't impact on political policy, because saying that people's beliefs are between them and their god doesn't work.

Well it would work, if everyone agreed to secular rule, which to my mind is fine. But as a Unitarian Universalist, it gets my goat when people want to dictate other people's private beliefs or shame them about them, and I got the sense that Lone Frank's attitude is very much that kind of attitude.

So, gave up due to headdesk worthy disagreements in outlooks. (I'm pretty sure Frank would feel the same way about me.)

[Beth (bibliobeth) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite excited when I saw this title at my local library as my favourite non-fiction books are usually science-based and I’m fascinated with the whole area of neuroscience which is constantly changing as we learn more about the mysterious goings-on of our brains. Looking at the contents page also provides some scope for excitement with intriguing titles such as “Finding God in the synapses: your own personal Jesus,” “Happiness is a cognitive workout,” and “Lies, damn lies – the prints are all over your cortex.” So, interesting content and a science writer with a sense of humour… sounds like my perfect book but in reality I’m afraid it fell slightly flat.

This is not to say that this is a bad read because it definitely isn’t and I guess it just depends what you’re looking for from the book. It’s chock-a-block with interesting facts and figures and I enjoyed reading about the number of studies that have been carried out in the name of neuroscience, bad or good depending on the answers it gave the researchers and in many cases, from the author’s personal (and often strong) opinion! One particularly mind-boggling and often controversial example is the area of religion when associated with the brain.

Basically, from a very young age, our surroundings and parental beliefs have a direct impact on what is hard-wired into the brain in much the same way that we learn the complexities of language. Having a large amount of serotonin (that happy hormone) in our brains affects the extent to which a person is spiritual and researchers have shown that actual spiritual experiences can be induced by increasing the brain’s natural supply of our own personal opiate system. One of my favourite experimental examples related to this is “The God Helmet.” This was a piece of apparatus developed by scientists Koren and Persinger to study events occurring when the temporal lobe of the brain was stimulated. Our author was the perfect test subject as she noted the feeling of a “presence,” when wearing the helmet. Persinger has confirmed that for several subjects “mystical experiences and altered states,” were reported but what does this mean for religion? Is it just because our temporal lobe has been stimulated that we are aware of the presence of God? Other scientists seem to think so and have quite a lot to say about religion: Boyer called it “a parasite on our cognitive apparatus,” and more recently the loud and proud atheist Richard Dawkins said it was “comparable to the smallpox virus but harder to eradicate.” Yikes, I may not be a religious person but harsh words, Mr Dawkins!

I think the above chapter on religion was probably my favourite point of the entire book as other chapters focused on economics, ethics and marketing which although easy to read became slightly dull and are not really my cup of tea. Perhaps I was expecting too much from this book as unfortunately I didn’t really find out anything I didn’t know already. Although some parts were humorous I did also feel that the author tended to get on her soap box and was rather close-minded when discussing a personal opinion of her own that she was convinced was correct/the only possible explanation. Saying that, her passion for the subject area cannot be faulted and may be a writing style that can be appreciated by a different reader.

Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.com

[Arlette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really about what I wanted to get into scientific research for some time ago. I got back from that decision real quick but reading about neuroscience still makes me feel excited and curious. This work, as the title suggests (The Fifth Revolution), is revolutionary. It describes what brain research can do and will be able to do in the future, and how it will change our view on the world and, most importantly, on ourselves as individuals. Especially the conclusion is a very challenging but interesting read. I'm looking forward to Lone Franks next book.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did like it - a lot! However, as with all the books on this subject, there are still questions remaining. How ever well the research delves into the mechanics of the mind, there still remains the question of how the individual drives it! Having read Susan Greenfield, Ramachandran, Gazziniger, etc., all of the information presented is fascinating but limited. Knowing which areas of the brain does what, or how much neuroplasticity the young brain posses will never cease to amaze. But how it is driven is far more fascinating! But Lone Frank is still one to read.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you have any interest at all in how your brain works, and like an author with a dry sense of humour, be sure to pick this up. From singing nuns and happy buddhists to evil capitalists, this book does an excellent job of revealing what kind of future our brains may lead us to.

[Jozef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik twijfelde tussen 2 of 3 sterren. Het is over het algemeen nochtans een zeer goed hoorcollege,
maar er zit één verschikkelijke valse nood in:
De titel van dit college komt van deze volgorde van revoluties:
1) Het heliocentrisme van Copernicus / galilei.
2) De evolutietheorie van Charles Darwin
3) Freudiaanse psychologie
4) De relativiteitstheorie van Albert Einstein
5) De hersenwetenschappen (waarover deze lezing gaat)

Zoek de vreemde eend in te bijt... Freudiaanse psychologie natuurlijk. Alhoewel Freud dat zelf verkondigde waren zijn theorieën helemaal geen revolutie in de geschiedenis van de kennis en van ons denken over de wereld (en God). Freud was in werkelijkheid een zwarte pagina in de wetenschap. Hij heeft niets nieuws gebracht maar wel veel onzin.
Ik ben akkoord dat dit de vijfde revolutie is, maar dan zou in als 4de (in plaats van Freud en na Einstein) de cognitieve gedragswetenschap plaatsen in plaats van een kwaklzalverstheorie.
Ik ging hier maar één ster voor aftrekken, maar ze herhaald de vermeende successen van Freud te dikwijls in het boek. Op het einde beweert ze zelfs dat Freuds theorieën gemeen goed geworden is onder wetenschappers, wat natuulijk onjuist is. Enkel nog een verzameling hardliners onder de psychologen neem psychoanalyse nog eau sérieux.

Nog een uitschuiver: in het boek wordt ook positieve psychologie serieus genomen, maar dat vergeet ik haar. De uitgebreide fraude in dit domein is pas na de publicatie van dit boek uitgekomen.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lone Frank is a Danish journalist with a Ph.D. in neurobiology. She has written a survey of the latest research and findings in brain science, explaining how that research must affect the way we think about a wide range of topics from justice to aesthetics. She interviewed many of the leading researchers and wrote the book as a set of interconnected essays about that research. The book is fascinating and engaging, and has the right level of popularization and detail.

[Catherine Davison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without doubt the most intellectually stimulating, thought provoking and accessible book I've read in a long time. I loved reading this book and I recommend it to anyone who has ever pondered the questions such as free will, self determination, morality, ethical behaviour both individual & State. This is a terrific read!

[Chris]

This one is available in English translation, too. Recommended for anyone about to take the 23andme plunge.

[Jarmo Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

En stort sett interessant bok om hjernen og hjerneforskning på forskjellige plan som f.eks. løgn, lykke, moral og økonomi som jeg ikke kan huske å ha lest om i andre bøker om hjernen.
Når det er sagt så er forfatteren en selvskreven ateist og gir religion søplebøtteadressen. Hun henviser til ateister som Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris og Daniel Dennet m.f. som folk som gjør det bra når det kommer til å bekjempe religion. Dette viet hun et ganske langt kapittel og mere til og mener at hjerneforskning kan gi svar på de religiøse opplevelsene som en salig kjemisk mikstur. Jeg synes ikke hun klarer å forklare seg godt nok og det at man kan fremkalle visse religiøse opplevelser ved å pirre et spesielt sted i hjernen gjør ikke religion, i mitt tilfelle kristendommen usann. Kristendommen baserer seg ikke først og fremst om dype åndelige opplevelser men på Jesu oppstandelse som et historisk fenomen. Det finnes flere apologeter som kan vise til en overlegen troverdighet rundt historisiteten av oppstandelsen.

Lone Frank er en iherdig evolusjonist og gir ofte evolusjonen æren i form av mange «just so» historier uten empirisk dekning. I tillegg skriver hun noe feilaktig om ID bevegelsen. Den baserer seg ikke på en kristen visjon, men er mer nøytral rundt Skaperens identitet. Forfatteren tar også for seg moralfilosofi inn i hjernedebatten. Lone Frank mener også feilaktig at mennesket ikke har en sjel, men kun er biologisk masse.
En annen ting er at hun sier at vi nedstammer fra en linje av aper. Sier en kreasjonist at evolusjonister tror vi stammer fra apene så sier de at det er feil og påpeker at de bare har felles stamfar. Denne feilslutningen har jeg sett i et par andre bøker jeg også har lest i den siste tiden. Kanskje det er innafor å hevde at vi stammer fra apene igjen?
Tross slike ting så prøver jeg å overse det litt og fokusere på de interessante og givende delene av boken og hjerneforskningen.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this book treated the rest of science on the brain as it did with religion in the opening chapter, this would have been a clear one-star. Fortunately, it gets a little bit better, because not all topics are as easy to get lost in as religion and philosophy of mind. Lone does not even try to let the other side speak but rather relies on the four horsemen of new atheism to speak their case.

The other chapters are kinda ok when the contents are actual science, but Lone can go for a few pages just to describe the scene and in one chapter - these journalistic setting descriptions end up being such a big part of the whole. They add nothing other than a bit of readability, maybe.

I am not convinced that it is a good idea for a journalist to write a book like this, and it is much better to go read the sources themselves instead - or some scientist who can offer much better insight into the whole of the conversation.

So if chapter 1 is a 1 star, the rest may be 3 stars, then the ghost of chapter one makes the whole of the book sink down to a 2 star.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nederlandse vertaling gelezen.

Het is een wetenschappelijk boek dat was meer een een roman stijl geschreven is. Je gaat op pad met Lone Frank, ze is een neurobioloog en wetenschapsjournalist.
De data is waarschijnlijk wat gedateerd want de oorspronkelijke druk komt uit 2007. Het is alsnog heel interessant en een handig plaatje van hersenen die wat meer inzicht geeft.
Leuk boek ook voor iemand die zich nog niet in dit onderwerp heeft verdiept.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lone Frank, as a another review states, writes well and clearly. But. Today there are better books out there on this topic: Rita Carter's book is a great introduction to neurology (even though it was published a decade before Frank's book); Sam Kean's book is wonderful; Sapolsky's 'Behave' is another one.
Be prudent with your time, and pick another book.

[Ashton Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember this was one of the first books I ever read about the brain, and since then have been obsessed with it all..

I am so grateful to have read this so early on in my life.

Must read!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring and entertaining stories from the fringes of the field of Neuroscience.

[Stinne Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vild formidling af kompliceret stof
Virkelig interessant

[Maja Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected. Interesting and some what funny.

[Judith Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting but bad publishing/printing as many part of chapters repeated. There have been some complaints that she is very anti-religion.

[Jonas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het boek geeft een goed overzicht van wat de neuro-wetenschap zal of kan brengen. De schrijfstijl is een grote zwakte. De auteur wringt zich te vaak als speler in de uiteenzetting. Ik kan me niet van het gevoel ontdoen dat dezelfde inhoud beter gebracht kon worden (zelfs al is niet iedereen een Malcolm Gladwell).

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written in such an accessible style! For someone who studies physics full-time, the last thing I want when I settle down to read a book is to be confronted with another dry tome of yet more facts and figures. This book is nothing of the sort, with a wonderful human voice present throughout.

[Erika]

By far the most fascinating chapter was on the brain and religion.
The writing style is very much like a newspaper feature article instead of a non-fiction book which was somewhat disconcerting.. I got the impression that the author's first language was not English due to some occasionally awkward phrasing - not a fault as such but occasionally hard to get one's head around.

[Nancy]

Lone Frank is a genius! She has written a book on neuroscience that anyone can understand. She not only covers the use of the advances in neuroscience that can aid those until to speak, but stretches it to the uses of being able to tell whether or not a person makes moral choices.

It is a real eye opener to where science has come and where it can go.

[Jiajia Liu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, the information is in the area i have general interests in. However i was not thrilled by the writing style. the journalistic approach to science that makes the author sounds more like a paparazzi than scientific journalist.

Took me a long time to finish the book because at some point, the high school gossiping tone of this book became too hard to bear.

[Martyn F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als je wilt weten hoe de toekomst er uit gaat zien, is dit boek een aanrader. Lone Frank beschrijft in heldere taal de stand van zaken omtrent hersenwetenschap. Ze laat daarbij ook goed zien wat de impact op onze samenleving kan zijn.

Ik vond het superinteressant en ben benieuwd wat de toekomst ons gaat bieden!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should have tickled my brain more than it did. The author injects herself into the telling more than she should, and she seems really, really cranky.

[Torben · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strangely barren though the knowledgestuff makes me want more. Tried twice to read it, but I need some love and passion, though. Gave up.

[Chris]

Lone Frank tries on the god helmet so you don't have to.

[Vilde Aurora Halle Tvedten]

Hjernen er fanken meg stjernen!🤗