The Man with the Phantom Twin: Adventures in Neuroscience of the Human Brain

About this book

Oliver Sacks meets Steven Pinker in a fascinating exploration of what makes humans and their brains uniqueawith revelations about the cutting-edge science of mirror neurons. What makes humans different from other beings? Can science explain the nature of human creativity and empathy? While Darwinian science explains how humans evolved just as animals did, modern neuroscience is now unlocking the keys to those less tangible traits that set humans apart. Internationally renowned physician and neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran now gives us twenty-first-century answers to these age-old questions, showcasing the most current researcha much of it his ownainto physical mechanisms in the brain, including the mysterious mirror neurons. Just as Oliver Sacks has entertained a generation of readers with fascinating patient stories, "The Man with the Phantom Twin" features incredible case studies of bizarre behavior, such as a patient who becomes progressively demented yet creates beautiful paintings of extraordinary realism; a woman who suffers from a paranoid terror of the strangers who live in mirrors; a stroke victim who can no longer understand metaphors; and a patient who sees each number as being tinged with a color. Revealing a stunning new approach to the intersection of science and creativity, "The Man with the Phantom Twin" will forever change the way you think about what makes you beautiful and special.