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I neuroni specchio. Come capiamo ciò che fanno gli altri
What accounts for the remarkable ability to get inside another person’s head—to know what they’re thinking and feeling? “Mind reading” is the very heart of what it means to be human, creating a bridge between self and others that is fundamental to the development of culture and society. But until recently, scientists didn’t understand what in the brain makes it possible. This has all changed in the last decade. Marco Iacoboni, a leading neuroscientist whose work has been covered in The New York Times , the Los Angeles Times , and The Wall Street Journal , explains the groundbreaking research into mirror neurons, the “smart cells” in our brain that allow us to understand others. From imitation to morality, from learning to addiction, from political affiliations to consumer choices, mirror neurons seem to have properties that are relevant to all these aspects of social cognition. As The New York Times “The discovery is shaking up numerous scientific disciplines, shifting the understanding of culture, empathy, philosophy, language, imitation, autism and psychotherapy.” Mirroring People is the first book for the general reader on this revolutionary new science.
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First published January 1, 2008
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August 14, 2010
I've run across so many non-fiction duds recently that I thought it would be helpful to make a short list of what I look for in a good non-fiction book. There are obvious additions or deletions, depending on whether one is talking about biography, current affairs, history or popular science. But for a book like this one, advertised as an accessible account of recent developments in an important branch of neuroscience, here's a short list of what I hope for:
# Context: give me a sense of where the material in the book fits in the overall scheme of things.
# Organization and signposting: find a reasonable scheme for organizing the material and stick to it. Tell me at the outset what you're going to cover, then cover it, then tell me again what the important takeaway message is.
# Establish credibility: be authoritative without being condescending or vain.
# Be intelligible: write clearly, and at a level that's appropriate for your target reader (note that this requires that you actually have a specific readership in mind). Avoid academic jargon as far as possible.
# Incorporate figures, graphs, and diagrams intelligently - this can often eliminate huge swaths of verbiage.
# Choose good examples. Ideally, they should grab the reader's attention, motivate the questions discussed and illuminate the answers.
Regrettably, Marco Iacoboni's Mirroring People fails to satisfy almost all of these desiderata. I found the book so annoying that I couldn't be bothered finishing it.
Many of the problems can be traced back to the fact that Dr Iacoboni seems to have believed that, since he wasn't writing primarily for neuroscientists, it would be acceptable to:
# give perfunctory descriptions of experimental work,
# sum up results only in the vaguest of qualitative terms (effects are almost never expressed quantitatively)
# over-interpret data to fit pre-existing hypotheses
# fail to discuss limitations of experimental work, or give fair discussion of competing interpretations.
Judged as an overview of a body of scientific work, the book fails miserably. Note that I am not saying that the conclusions presented are wrong*. But the summarization of data is so vague and sloppy that the reader is unable to judge whether or not they are valid.
This leaves one in the unsatisfactory position of being asked to take it on trust "from the expert". The problem there is that everything about Dr Iacoboni's style leads the reader in just the opposite direction - the way this book is written raises warning flags on almost every page. It begins with his hagiographic introduction to some of the key researchers in the area, all - not coincidentally - Italian like himself. Referring to them as the "Fab Four" was not a good idea. And this kind of blather only serves to antagonize the reader:
"maybe this talent for deep insight is why [he:]... reminds me of Albert Einstein"
"He is one of the 27 members of the exclusive Club dei 27 (www.clubdei27.com), wherein each member personifies one of Verdi's 27 operas"
Intuitions of these uber-scientists are "incomparable", "uncanny"; their talents are unique, special, almost not of this world.
"Now we can add neuroscience to the list of Parma's world-class exports."
DUDE - I'm all for a little local pride, but there's such a thing as overkill. Most readers will be unable to suppress the eye-rolling reflex, you lay it on so thick. And by the same token, please don't keep dragging your lovely daughter Caterina into the damned book. I don't care that she's in sixth grade, gets a lot of homework, is passionate about her ballet lessons; nor do I care about your lovely wife. If you're feeling guilty that you may have neglected your family while working on this book, take them to Disneyland or something. Don't drag them in as bit players.
I wouldn't be anywhere near as cranky about the extraneous stuff that the author drags in if it weren't for the serious omissions. But failure to provide adequate detail about experimental results in a book that runs to 300 pages is a major problem. Also, is there some problem about figures and summary tables, criminally absent from this book? Almost every discussion of experimental work in the book could have been improved (and shortened) by a suitably chosen summary table or graph. It's really not hard. Even the newspapers are doing it nowadays.
I could go on, but you get the general drift. The book is an annoying mess, and I remain completely baffled by those reviews that described it as an "accessible account". Only if your expectations are very low indeed would this book not be a disappointment. Mirror neurons may indeed play a critical role in the future of neuroscientific research, but a decent, accessible account of their importance is still outstanding. This book fails on almost every level.
*: though conclusions about a putative link between mirror neurons and language acquisition seem clearly overstated; the imagined linking between single-cell results and imaging data appears based on little more than anecdotal data in a handful of subjects. The author remembers to include the mantra "correlation is not causation" every 20 pages or so; unfortunately he appears to take this as license to ignore it completely for the intervening 19 pages. Rampant speculation abounds.
# Context: give me a sense of where the material in the book fits in the overall scheme of things.
# Organization and signposting: find a reasonable scheme for organizing the material and stick to it. Tell me at the outset what you're going to cover, then cover it, then tell me again what the important takeaway message is.
# Establish credibility: be authoritative without being condescending or vain.
# Be intelligible: write clearly, and at a level that's appropriate for your target reader (note that this requires that you actually have a specific readership in mind). Avoid academic jargon as far as possible.
# Incorporate figures, graphs, and diagrams intelligently - this can often eliminate huge swaths of verbiage.
# Choose good examples. Ideally, they should grab the reader's attention, motivate the questions discussed and illuminate the answers.
Regrettably, Marco Iacoboni's Mirroring People fails to satisfy almost all of these desiderata. I found the book so annoying that I couldn't be bothered finishing it.
Many of the problems can be traced back to the fact that Dr Iacoboni seems to have believed that, since he wasn't writing primarily for neuroscientists, it would be acceptable to:
# give perfunctory descriptions of experimental work,
# sum up results only in the vaguest of qualitative terms (effects are almost never expressed quantitatively)
# over-interpret data to fit pre-existing hypotheses
# fail to discuss limitations of experimental work, or give fair discussion of competing interpretations.
Judged as an overview of a body of scientific work, the book fails miserably. Note that I am not saying that the conclusions presented are wrong*. But the summarization of data is so vague and sloppy that the reader is unable to judge whether or not they are valid.
This leaves one in the unsatisfactory position of being asked to take it on trust "from the expert". The problem there is that everything about Dr Iacoboni's style leads the reader in just the opposite direction - the way this book is written raises warning flags on almost every page. It begins with his hagiographic introduction to some of the key researchers in the area, all - not coincidentally - Italian like himself. Referring to them as the "Fab Four" was not a good idea. And this kind of blather only serves to antagonize the reader:
"maybe this talent for deep insight is why [he:]... reminds me of Albert Einstein"
"He is one of the 27 members of the exclusive Club dei 27 (www.clubdei27.com), wherein each member personifies one of Verdi's 27 operas"
Intuitions of these uber-scientists are "incomparable", "uncanny"; their talents are unique, special, almost not of this world.
"Now we can add neuroscience to the list of Parma's world-class exports."
DUDE - I'm all for a little local pride, but there's such a thing as overkill. Most readers will be unable to suppress the eye-rolling reflex, you lay it on so thick. And by the same token, please don't keep dragging your lovely daughter Caterina into the damned book. I don't care that she's in sixth grade, gets a lot of homework, is passionate about her ballet lessons; nor do I care about your lovely wife. If you're feeling guilty that you may have neglected your family while working on this book, take them to Disneyland or something. Don't drag them in as bit players.
I wouldn't be anywhere near as cranky about the extraneous stuff that the author drags in if it weren't for the serious omissions. But failure to provide adequate detail about experimental results in a book that runs to 300 pages is a major problem. Also, is there some problem about figures and summary tables, criminally absent from this book? Almost every discussion of experimental work in the book could have been improved (and shortened) by a suitably chosen summary table or graph. It's really not hard. Even the newspapers are doing it nowadays.
I could go on, but you get the general drift. The book is an annoying mess, and I remain completely baffled by those reviews that described it as an "accessible account". Only if your expectations are very low indeed would this book not be a disappointment. Mirror neurons may indeed play a critical role in the future of neuroscientific research, but a decent, accessible account of their importance is still outstanding. This book fails on almost every level.
*: though conclusions about a putative link between mirror neurons and language acquisition seem clearly overstated; the imagined linking between single-cell results and imaging data appears based on little more than anecdotal data in a handful of subjects. The author remembers to include the mantra "correlation is not causation" every 20 pages or so; unfortunately he appears to take this as license to ignore it completely for the intervening 19 pages. Rampant speculation abounds.
February 1, 2009
This book isn't an "easy read", but it rewards your careful attention with wonderful insights into neuroscience, psychology, and the day-to-day practice of science, including fascinating descriptions of ingenious experimental designs. Starting with the fantastic, serendipitous first discovery of "mirror neurons", Iacobini guides you along a path of years of theoretical speculation and experimentation, ending up at our current state of understanding of the role of mirror neurons in human cognition -- most particularly, how mirror neurons enable us to empathize with and understand other people. How do we know what someone is up to when they smile a certain way or do certain things? Iacobini explains that we don't understand others by "logical analysis", which would be far too slow and cumbersome. (Imagine trying to successfully maneuver through, say, a big party if you had to consciously think about and analyze every little thing you saw people doing in order to know how to respond! You'd probably give up and run away!) Instead, and amazingly (at least until you really think about it), we understand others by "mirroring" the things we see other people doing, and feeling what it's like to be in that person's shoes. For instance, when I see you smile a certain way, I subconsciously and subtly activate the muscles in my face to echo your expression. Voila! Instantly, without any conscious analysis whatsoever, I know that you're being sarcastic! Iacobini's book is full of fantastic information like this, including data which helps to explain why people with social deficits (e.g., autistic children) are the way they are: their mirror neuron systems don't function properly ... as experiments, desrcribed by Iacobini, establish. If you're interested in neuroscience, and want to know more about mirror neurons, this is the perfect book for you. I've read many books about neuroscience (from Damasio to Edelman to Ramachandran) and this book compares favorably with the best -- it's enlightening, clearly written, and neither too esoteric nor too simple. It's just right!
January 17, 2011
I wanted to like this book. The topic is one I wanted to learn more about, and it did give me some direction about where to look for that information (I just wish I still had access to those journal databases). Unfortunately, the book itself is mediocre at best: too dry to be a fluffy read and too vague to satisfy much as a scientific one, with a gratingly self-congratulatory tone. Iacoboni provided plenty of examples of why this subject is important and the experimental setups seemed reasonably well-explained for a general audience, but he failed to provide much in the way of results before jumping right to conclusions that I was not convinced were always warranted given the tiny sample sizes involved.
October 22, 2019
(The English review is placed beneath Russian one)
Уже из названия книги понятно, что речь пойдёт о зеркальных нейронах. Не знаю как остальным, но меня всегда эта тема привлекала, поэтому я рассчитывал на интересный non-fiction. В реальности же оказалось, что книга невероятно растянута и в целом написана довольно сухо. И вместо того, чтобы прочитать всё возможное о зеркальных нейронах, я уже после первой четверти книги задумался над вопросом: а стоит ли продолжать чтение?
Нужно отметить, и это спасло книгу от отрицательной оценки, книга действительно полностью посвящается вопросу зеркальных нейронов, а, следовательно, тем, кто хочет по максимум узнать о данной теме или лучше сказать, если кому-то нужна максимально полная книга по данной теме (для реферата ли или для дальнейшего исследования этого вопроса), эта книга определённо подходит. Правда, необходимо учесть, что книга вышла в 2008 году и, следовательно, к текущему моменту утратила часть своей ценности, в особенности, если выйдет более удачная альтернатива.
Второй момент, это затянутость. Теме зеркальных нейронов отводят одну-две главы почти в каждом учебнике по психологии, и объясняется эта тема довольно удачно. Настолько удачно, что одной-двух глав из хорошего учебника по психологии мне хватило, чтобы понять, что половина данной книги совершенно ничего нового не добавило в эти прочитанные две главы (условные две главы, т.к. очень много книг по психологии описывают эти самые зеркальные нейроны, но отдают этой теме определенно меньше половины книги, а чаще всего, лишь те самые 1-2 главы). Вот и получилось, что дойдя до половины, я ничего нового для себя не обнаружил. Более того, можно просто продолжать читать бестселлеры по психологии или просто популярные книги по психологии, не боясь что-то важное упустить. Так что, да, растянутость.
Или вот смотрим, кого упоминают авторы книги. Обезьян. На всякий случай скажу, что зеркальные нейроны были обнаружены именно при помощи (пусть и совершенно случайно) обезьян. Однако авторы не останавливаются на этом факте (который так же часто упоминается в более популярных книгах по психологии, включая книги Дэвида Майерса) продолжая писать про обезьян. И вот дойдя до четверти книги, я понял, что уже не могу читать про них, что я устал и что меня больше интересуют люди, а не животные. Возможно, для тех, кто занимается нейропсихологией более серьезно, чем я, именно обезьяны намного более интересны. Не спорю. Но явно не для меня.
И последнее. Авторы дальше пишут о более интересных (но также широко известных) вещах, как то: влияние настроения родителей на здоровье младенца (т.е. младенец считывает настроение родителей благодаря тем самым зеркальным нейронам из-за чего становится беспокойным) и что в целом люди могут понять, что думают другие, отзеркаливая их невербальные сигналы (автор приводит пример историю с Гарри Поттером, когда его мысли пытался читать тот-кого-нельзя-называть). Кажется, что интересно. Однако, как я сказал, я ничего нового не нашёл, за исключением того, что книгу можно было смело сокращать в два раза.
Возможно, на оценку также повлияло излишняя усложнённость текста, его тяжесть. Из-за чего получается, что нового автор ничего не привнёс, но при этом зачем-то усложнил материал. Т.е. единственная ценность, что книга полностью посвящена теме зеркальных нейронов. Честно сказать, ценность сомнительная учитывая, что это единственный плюс, который я нашёл. Но может быть кому-то для дальнейших исследований именно такой вариан�� и нужен.
It's clear from the title of the book that this is about mirror neurons. I have always been attracted to this topic, so I expected an interesting non-fiction. In reality, it turned out that the book is incredibly long and written quite dry. Therefore, at some point, instead of continuing to read about mirror neurons, I already after the first quarter of the book, thought about the question: is it worthwhile to continue reading?
It is necessary to note, and it has rescued the book from a negative evaluation, the book is really completely devoted to the issue of mirror neurons, and, therefore, to those who want to learn as much as possible about this topic (whether for the essay or for further research on this issue), this book is definitely suitable. However, it is necessary to take into account that the book was published in 2008 and, consequently, by the present moment it has lost some of its value, especially if a better alternative comes out.
The second point is that the book is too long. Mirror neurons are the subject of one or two chapters in almost every psychology textbook, and this topic is explained quite successfully. I was so lucky that one or two chapters from the good textbook on psychology became enough to understand that half of this book does not add anything new (conditional two chapters, because a lot of books on psychology describe these very mirror neurons, but devote less than half of the book to this topic). So it turned out that after reading half of the book, I found nothing new for myself. Moreover, one can simply keep reading bestsellers in psychology or simply popular books in psychology, without being afraid to miss anything important.
Next, who are the authors of the book mentioning? Monkeys. Just in case, I'll say that mirror neurons were discovered with the help of (albeit by accident) monkeys. However, the authors do not stop at this fact (which is also often mentioned in popular books on psychology, including books by David G. Myers), continuing to write about monkeys. And when I got to a quarter of the book, I realized that I couldn't read about them anymore, that I was tired and that I was more interested in people than animals. Perhaps it is the monkeys that are much more interesting to those who are more serious about neuropsychology than I am. I do not argue. But obviously not for me.
And the last thing. The authors go on to write about more interesting (but also widely known) things, such as: the influence of the parents' mood on the health of the baby (i.e. the baby reads the parents' mood thanks to the mirrored neurons) and that in general people can understand what others think by mirroring their non-verbal signals (the author gives an example of the story with Harry Potter when his thoughts were trying to read by He Who Must Not Be Named). It seems to be interesting. However, as I said, I didn't find anything new.
Perhaps the evaluation was also influenced by the excessive complexity of the text. That's why it turns out that the author didn't bring anything new, but for some reason he has complicated the well-known material. That is, the only value of the book is that it is fully devoted to the topic of mirror neurons. Frankly, the value is doubtful, considering that this is the only plus I have found.
Уже из названия книги понятно, что речь пойдёт о зеркальных нейронах. Не знаю как остальным, но меня всегда эта тема привлекала, поэтому я рассчитывал на интересный non-fiction. В реальности же оказалось, что книга невероятно растянута и в целом написана довольно сухо. И вместо того, чтобы прочитать всё возможное о зеркальных нейронах, я уже после первой четверти книги задумался над вопросом: а стоит ли продолжать чтение?
Нужно отметить, и это спасло книгу от отрицательной оценки, книга действительно полностью посвящается вопросу зеркальных нейронов, а, следовательно, тем, кто хочет по максимум узнать о данной теме или лучше сказать, если кому-то нужна максимально полная книга по данной теме (для реферата ли или для дальнейшего исследования этого вопроса), эта книга определённо подходит. Правда, необходимо учесть, что книга вышла в 2008 году и, следовательно, к текущему моменту утратила часть своей ценности, в особенности, если выйдет более удачная альтернатива.
Второй момент, это затянутость. Теме зеркальных нейронов отводят одну-две главы почти в каждом учебнике по психологии, и объясняется эта тема довольно удачно. Настолько удачно, что одной-двух глав из хорошего учебника по психологии мне хватило, чтобы понять, что половина данной книги совершенно ничего нового не добавило в эти прочитанные две главы (условные две главы, т.к. очень много книг по психологии описывают эти самые зеркальные нейроны, но отдают этой теме определенно меньше половины книги, а чаще всего, лишь те самые 1-2 главы). Вот и получилось, что дойдя до половины, я ничего нового для себя не обнаружил. Более того, можно просто продолжать читать бестселлеры по психологии или просто популярные книги по психологии, не боясь что-то важное упустить. Так что, да, растянутость.
Или вот смотрим, кого упоминают авторы книги. Обезьян. На всякий случай скажу, что зеркальные нейроны были обнаружены именно при помощи (пусть и совершенно случайно) обезьян. Однако авторы не останавливаются на этом факте (который так же часто упоминается в более популярных книгах по психологии, включая книги Дэвида Майерса) продолжая писать про обезьян. И вот дойдя до четверти книги, я понял, что уже не могу читать про них, что я устал и что меня больше интересуют люди, а не животные. Возможно, для тех, кто занимается нейропсихологией более серьезно, чем я, именно обезьяны намного более интересны. Не спорю. Но явно не для меня.
И последнее. Авторы дальше пишут о более интересных (но также широко известных) вещах, как то: влияние настроения родителей на здоровье младенца (т.е. младенец считывает настроение родителей благодаря тем самым зеркальным нейронам из-за чего становится беспокойным) и что в целом люди могут понять, что думают другие, отзеркаливая их невербальные сигналы (автор приводит пример историю с Гарри Поттером, когда его мысли пытался читать тот-кого-нельзя-называть). Кажется, что интересно. Однако, как я сказал, я ничего нового не нашёл, за исключением того, что книгу можно было смело сокращать в два раза.
Возможно, на оценку также повлияло излишняя усложнённость текста, его тяжесть. Из-за чего получается, что нового автор ничего не привнёс, но при этом зачем-то усложнил материал. Т.е. единственная ценность, что книга полностью посвящена теме зеркальных нейронов. Честно сказать, ценность сомнительная учитывая, что это единственный плюс, который я нашёл. Но может быть кому-то для дальнейших исследований именно такой вариан�� и нужен.
It's clear from the title of the book that this is about mirror neurons. I have always been attracted to this topic, so I expected an interesting non-fiction. In reality, it turned out that the book is incredibly long and written quite dry. Therefore, at some point, instead of continuing to read about mirror neurons, I already after the first quarter of the book, thought about the question: is it worthwhile to continue reading?
It is necessary to note, and it has rescued the book from a negative evaluation, the book is really completely devoted to the issue of mirror neurons, and, therefore, to those who want to learn as much as possible about this topic (whether for the essay or for further research on this issue), this book is definitely suitable. However, it is necessary to take into account that the book was published in 2008 and, consequently, by the present moment it has lost some of its value, especially if a better alternative comes out.
The second point is that the book is too long. Mirror neurons are the subject of one or two chapters in almost every psychology textbook, and this topic is explained quite successfully. I was so lucky that one or two chapters from the good textbook on psychology became enough to understand that half of this book does not add anything new (conditional two chapters, because a lot of books on psychology describe these very mirror neurons, but devote less than half of the book to this topic). So it turned out that after reading half of the book, I found nothing new for myself. Moreover, one can simply keep reading bestsellers in psychology or simply popular books in psychology, without being afraid to miss anything important.
Next, who are the authors of the book mentioning? Monkeys. Just in case, I'll say that mirror neurons were discovered with the help of (albeit by accident) monkeys. However, the authors do not stop at this fact (which is also often mentioned in popular books on psychology, including books by David G. Myers), continuing to write about monkeys. And when I got to a quarter of the book, I realized that I couldn't read about them anymore, that I was tired and that I was more interested in people than animals. Perhaps it is the monkeys that are much more interesting to those who are more serious about neuropsychology than I am. I do not argue. But obviously not for me.
And the last thing. The authors go on to write about more interesting (but also widely known) things, such as: the influence of the parents' mood on the health of the baby (i.e. the baby reads the parents' mood thanks to the mirrored neurons) and that in general people can understand what others think by mirroring their non-verbal signals (the author gives an example of the story with Harry Potter when his thoughts were trying to read by He Who Must Not Be Named). It seems to be interesting. However, as I said, I didn't find anything new.
Perhaps the evaluation was also influenced by the excessive complexity of the text. That's why it turns out that the author didn't bring anything new, but for some reason he has complicated the well-known material. That is, the only value of the book is that it is fully devoted to the topic of mirror neurons. Frankly, the value is doubtful, considering that this is the only plus I have found.
January 17, 2010
Neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni shares his passion and research on mirror neurons with the general public in this engaging and accessible book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Iacoboni's writing style is fun and conversational; he doesn't talk down to the readers, which is key for a book that is essentially about neuroscience.
Neuroscience. Fancy that. It was no where in the title or mentioned in the blurb on the back of the book (except to say that the author was a neuroscientist). I found this and the fact that the author didn't even begin the discussion on empathy until about 100 pages in to be quite misleading, but I think this may have been done on purpose. Are readers more inclined to read a book whose title discusses how we connect with others or about the neuroscience community discovering mirror neurons? I'd definitely say the former, not the latter.
Either way, both topics were discussed in detail throughout the book. I am truly fascinated by the implications of the discovery of mirror neurons for our society - autism and epilepsy research and treatment, our political affiliations, and even to what products we buy and why (often times our words say one thing but our brain says another).
This is a great introductory read to mirror neurons and a must read for anyone interested in learning about how we relate to other people or for those affected my autism.
Neuroscience. Fancy that. It was no where in the title or mentioned in the blurb on the back of the book (except to say that the author was a neuroscientist). I found this and the fact that the author didn't even begin the discussion on empathy until about 100 pages in to be quite misleading, but I think this may have been done on purpose. Are readers more inclined to read a book whose title discusses how we connect with others or about the neuroscience community discovering mirror neurons? I'd definitely say the former, not the latter.
Either way, both topics were discussed in detail throughout the book. I am truly fascinated by the implications of the discovery of mirror neurons for our society - autism and epilepsy research and treatment, our political affiliations, and even to what products we buy and why (often times our words say one thing but our brain says another).
This is a great introductory read to mirror neurons and a must read for anyone interested in learning about how we relate to other people or for those affected my autism.
May 6, 2012
This was such a good subject matter, mirror neurons are so interesting! Too bad the author was completely self obsessed, and in a very irritating way. I really couldn't get past the authors writing with this one, though I think some of the points he was making were highly fascinating, especially exploring mirroring behavior with autism and his ideas about how these neurons might affect free will.
January 3, 2009
I started reading this about a month ago - the topic was really interesting/appealing to me. I read about 60 pages in one sitting and was a bit put off by the author's style. His attempts at camaraderie with the reader occasionally get in the way of his presentation. Not that I'm one of the "just the facts, ma'am" types (at least, not always). I trudged through another 40 pages tonight and decided that I was done with it. 100 pages. 1/3. It's not bad. I guess I just don't want to know *that* much about mirror neurons. Or, I do. But I want a nice synopsis about all of the important things they do with links to the chapters that discuss those things, so I can skip around to my heart's content (because I don't want to get to know the narrator intimately, and I'd like to be my own guide). My attention span definitely conked out on this one. I'll wait for the Wikipedia edition. *grin*
November 20, 2011
ok, at first i was all about this book 'cause i thought it'd be clinical.
then i started reading it and i was like, "oh crap. it's not." but the neuroscience behind it was fascinating. i liked the explanation of "mirror neurons" but i think that the author did a poor job of making it palatable from time to time. other times it seemed that the author name dropped a bit. the real good stuff (about sociopaths) didn't happen until the end of the book. any practical application of the book's material wasn't until the end. i was highly disappointed with that. also, enough about monkeys already!
but an interesting read . . . for the neuronerds of the world--like me.
then i started reading it and i was like, "oh crap. it's not." but the neuroscience behind it was fascinating. i liked the explanation of "mirror neurons" but i think that the author did a poor job of making it palatable from time to time. other times it seemed that the author name dropped a bit. the real good stuff (about sociopaths) didn't happen until the end of the book. any practical application of the book's material wasn't until the end. i was highly disappointed with that. also, enough about monkeys already!
but an interesting read . . . for the neuronerds of the world--like me.
Read
July 28, 2009The idea of mirror neurons, cells in our brain that react to what we see others do, is fascinating. A review I read said this book is great for the layperson, but I find I get lost in the language... So far, Iacoboni seems to be doing a good job of explaining a complex neuroscientific principle, but I'll reserve full judgement until the end.
January 4, 2021
" Marco Iacoboni, a leading neuroscientist whose work has been covered in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal, explains the groundbreaking research into mirror neurons, the “smart cells” in our brain that allow us to understand others. From imitation to morality, from learning to addiction, from political affiliations to consumer choices, mirror neurons seem to have properties that are relevant to all these aspects of social cognition."
- I feel I've broken into new understanding about a foundational step necessary for developing emotional intelligence via reflections on Jacoboni's easy presentation of his and his colleagues meticulous lab work in the neuroscience of mirror-neurons....
I've been thinking much more about the role of "imitation" in language acquisition and empathy - all key variables that influence the cultivation and expression of emotional intelligence. Recognizing the emotional orientation or intention of another, requires for our minds to have cultivated nuanced sophisticated synapses between mirror neurons in our brains... Without this recognition, we will be "out-of-step" in making decisions for ourselves and others - this has been revelatory. Thanks Jacobini.
- I feel I've broken into new understanding about a foundational step necessary for developing emotional intelligence via reflections on Jacoboni's easy presentation of his and his colleagues meticulous lab work in the neuroscience of mirror-neurons....
I've been thinking much more about the role of "imitation" in language acquisition and empathy - all key variables that influence the cultivation and expression of emotional intelligence. Recognizing the emotional orientation or intention of another, requires for our minds to have cultivated nuanced sophisticated synapses between mirror neurons in our brains... Without this recognition, we will be "out-of-step" in making decisions for ourselves and others - this has been revelatory. Thanks Jacobini.
December 13, 2023
Mirroring People is a book about mirror neurons and how they work. Author Marco Iacoboni covers the subject with aplomb. The intended audience is the layperson, so Iacoboni doesn't use too much jargon.
Iacoboni is an able guide, covering the serendipitous discovery of the mirror neurons in macaque monkeys and extrapolating their existence to human beings. For example, a deficiency in the mirror neuron network could explain autism.
The book has one problem. It was fresh at its publication date, but that was 15 years ago. I don't know if any new, exciting developments occurred in neuroscience. I need to research that, and I don't feel like doing it now.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
Iacoboni is an able guide, covering the serendipitous discovery of the mirror neurons in macaque monkeys and extrapolating their existence to human beings. For example, a deficiency in the mirror neuron network could explain autism.
The book has one problem. It was fresh at its publication date, but that was 15 years ago. I don't know if any new, exciting developments occurred in neuroscience. I need to research that, and I don't feel like doing it now.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
July 6, 2017
Overall this book has some neat science to shed light on -- the brain function (mirror neurons) that leads to empathy (and some bad stuff, too). But the author tries WAY too hard to be funny and conversational; his tone, and the diversions into what he was doing when he had certain 'amazing' ideas, ultimately became super annoying.
Also, I'm pretty sure it is anti-scientific to say things like, "We haven't done this experiment yet, but once we do I'm sure it will show ..." Another tip for science writing: Don't start every other sentence with 'Obviously'.
Also, I'm pretty sure it is anti-scientific to say things like, "We haven't done this experiment yet, but once we do I'm sure it will show ..." Another tip for science writing: Don't start every other sentence with 'Obviously'.
February 6, 2018
I neuroni specchio sono un argomento appassionante e foriero di novità clamorose sulla biologia del cervello e dei nostri comportamenti.
Il libro si legge bene, il linguaggio è per il grande pubblico. Benchè scritto da un italiano, è rivolto al pubblico americano e pecca eccessivamente in personalismi e aneddoti, a volte al limite del sostenibile.
Il libro si legge bene, il linguaggio è per il grande pubblico. Benchè scritto da un italiano, è rivolto al pubblico americano e pecca eccessivamente in personalismi e aneddoti, a volte al limite del sostenibile.
October 8, 2025
This book and its discoveries have been cited so frequently in the field that I felt I already knew everything about them, which made the reading experience rather dull. But if you’re unfamiliar with what makes us human from a neurological perspective, this book will be fascinating.
If you already have even a basic idea about mirror neurons, I think you can safely skip this one.
If you already have even a basic idea about mirror neurons, I think you can safely skip this one.
February 13, 2019
If you are interested in a deep-dive into the science of mirroring, this is the book for you. It is not for the casual reader, but it's worth the effort if you're drawn to the wonderful craziness of neuroscience.
April 16, 2025
Un libro super succosooooo!😍
Pieno di esperimenti e di dettagli, facile da leggere anche per chi non è del campo, e fondamentale per chi invece vuole approfondire il ruolo dei neuroni specchio in ambito neuropsicologico.
Pieno di esperimenti e di dettagli, facile da leggere anche per chi non è del campo, e fondamentale per chi invece vuole approfondire il ruolo dei neuroni specchio in ambito neuropsicologico.
March 24, 2020
f you want a book that tells you why you should learn body language, you've found what you're looking for otherwise, this is a waste of your time.
I was hoping for more.
I was hoping for more.
July 18, 2022
Very informative
January 5, 2017
Some readers might take the book's assumptions that human mirror neurons are scientific fact too literally. I think Iacoboni does indicate in the book that without unacceptable experiments on live humans, this can't be proven in the way we can with monkeys. On the other hand, he does describe quite a few experiments (and the efforts to exclude other possible explanations from these experients), that there seem to be little other possible interpretation. There are a couple of instances where he shows a mental capability similiar to what other experiments suggest mirror neurons are involved in, but he does not discuss excluding other possible mental mechanisms.
- - - - -
In one part of the book, he describes studies of autistic children, their lack of standard social interaction (and related brain activity), and even how this extends to imitation, recognition and such abilities. The experiments he cites suggest a connection between lower mirror neuron activity and autism. While reading this, I wondered about other groups. On the one hand, psychopaths lack social emotions, but presumably successful psychopaths need to be able to "read people" in order to know how to manipulate them. So, do mirror neurons play a role in the lack of social emotions? And if so, how is the reading of people maintained?
- - - - - -
The book talks about the importance of children associating facial expressions of others with one's own feelings which would cause similar facial expressions. Also, learning by imitation is important - both in physical activities, but also in other areas. I've heard of blind people being taught to use facial expressions. Are there other implications? Some people (such as Jane Goodall) lack the ability to recognize / distinguish faces of people they know. Are mirror neurons involved, and what are the implications?
- - - - -
In one section, he discusses studies of people who watch violent TV/movie/videogames and later involvement in real world violence. At least in terms of mirror neurons (or comparable mechanisms), the viewing of violence would seem to be a learning experience. Perhaps, one learns to hate zombies or terrorists, but one might also learn (or have a false sense of learning) martial arts, guns, etc. So, I wondered how much do people learn to be predisposed to act violently, and how much do they (feel they've) learned fighting skills? It might be that people who feel they lack fighting skills refrain from fighting more than those who feel they have fighting skills.
- - - - - - -
There's a section on neuroscience and politics. One experiment involved one group of very political people and one group of non-political people. It seemed he also treated these groups as "informed" and "uninformed." I'm not sure how much he treated these two dichotomies as synonymous. It seems to me, some people are very sensitive to political issues and may extensively read/view sources which will repeat their preferred view - but that isn't necessarily "informed." In the experiment, the "political" group members answered political questions more quickly, which I thought might simply mean spitting out a prefabricated answer (which does not require in-depth understanding.)
A study of negative ads suggested that people's brain "reward center" responded to their preferred candidate early in campaign season (pre-negative ads), but did not respond later in campaigns (post-negative ads.) Iacoboni expressed concern that negative ads could have a long-term effect on political attitudes.
- - - - -
In one part of the book, he describes studies of autistic children, their lack of standard social interaction (and related brain activity), and even how this extends to imitation, recognition and such abilities. The experiments he cites suggest a connection between lower mirror neuron activity and autism. While reading this, I wondered about other groups. On the one hand, psychopaths lack social emotions, but presumably successful psychopaths need to be able to "read people" in order to know how to manipulate them. So, do mirror neurons play a role in the lack of social emotions? And if so, how is the reading of people maintained?
- - - - - -
The book talks about the importance of children associating facial expressions of others with one's own feelings which would cause similar facial expressions. Also, learning by imitation is important - both in physical activities, but also in other areas. I've heard of blind people being taught to use facial expressions. Are there other implications? Some people (such as Jane Goodall) lack the ability to recognize / distinguish faces of people they know. Are mirror neurons involved, and what are the implications?
- - - - -
In one section, he discusses studies of people who watch violent TV/movie/videogames and later involvement in real world violence. At least in terms of mirror neurons (or comparable mechanisms), the viewing of violence would seem to be a learning experience. Perhaps, one learns to hate zombies or terrorists, but one might also learn (or have a false sense of learning) martial arts, guns, etc. So, I wondered how much do people learn to be predisposed to act violently, and how much do they (feel they've) learned fighting skills? It might be that people who feel they lack fighting skills refrain from fighting more than those who feel they have fighting skills.
- - - - - - -
There's a section on neuroscience and politics. One experiment involved one group of very political people and one group of non-political people. It seemed he also treated these groups as "informed" and "uninformed." I'm not sure how much he treated these two dichotomies as synonymous. It seems to me, some people are very sensitive to political issues and may extensively read/view sources which will repeat their preferred view - but that isn't necessarily "informed." In the experiment, the "political" group members answered political questions more quickly, which I thought might simply mean spitting out a prefabricated answer (which does not require in-depth understanding.)
A study of negative ads suggested that people's brain "reward center" responded to their preferred candidate early in campaign season (pre-negative ads), but did not respond later in campaigns (post-negative ads.) Iacoboni expressed concern that negative ads could have a long-term effect on political attitudes.
March 21, 2015
The material covered in this title is extensive, but unmanageable only due to Marco Iacoboni's selection of examples, studies, comments, etc., the organization of said material, and his seemingly confused understanding of his audience. At times, he seems to feel that his audience are his colleagues, using vernacular that the average reader would have difficulty understanding. Yet, at other times, he writes in such detail, explaining simple ideas in such depth that the same reader might have little interest in reading. In the next chapter, he seems to have abandoned both of these ideas entirely, using this as a sort of diary, documenting academically/educationally irrelevant personal details.
As a lead researcher in his field, what he has shared in this title is definitely of great interest. Iacoboni discusses Mirror Neurons, the specific neurons responsible for our empathy. More important that many realize, empathy is how we learn to socially interact, from how to answer questions friends inquire of us, to how to read nonverbal cues. Mirror neurons are responsible for why we feel emotions of our own when family members are in pain, even though we are not ourselves directly hurt, or even when complete strangers react, we often do the same. When listening to music, contemplating art, reading a book, or watching a film, what we feel would not be possible without these neurons. Why is it that subliminal messaging works? Why does ESPN use "replay" shots more often than seems necessary? Why is political advertising so effective? What causes individuals with Autism & Asperger's to be the way they are? Why, from an early age, do we unconsciously imitate others? If you have not guessed, these mirror neurons are part of the answer to all of these inquiries. It might not be that much of an exaggeration after all to say that what we see someone else do, we do. And what they feel, we feel.
There are many interesting studies, theories, & ideas that are addressed, including the Jennifer Aniston Cell, Brain Imaging while watching commercials, reactions during The World Cup, imaging comparisons to Autistic children, & political discrimination tendencies unveiled.
What does all this information mean? Most importantly, it leads to possible solutions to such things as Autism, marketing quandaries, & a general better understanding of both ourselves and those around us. It also raises the important discussion of free-will. The evidence Iacoboni writes about reveals that, as individuals susceptible to the effect of our mirror neurons(many studies prove individuals claiming one thing, while brain imaging scientifically proves the truth to be the opposite), we may not be making choices as independently as we would like to believe.
As stated, the book has wonderful, enlightening, and fascinating facts. The philosophical enigmas addressed will easily lead to night-long discussions. The data is relatively new, yet very relevant to our daily lives. So, the real disappointment is Iacoboni's translation of all this information into something the average reader would not be interested in long enough to finish reading. At times a perplexing, almost meaningless set of words, with substantial editing it could be something extraordinary.
As a lead researcher in his field, what he has shared in this title is definitely of great interest. Iacoboni discusses Mirror Neurons, the specific neurons responsible for our empathy. More important that many realize, empathy is how we learn to socially interact, from how to answer questions friends inquire of us, to how to read nonverbal cues. Mirror neurons are responsible for why we feel emotions of our own when family members are in pain, even though we are not ourselves directly hurt, or even when complete strangers react, we often do the same. When listening to music, contemplating art, reading a book, or watching a film, what we feel would not be possible without these neurons. Why is it that subliminal messaging works? Why does ESPN use "replay" shots more often than seems necessary? Why is political advertising so effective? What causes individuals with Autism & Asperger's to be the way they are? Why, from an early age, do we unconsciously imitate others? If you have not guessed, these mirror neurons are part of the answer to all of these inquiries. It might not be that much of an exaggeration after all to say that what we see someone else do, we do. And what they feel, we feel.
There are many interesting studies, theories, & ideas that are addressed, including the Jennifer Aniston Cell, Brain Imaging while watching commercials, reactions during The World Cup, imaging comparisons to Autistic children, & political discrimination tendencies unveiled.
What does all this information mean? Most importantly, it leads to possible solutions to such things as Autism, marketing quandaries, & a general better understanding of both ourselves and those around us. It also raises the important discussion of free-will. The evidence Iacoboni writes about reveals that, as individuals susceptible to the effect of our mirror neurons(many studies prove individuals claiming one thing, while brain imaging scientifically proves the truth to be the opposite), we may not be making choices as independently as we would like to believe.
As stated, the book has wonderful, enlightening, and fascinating facts. The philosophical enigmas addressed will easily lead to night-long discussions. The data is relatively new, yet very relevant to our daily lives. So, the real disappointment is Iacoboni's translation of all this information into something the average reader would not be interested in long enough to finish reading. At times a perplexing, almost meaningless set of words, with substantial editing it could be something extraordinary.
Read
November 1, 2011Well, I can't rate this book yet because I just ordered it. The main reason for doing that is that the idea of "mirror neurons" started to fascinate me since I first read about the possibility that they could be the "organic basis" for the meme hypotesis as a replicator for culture proposed firstly by Richard Dawkins and developed later by Susan Blackmore.
By now only a theory not accepted for many people, the meme theory stays on "stand by" waiting for some experimental proof, but 'til now the mirror neurons proved to be the best suited candidate for that.
Anyway, existing or not the memes, the mirror neurons are a experimental evidence, and there are many theories that want to explain most of the psychology, from the development of the infant brain (the so-called 'feral children') until the basis for the creation of understanding the mecanism of identification with the characters of a story (when we read a book, we're exercising our mirror neurons in the way they are reproducing the author's ideas in our own mind).
The mirror neurons could also be the basis for the creation of self-awareness fenomena, as proposed by the neurologist Ramachadran, which had himself written his own book about those matters.
Anyway, I started to feel fascinated by this great idea and couldn't wait anymore to buy a good popular science book about this subject. Since this book's author himself is the author of the discover of the mirror neurons, it had to be this book.
I expect when I finish this book I could have a bigger understanding of those matters. See my next review !
--
Now I can say I truely belief that mirror neurons could be held responsable for many things ! Not only the empathy, but the friendliness and all those things that you think are not so good like the crime or violence.
A word about the author: Iacoboni is not so good as Antonio Damasio in the matters of writing, but is more clear and easy to read, than Damasio. I think I'm gonna try another Brain science authors, next can be Ramachandran !
By now only a theory not accepted for many people, the meme theory stays on "stand by" waiting for some experimental proof, but 'til now the mirror neurons proved to be the best suited candidate for that.
Anyway, existing or not the memes, the mirror neurons are a experimental evidence, and there are many theories that want to explain most of the psychology, from the development of the infant brain (the so-called 'feral children') until the basis for the creation of understanding the mecanism of identification with the characters of a story (when we read a book, we're exercising our mirror neurons in the way they are reproducing the author's ideas in our own mind).
The mirror neurons could also be the basis for the creation of self-awareness fenomena, as proposed by the neurologist Ramachadran, which had himself written his own book about those matters.
Anyway, I started to feel fascinated by this great idea and couldn't wait anymore to buy a good popular science book about this subject. Since this book's author himself is the author of the discover of the mirror neurons, it had to be this book.
I expect when I finish this book I could have a bigger understanding of those matters. See my next review !
--
Now I can say I truely belief that mirror neurons could be held responsable for many things ! Not only the empathy, but the friendliness and all those things that you think are not so good like the crime or violence.
A word about the author: Iacoboni is not so good as Antonio Damasio in the matters of writing, but is more clear and easy to read, than Damasio. I think I'm gonna try another Brain science authors, next can be Ramachandran !
December 16, 2014
This is an interesting, accessible introduction to some very interesting recent research in neuroscience. The book proceeds in a clear, conversational tone and does a decent job of explaining its claims and conclusions, although at times it's far too casual for my taste. For those looking for more thorough scientific explanation, the notes section contains references to all of the scientific studies cited.
The first several chapters introduce mirror neurons and explain the research and conclusions about these interesting cells. As the book goes on, it seems that mirror neurons are related to an increasingly diverse set of cognitive properties. The later chapters sometimes seem to paste mirror neurons onto accepted concepts of mind and social activity. Sometimes this is convincing, sometimes it's not. The book offers concise descriptions of the simulation theory of mind, imitative learning, and several ideas about the fundaments of social and ethical behavior, but the relevance of mirror neurons to these concepts sometimes seems drastically overstated. I recently read Temple Grandin's _Animals in Trnaslation_ and that text also cited many of the same landmark scientific studies, but her conclusions were much more compelling than Iacoboni's refrain of "and look, mirror neurons are involved in this process too!"
Science moves quickly, so this book may be a bit outdated by now. Some of its conclusions may now have been accepted as canon and others may have been refuted. I would still recommend it and a quick, charming way of introducing non-scientists to the basics of neuroscience.
The first several chapters introduce mirror neurons and explain the research and conclusions about these interesting cells. As the book goes on, it seems that mirror neurons are related to an increasingly diverse set of cognitive properties. The later chapters sometimes seem to paste mirror neurons onto accepted concepts of mind and social activity. Sometimes this is convincing, sometimes it's not. The book offers concise descriptions of the simulation theory of mind, imitative learning, and several ideas about the fundaments of social and ethical behavior, but the relevance of mirror neurons to these concepts sometimes seems drastically overstated. I recently read Temple Grandin's _Animals in Trnaslation_ and that text also cited many of the same landmark scientific studies, but her conclusions were much more compelling than Iacoboni's refrain of "and look, mirror neurons are involved in this process too!"
Science moves quickly, so this book may be a bit outdated by now. Some of its conclusions may now have been accepted as canon and others may have been refuted. I would still recommend it and a quick, charming way of introducing non-scientists to the basics of neuroscience.
January 18, 2015
Had to read this over many sittings- a very 'sciencey' book. However, offers many interesting insights supported by case studies of monkey experiments, Superbowl etc.
What I've learnt: Mirror neurons are very important for humans. In autistic people they lack mirror neurons, and are therefore unable to react 'socially'. The mirror neuron is used to imitate behaviour, and is fired or activated when we watch something - ie ballet dancers's mirror neurons react most when they watch other ballet dancing, rather than say ballroom dancing. It is also observed in smokers - and the action of lighting up - especially when they're trying to quit.
Other:
Think people with stronger/more mirror neurons might be Empaths.
It's why you feel the 'pain' of somebody else. Mirror neurons also help people to learn- and I think it's why I can feel/learn faster perhaps. I'm willing to bet people that are jack of all trades use their mirror neurons a lot. As with people who read a lot and immerse themselves in another world. (talking about myself? perhaps, but it's what I feel- the aha moments of connections while reading this book.)
What I've learnt: Mirror neurons are very important for humans. In autistic people they lack mirror neurons, and are therefore unable to react 'socially'. The mirror neuron is used to imitate behaviour, and is fired or activated when we watch something - ie ballet dancers's mirror neurons react most when they watch other ballet dancing, rather than say ballroom dancing. It is also observed in smokers - and the action of lighting up - especially when they're trying to quit.
Other:
Think people with stronger/more mirror neurons might be Empaths.
It's why you feel the 'pain' of somebody else. Mirror neurons also help people to learn- and I think it's why I can feel/learn faster perhaps. I'm willing to bet people that are jack of all trades use their mirror neurons a lot. As with people who read a lot and immerse themselves in another world. (talking about myself? perhaps, but it's what I feel- the aha moments of connections while reading this book.)
May 27, 2016
This is a book about neuroscientific researches on how we learn and develop as individuals because our brain reacts by imitating others and their actions. Thesis of this book is presented as something spectacular, something that will change the world, but it is really nothing special. Everyone i know is aware of the immitating ability of our brains, and importance that it has on our persona. Scientist just added some hypothetical "mirroring neurons" in that mix, and seasoned the whole shit up with scientific terminology. Nothing special, and certainly not groundbreaking here.
Besides that, book is boring, extremely one-sided (neuroscience can explain everything, social and temporal context are just by-products and really not that important), it presuposses sme monstrously unethical conclusions (babbling on how ethics is of vital importance while we research on humans, denying the ethical imperative while experimenting on primates; rant on how neuroscience has a very important ability to discover subconscious proccesses that can and should be manipulated in modern advertising), and so on.
Skip this shit.
Besides that, book is boring, extremely one-sided (neuroscience can explain everything, social and temporal context are just by-products and really not that important), it presuposses sme monstrously unethical conclusions (babbling on how ethics is of vital importance while we research on humans, denying the ethical imperative while experimenting on primates; rant on how neuroscience has a very important ability to discover subconscious proccesses that can and should be manipulated in modern advertising), and so on.
Skip this shit.
August 23, 2009
I got far enough into MIRRORING PEOPLE that I might as well have finished it, and I tried to, but every time I opened it I found myself distracted by just *looking* for something else to do. I think "popular psychology" needs to offer some element of real life application for the general reader, and I reached a point in the book where I hadn't gotten one and didn't expect to.
What I learned about mirror neurons could potentially enrich my people watching hobby, and the next time I encounter an infant, I'll certainly try to practice a little "mind control" by watching to see if they imitate me. Now I know that there's some science behind the job interview advice: subtly imitate the interviewers body language. But I didn't need to read any further to realize that.
The author's frequently informal voice tells me that he intended his book for non-scholars; unfortunately, the "friendly" language mixed in with the legitimately technical and complex discussions of neuro-research might lead scholars and professionals to skip it, even though it's probably better suited for them.
What I learned about mirror neurons could potentially enrich my people watching hobby, and the next time I encounter an infant, I'll certainly try to practice a little "mind control" by watching to see if they imitate me. Now I know that there's some science behind the job interview advice: subtly imitate the interviewers body language. But I didn't need to read any further to realize that.
The author's frequently informal voice tells me that he intended his book for non-scholars; unfortunately, the "friendly" language mixed in with the legitimately technical and complex discussions of neuro-research might lead scholars and professionals to skip it, even though it's probably better suited for them.
December 21, 2009
Overview of recent neuroscience discoveries regarding mirror neurons
In this fascinating book, Marco Iacoboni wordily explains his research into mirror neurons, generally in language that laypeople can understand. He convincingly issues a challenge to the individualistic foundations of Western thought. People imitate one another, Iacoboni argues, on a neurological level: People’s brains respond to the actions of others, almost as though they were doing those actions themselves. What’s more, different levels of neural activity occur depending on context and purpose. The human world is social, and each person’s actions have immediate, neurological implications for everyone else. Because of the number of fields Iacoboni touches on, and the broad implications mirror neurons have for society, getAbstract recommends his book to readers who are interested in communication, advertising, cognitive science and philosophy.
To learn more about this book, check out the following link: http://www.getabstract.com/summary/11...
In this fascinating book, Marco Iacoboni wordily explains his research into mirror neurons, generally in language that laypeople can understand. He convincingly issues a challenge to the individualistic foundations of Western thought. People imitate one another, Iacoboni argues, on a neurological level: People’s brains respond to the actions of others, almost as though they were doing those actions themselves. What’s more, different levels of neural activity occur depending on context and purpose. The human world is social, and each person’s actions have immediate, neurological implications for everyone else. Because of the number of fields Iacoboni touches on, and the broad implications mirror neurons have for society, getAbstract recommends his book to readers who are interested in communication, advertising, cognitive science and philosophy.
To learn more about this book, check out the following link: http://www.getabstract.com/summary/11...
August 19, 2010
There is some very interesting stuff in this here book. I'm 100% interested in mirror neurons and this book has them aplenty. Marco Iacoboni can be an engaging storyteller and he's clearly got some good science at his back. What he hasn't yet worked out completely is how to make good science storytelling - there's so much information in this book, it's a wee bit overwhelming sometimes. This is pretty new science, though, relatively speaking and the implications of it are just starting to roll down the line. The ideas, were they to take hold, might really have a fascinating effect on our society. Understanding that we learn by mirroring what others do inside our own brains could shake up education, politics, advertising, arts, etc. It gives me hope for the empathetic arts, actually. When we watch other people, we try them on in ourselves. Just on the basic level, every time we watch someone pick up a cup, our brains fire as if we were picking up the cup. Amazing to consider.
January 31, 2010
I am thoroughly enjoying reading this book. I will definitely update this review when finished.
I have now finished reading the book and find the work important and interesting, even though I believe the author draws some conclusions from the work that do not necessarily flow from the findings of his experiments. Nevertheless, there definitely seems to be a linkage between our ability to preceive and our ability to be a part of a human community which can be inferred. Perhaps that is why the history of thought that talks about the gestalt, how we are more than the sum of our parts. Individuals may be basic parts of a whole, just like a skin cell is a basic part of our bodies, but the meaning of being in a body and experiencing the world as a body in the world is more than the sum of the interactions of the individual cells in our bodies.
I have now finished reading the book and find the work important and interesting, even though I believe the author draws some conclusions from the work that do not necessarily flow from the findings of his experiments. Nevertheless, there definitely seems to be a linkage between our ability to preceive and our ability to be a part of a human community which can be inferred. Perhaps that is why the history of thought that talks about the gestalt, how we are more than the sum of our parts. Individuals may be basic parts of a whole, just like a skin cell is a basic part of our bodies, but the meaning of being in a body and experiencing the world as a body in the world is more than the sum of the interactions of the individual cells in our bodies.
January 22, 2015
Mirror Neurons. Neurons that allow us to understand what we see in the world around us and then imitate or mirror those perceptions. Do they exists? That's what this book is about. Absolutely fascinating. Just how "free" are we? Has "free-will" been a complete illusion? It is humiliating how much control other's have over us--all of us. Connection. It is what being human is all about. We are made to be connected with each other in ways that are beyond our perceptions and constitute our ability to survive. Break the Mirror Neuron and die. These are a few of the thoughts the book stirred in me, not necessarily issues that are taken up in the book. You decide, but this book may change the way you look at yourself and those around you.
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May 29, 2012Topic: discoveries about mirror neurons
This book is very soothing for scientists to read because it is so meticulous. The format is basically "Somebody noticed X happening with the monkeys in their lab. What if X meant Y? They thought of an experiment to test this. Here are the results of the experiment. This is what the results tell us about X and Y. This is what the results don't tell us. Here is another experiment that might answer the remaining questions." And so on and so forth.
It isn't dry however. Mirror neurons are an inherently fascinating subject, plus Iacobani writes in a conversational style, brings in anecdotes to illustrate his points, and doesn't hesistate to share his personal opinion about unresolved issues in the field.
This book is very soothing for scientists to read because it is so meticulous. The format is basically "Somebody noticed X happening with the monkeys in their lab. What if X meant Y? They thought of an experiment to test this. Here are the results of the experiment. This is what the results tell us about X and Y. This is what the results don't tell us. Here is another experiment that might answer the remaining questions." And so on and so forth.
It isn't dry however. Mirror neurons are an inherently fascinating subject, plus Iacobani writes in a conversational style, brings in anecdotes to illustrate his points, and doesn't hesistate to share his personal opinion about unresolved issues in the field.
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