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A review by mischief_in_the_library
The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human by V.S. Ramachandran
3.0
I think I've read too many brain books. I think this may be quite an enjoyable read for someone who hasn't read a lot about neuropsych previously. There are some really interesting disorders covered in here. My favourite chapter was probably one of the early ones, on synaesthesia.
I did enjoy the book from the start, but towards the end, a couple of comments turned me right off - first, an incorrect definition of Munchausen by proxy, and second, stating that Oppositional Defiance Disorder was a made up disorder that unnecessarily labels feisty kids. While scepticism for disorders like these are probably a good idea, such a provocative statement without a citation, given that there are plenty of OTHER studies indicating poorer outcomes and other measurable problems...yeah. Bit of a hasty statement, I thought. I also didn't agree with his assessment that its absurd to argue that humans and apes (and other animals) are similar, and that humans are obviously uniquely special. While it's certainly an ongoing debate, coming down so hard on the 'humans are superior' side was not to my taste.
Buuut, apart from those little things, it was a worthwhile book, particularly for someone with a short attention span like me, who can't handle a book that doesn't shift topics every chapter :D
I did enjoy the book from the start, but towards the end, a couple of comments turned me right off - first, an incorrect definition of Munchausen by proxy, and second, stating that Oppositional Defiance Disorder was a made up disorder that unnecessarily labels feisty kids. While scepticism for disorders like these are probably a good idea, such a provocative statement without a citation, given that there are plenty of OTHER studies indicating poorer outcomes and other measurable problems...yeah. Bit of a hasty statement, I thought. I also didn't agree with his assessment that its absurd to argue that humans and apes (and other animals) are similar, and that humans are obviously uniquely special. While it's certainly an ongoing debate, coming down so hard on the 'humans are superior' side was not to my taste.
Buuut, apart from those little things, it was a worthwhile book, particularly for someone with a short attention span like me, who can't handle a book that doesn't shift topics every chapter :D