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States of Mind : New Discoveries about How Our Brains Make Us Who We Are
An all-star lineup of scientists takes you to the front lines of brain research.Are we born to be shy? Why do we remember some events so clearly and others not at all? Are creativity and depression somehow linked? Do our dreams really have deeper meanings?Now in paperback, here is a wonderfully accessible introduction to the most important recent findings about how our health, behavior, feelings, and identities are influenced by what goes on inside our brains. In this timely book, eight pioneering researchers offer lively and stimulating discussions on the most exciting discoveries as well as a new way of understanding our emotions, moods, memories, and dreams. Inside, you'll J. ALLAN HOBSON, author of the groundbreaking The Dreaming Brain, leading a tour of dream states and explaining why we dream and what dream studies reveal about our minds* ERIC KANDEL, winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Medicine, taking us along the chain of biological events that create long-term memories, revealing how we stand at the brink of helping those who suffer from grave mental and memory disorders* STEVEN HYMAN, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, tracing the links between nature and nurture, particularly in addiction and mental illness, to explain the relationship between inherited tendencies and the impact of life experience* KAY REDFIELD JAMISON, bestselling author of An Unquiet Mind, explaining manic depression, its prevalence among gifted artists, writers, and musicians, and the societal questions raised by trying to eradicate the ""depression gene"". . . and much, much more. Whether discussing the brain-body connection, the sources of emotion, or the ethereal world of dreams, States of Mind enables you to share in the very latest explorations into the nature and function of the human mind.
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 16, 2016
In the book “States of Mind: New discoveries about how our brains make us who we are” eight prominent experts within various fields of psychology undergo a broad lively discussion using their public lectures about how emotions as well as stress can affect the human brain. As you read you become captivated as it provides more credible resources to back up each one of their theories by providing graphs, statistics, description with the diagrams depicted as well as expert opinions. However, the question they all ask is “ What can science tell us about ourselves?
What I enjoyed the most about the book is the fact that it is easy to read. Roberta Conlan’s ingenuity allows for each article, despite the fact that it is immensely informative, to have a very fluent, readable style. Although it is eminently readable the book does require a bit of background knowledge within psychology. Terms such as: amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, hippocampal system, auditory thalamus , neurotransmitters, etc. are just a brief list of terms used throughout the book which involve a bit of background knowledge to understand. However, it does give a brief and simple description for those who are unfamiliar with the terms, which enables the reader to have an understanding of what they are reading. This evokes the reader to continue reading due to the fact that the given information isn’t as intricate.
For those who take interest in: Psychology, mental illnesses, neuroplasticity, and our emotions, would find this book captivating. Within the book, eight pioneering researchers provide lively discussions , originally public lectures, on the most intriguing discoveries as well as a new way of understanding our emotions, moods, memories, and dreams. Such discussions also raise questions that are answered such as: Can we be born with susceptible manic-depressive illness or alcoholism through a particular array of genes?, Are we born with a brain chemistry to be bold?, Is creativity and mood disorders related? Etc. Thanks to these researchers we have a better understanding of how our brains react and adapt to the environment we surround ourself in. I believe anyone can read this book, despite it being immensely informative, as long as they take interest and understand what they are reading then the book shouldn’t be that big of a problem.
The authors for this book, as well as the information provided, allows me to speculate that the audience for this book is for a more modern, philosophical audiences in mind because they use a scholarly and straight-forward tone.
Another reason why I took interest in the book was because I wanted a better understanding of how our brain interacts with other parts of our body. When I was younger I always wondered why I couldn’t remember anything before the age of three. Now, after reading the book, I have an idea why. Within chapter 6, which speaks about the fear system and how it plays a crucial role in the formation of emotional memory, and how it influences our day-to-day reactions and decision making ability, I read about infantile amnesia, which is the inability to remember things that happened to us before the age of three. This may be due to the fact that our hippocampus is not fully formed or functional. However, the amygdala is fully functional which may cause those who suffered abuse at a young age to form strong emotional memories that they never have conscious access to. I find that being able to relate and apply what you’re reading into your daily life makes what you're reading a lot more easier to understand. For those who want to read an academic piece of literature that covers a broad amount of information related to psychology, mental illness and neuroplasticity, as well as our emotions, this book is great for starters.
What I enjoyed the most about the book is the fact that it is easy to read. Roberta Conlan’s ingenuity allows for each article, despite the fact that it is immensely informative, to have a very fluent, readable style. Although it is eminently readable the book does require a bit of background knowledge within psychology. Terms such as: amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, hippocampal system, auditory thalamus , neurotransmitters, etc. are just a brief list of terms used throughout the book which involve a bit of background knowledge to understand. However, it does give a brief and simple description for those who are unfamiliar with the terms, which enables the reader to have an understanding of what they are reading. This evokes the reader to continue reading due to the fact that the given information isn’t as intricate.
For those who take interest in: Psychology, mental illnesses, neuroplasticity, and our emotions, would find this book captivating. Within the book, eight pioneering researchers provide lively discussions , originally public lectures, on the most intriguing discoveries as well as a new way of understanding our emotions, moods, memories, and dreams. Such discussions also raise questions that are answered such as: Can we be born with susceptible manic-depressive illness or alcoholism through a particular array of genes?, Are we born with a brain chemistry to be bold?, Is creativity and mood disorders related? Etc. Thanks to these researchers we have a better understanding of how our brains react and adapt to the environment we surround ourself in. I believe anyone can read this book, despite it being immensely informative, as long as they take interest and understand what they are reading then the book shouldn’t be that big of a problem.
The authors for this book, as well as the information provided, allows me to speculate that the audience for this book is for a more modern, philosophical audiences in mind because they use a scholarly and straight-forward tone.
Another reason why I took interest in the book was because I wanted a better understanding of how our brain interacts with other parts of our body. When I was younger I always wondered why I couldn’t remember anything before the age of three. Now, after reading the book, I have an idea why. Within chapter 6, which speaks about the fear system and how it plays a crucial role in the formation of emotional memory, and how it influences our day-to-day reactions and decision making ability, I read about infantile amnesia, which is the inability to remember things that happened to us before the age of three. This may be due to the fact that our hippocampus is not fully formed or functional. However, the amygdala is fully functional which may cause those who suffered abuse at a young age to form strong emotional memories that they never have conscious access to. I find that being able to relate and apply what you’re reading into your daily life makes what you're reading a lot more easier to understand. For those who want to read an academic piece of literature that covers a broad amount of information related to psychology, mental illness and neuroplasticity, as well as our emotions, this book is great for starters.
March 24, 2021
So much progress and still a long way to go. Learning has no limits. As the saying goes, “The brain is a terrible thing to waste.”
July 2, 2010
Incredibly interesting and informative! I am even more anxious to read anything I can get my hands on about the inner workings of our amazing brain!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews