Description
The story of one man's extraordinary voyage of discovery into the secrets of his mind ...
What's really going on in our heads when we make a joke, listen to music, take drugs, feel love, lust, rage or fear? Why is it sometimes easier to remember a conversation from three years ago than what we did
last weekend? And why can we never think of that
witty retort until we've left the room?
Intrigued by the mysteries of the human brain and baffled by some of his own mental foibles (such as an embarrassing phobia of bees and a tendency to make jokes at highly inappropriate moments), journalist and author Steven Johnson decided to find out exactly how his brain worked - even though he had no scientific training. This is his fascinating, often bizarre odyssey into the mind, one which takes him around the world, meeting leading experts, undergoing psychological tests and brain scans and experimenting with the latest cutting-edge technology.
On his travels he discovers how everything we think and do (even if we don't realise it) is caused by electrical activity and chemicals swirling around in our heads; how we can see our mind in action with a videogame that flashes thoughts on a screen, and train our brains with a bike that helps concentration; and how everyone's brain profile, like their fingerprint, is unique and can help us understand our own phobias, habits and mood swings. The result is an astonishing glimpse into the strange world within our heads, and what makes us who we are.
