The Mind: Leading Scientists Explore the Brain, Memory, Personality, and Happiness

Description

Who am "I" How is happiness achieved What is the key to memory How do babies become adults Is personality determined What function do emotions serve Are we hardwired to be moral The mind is a riddle that has vexed philosophers, psychologists, biologists, and artists for thousands of years. In this invaluable volume, John Brockman, editor and publisher of Edge, gathers the world's most influential scientists and thinkers to present their deepest thoughts and cutting-edge theories in short, accessible essays about the essential aspects of human consciousness and the complex workings of the brain. Contributors and topics include Steven Pinker on how thehuman brain works * Martin Seligman on happiness and what it means to live a good life * Philip Zimbardo on the impact of environment on personality * V. S. Ramachandran on the question of self-who "you" are * Simon Baron-Cohen on the innate differences between boys and girls * George Lakoff on the role of the body and brain on different types of reasoning * Alison Gopnik on why human children are the best learning machines in the universe * Jonathan Haidt on the connection between emotions, morality, and religious belief

The publisher of the online science salon Edge.org, John Brockman is the editor of the national bestsellers This Idea Must Die, This Explains Everything, This Will Make You Smarter, and other volumes.

"If you want a quick introduction to some of the smartest and most interesting thinkers around-read this book." -- Scientific American