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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
It's very hard to categorise or summarise this book. It works as an introduction to the field of neuroscience - particularly to the concepts involved, as opposed to this-bit-of-brain-then-that-bit-of-brain - it also has elements of speculative science; memoir and philosophy. Perhaps most affectingly, however, it is a surprisingly emotional grappling from a man who knows than almost everyone about how the brain works, yet loses himself in grief and guilt just the same. A man who understands how far we are from understanding why we do what we do, and how this rich internal life of ours, well, *is*.
Which is not to be confused with a religious or spiritual approach that says this is unknowable. If Koch's book is a hero's journey towards specific knowledge, it doesn't conclude with defeat, but with the optimistic note that gradual enquiry reveals truths and understandings, even if it falls short of "Life, the Universe and Everything" answers. (Koch provides a splendid side-swipe at M-Theory here, managing to make it look petty and small - the attempt to have a solution at any cost, when we just aren't there yet).
It's very short this book, but in the end it packed a real punch and will be one of those which come back and cycle around in my head.
Which is not to be confused with a religious or spiritual approach that says this is unknowable. If Koch's book is a hero's journey towards specific knowledge, it doesn't conclude with defeat, but with the optimistic note that gradual enquiry reveals truths and understandings, even if it falls short of "Life, the Universe and Everything" answers. (Koch provides a splendid side-swipe at M-Theory here, managing to make it look petty and small - the attempt to have a solution at any cost, when we just aren't there yet).
It's very short this book, but in the end it packed a real punch and will be one of those which come back and cycle around in my head.
it's alright. I like it in the beginning, but in the middle of the book it gets more deep and the author used a lot of terms and words I don't understand.