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A review by paola_mobileread
Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique by Michael S. Gazzaniga
3.0
I find Gazzaniga a very engaging writer, even in textbook, and this volume is no exception. As the title states, what Gazzaniga is after is precisely what is that makes our special kind of primate human. Answering this question is by no means trivial, of course, and you need to know a lot about animals to navigate among what characteristics are uniquely human: is it empathy? or possessing a theory of mind? or is it enjoying art?
Gazzaniga goes over this skilfully and pleasantly - the only aspect which tempered my enjoyment somewhat is the attempt to explain how behaviours link to brain structure and function: here I think he does not succeed as he does in [b:Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology Of The Mind|1656310|Cognitive Neuroscience The Biology Of The Mind|Michael S. Gazzaniga|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1186443720s/1656310.jpg|325236], as of course he does not have the space, and he decides not to go for pictures, so that in the end this is lost on the reader (or at least on this reader :-) ) - which was frustrating for me, as I could see the various elements would construct a clearer picture if only I could understand the biology of the brain better, whereas for me these elements remained a collection of very interesting but somewhat disconnected experimental results. Nevertheless, a very enjoyable and instructive read.
Gazzaniga goes over this skilfully and pleasantly - the only aspect which tempered my enjoyment somewhat is the attempt to explain how behaviours link to brain structure and function: here I think he does not succeed as he does in [b:Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology Of The Mind|1656310|Cognitive Neuroscience The Biology Of The Mind|Michael S. Gazzaniga|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1186443720s/1656310.jpg|325236], as of course he does not have the space, and he decides not to go for pictures, so that in the end this is lost on the reader (or at least on this reader :-) ) - which was frustrating for me, as I could see the various elements would construct a clearer picture if only I could understand the biology of the brain better, whereas for me these elements remained a collection of very interesting but somewhat disconnected experimental results. Nevertheless, a very enjoyable and instructive read.