false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172301677m/162370.jpg 162370 5 As he seeks to unlock the secrets of such things as joy and sorrow, Antonio Damasio pursues a unifying theory in <I>Looking for Spinoza</I>. Why Spinoza? The philosopher, whom Damasio calls a "protobiologist," firmly linked mind and body, paving the way for modern ideas of neurophysiology. Damasio examines this linkage, which ran counter to all scientific and religious thinking of Spinoza's day, and lays out the reasoning and evidence behind its truth. As he has in his previous books on the subject (<I>Descartes' Error</I> and <I>The Feeling of What Happens</I>), Damasio is careful to use clear examples from life to explain the often dry and difficult science of the brain. When he wants readers to understand, for instance, brain stem control of emotions, he offers an Oliver Sacks-style case study of a man whose stroke left him unable to keep from bursting into tears or laughter at inappropriate times.<p> Damasio also defines his terms, which is crucial, as he means something very specific when he says <I>feeling</I> ("always hidden, like all mental images") instead of <I>emotion</I> ("actions or movements... visible to others as they occur in the face, in the voice, in specific behaviors"). Using an impressive array of biological and psychological research, Damasio makes a compelling case for his idea of the feeling brain as crucial for survival and sense of self. But this isn't just a book about brain science. It's a record of an intellectual journey, a diary of Damasio's musings about history, philosophy, and Spinoza's life, all wrapped up in a simply astonishing explanation of a subject most of us don't give a thought to--the feelings that we live by. <I>--Therese Littleton</I> 865947 book 1 12 2003 Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain total:120|5:24|4:57|3:34|2:5|1:0| 120 460 244 17 4 2 false false Thu Nov 27 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Nov 29 18:01:15 -0800 2008 Sat Nov 29 19:10:40 -0800 2008 Descartes' Error, and interested in a neurologist's interest in philosophers, I sought out Looking for Spinoza. It rewarded me in several ways, first by extending my understanding of how emotions as a biological concept are continuous with feelings as a conscious, mental phenomenon, and...more...]]> 3 1 true false Sat Dec 22 12:10:10 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 22 12:11:43 -0800 2007 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 12 14:29:06 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 14:37:25 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 07 21:58:38 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 07 22:14:02 -0700 2008
“to face the music and dance [anyway]” Damasio’s conception of the human con...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu May 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 28 19:03:05 -0700 2009 Thu May 28 19:04:20 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Sun Jan 04 10:15:37 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 04 10:17:05 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Tue Feb 12 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 13 09:00:56 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 13 09:07:00 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Fri Nov 09 09:44:01 -0800 2007 Fri Nov 09 09:49:17 -0800 2007 The main thesis is that...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Aug 22 14:21:48 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 14:22:04 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Mon Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Wed Aug 15 14:16:43 -0700 2007 Wed Aug 15 14:19:37 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jul 19 11:02:30 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 19 11:02:30 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Feb 11 13:08:50 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 11 13:10:24 -0800 2008 3 0 true false Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Tue Mar 06 15:45:03 -0800 2007 Sun Apr 15 22:23:36 -0700 2007 3 0 false false Mon Mar 10 19:44:29 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 10 19:45:08 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Thu Sep 13 17:22:30 -0700 2007 Thu Sep 13 17:26:26 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Fri Apr 11 18:08:27 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 11 18:09:12 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Thu Jan 03 14:38:10 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 03 14:38:26 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Tue Nov 24 22:09:33 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 24 22:09:48 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 18 14:49:56 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 14:49:56 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Mon Nov 16 18:08:52 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 16 18:08:52 -0800 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=162370