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Amazon.co.uk Review
What would you say about a woman who, despite stroke-induced paralysis crippling the entire left side of her body, insists that she is whole and strong--who even sees her left hand reach out to grasp objects? Freud called it "denial"; neurologists call it "anosognosia". However it may be labelled, this phenomenon and others like it allow us peeks into other mental worlds and afford us considerable insight into our own.
The writings of Oliver Sacks and others have shown us that we can learn much about ourselves by looking closely at the deficits shown by people with neurological problems. VS Ramachandran has seen countless patients suffering from anosognosia, phantom limb pain, blindsight and other disorders, and he brings a remarkable mixture of clinical intuition and research savvy to bear on their problems. He is one of the few scientists who are able and willing to explore the personal, subjective ramifications of his work; he rehumanizes an often too-sterile field and captures the spirit of wonder so essential for true discovery. Phantoms in the Brain is equal parts medical mystery, scientific adventure, and philosophical speculation; Ramachandran's writing is smart, caring, and very, very funny.
Whether you're curious about the workings of the brain, interested in alternatives to expensive, high-tech science (much of Ramachandran's research is done with materials found around the home), or simply want a fresh perspective on the nature of human consciousness, you'll find satisfaction withPhantoms in the Brain. --Rob Lightner
Dr Francis Crick, Nobel Laureate
'If you are at all interested in how your brain works, this is the book you must read.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
VS Ramachandran is a highly respected neurologist whose body of research is vast. This book tries to cover the majority of it, with some metaphysics and psychology added as well. Although I very much enjoyed the initial chapters of the book (the ones dealing with neurological patients and understanding how us 'normal' people function by understanding the dysfunction in their conditions) towards the end I felt that Ramachandran wavered from the initial excitement to a more mellow, hazy abstraction on matters of philosophy.
Ramachandran understands the implications of all of his research in understanding how consciousness manifests itself. However, he tries too hard to form a grand unified 'neuroscientific metaphysics.'He also tries to use neurological means to substantiate personal beliefs and much of his hypotheses (he does emphasize the speculative nature of his theories, one must say) are currently tenuous. I suspect that he perhaps reduced the level of complexity of many of his theories to satisfy the layman and this is unfortunate if true.
To summarise, there are numerous positive points about this book e.g. the brilliant analysis of phantom limbs and the pratical solutions associated with it, the incredibly erudite and interesting exploration of neurological deficits in patients and therefore the improvement in understanding how our brains work and finally the substantial notes section in the back of the book for an interested reader. I must also say that the writing style is excellent, both engaging and humorous. However, I feel that Ramachandran has tried to extend his theories too far in the latter section of the book. They seem highly speculative and beyond the realm of conventional science at the moment.
Therefore, I reccommend that any individual may buy this to savour those early chapters however be wary of the latter three or four chapters.
Ramachandran understands the implications of all of his research in understanding how consciousness manifests itself. However, he tries too hard to form a grand unified 'neuroscientific metaphysics.'He also tries to use neurological means to substantiate personal beliefs and much of his hypotheses (he does emphasize the speculative nature of his theories, one must say) are currently tenuous. I suspect that he perhaps reduced the level of complexity of many of his theories to satisfy the layman and this is unfortunate if true.
To summarise, there are numerous positive points about this book e.g. the brilliant analysis of phantom limbs and the pratical solutions associated with it, the incredibly erudite and interesting exploration of neurological deficits in patients and therefore the improvement in understanding how our brains work and finally the substantial notes section in the back of the book for an interested reader. I must also say that the writing style is excellent, both engaging and humorous. However, I feel that Ramachandran has tried to extend his theories too far in the latter section of the book. They seem highly speculative and beyond the realm of conventional science at the moment.
Therefore, I reccommend that any individual may buy this to savour those early chapters however be wary of the latter three or four chapters.
50 of 54 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A light and approachable book talking about how the mind (appears to) work(s) - I'm not a doctor or a scientist but still found this absorbing enough to read on holiday. As a point of reference, it is most similar in tone to Oliver Sacks' books (The Man Who His Wife For A Hat).
Using examples gleaned from case histories, Dr Ramachandran takes us into the world of phantom limbs, people who see cartoons and more. Oprah it is not - rather it is a thought provoking glimpse into the yet to be fully understood workings of the brain. Recommended
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first heard of VS Ramachandran when quite by accident I tuned into his giving the 2003 Reith Lectures on BBC Radio 4. His entertaining & instructive style prompted me to tune in a few nights later for the next instalment, and then to go and seek out his published work.
Phantoms in the Brain is an excellent introduction to practical studies of phantom limbs syndrome, and thus into the workings of the human brain and the concept of body imaging.
As a direct consequence of reading this book, I then eagerly awaited his next offering, the transcript of those BBC Lectures.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent book
Combining cutting edge science and amazing stories in a funnier and an 'easy to understand for anyone' book, Dr. VS Ramachandran has contributed one of the best book of its kind.
Published 10 months ago by NextDoorNerd
get it!
This is a fascinating book and easy for the layman to understand. If you have an enquiring mind you're in for a treat! I go back to re-read it every couple of years. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Dr Chris
Great introduction to neuroscience and psychology
By taking a case by case example approach, the author takes you step by step into areas of cognitive psychology that are fascinating and insightful. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Robert Shaw
Interesting neurologic cases
Fascinating, very good to read account of neurologic cases.
Ramachandran has a marvellous gift of using the English language in an efficient, easy, pleasant style. Read more
Ramachandran has a marvellous gift of using the English language in an efficient, easy, pleasant style. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Christian Wendt
Well written and clear explanation
Ramachandran explains how the brain is organised and how it functions. What's more, he explores what happens when it goes wrong, especially explaining the concept of phantom limbs... Read more
Published 17 months ago by John Keats
Never thought i'd understand neuroscience!
A really interesting book with some great real life stories to frame Ramachandrans research and discussions. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Hazelrv
Not Rigorous but a lot of FUN!
Excellent read on neurology (understood by exploring pathology), very entertaining. At times quite speculative and Ramachandran does warn that results are anecdotal/preliminary and... Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2009 by Yoana D. Dimitrova
Phantoms in the Brain
`Phantoms in the Brain' is a highly accessible look at how the brain works via the study of various neurological disorders. Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2009 by Spider Monkey
Would benefit from being shorter
V. interesting laymans guide to how and why you do the things you do. Particularly enjoyed the self test activities. Read more
Published on 23 May 2009 by S. W. Parkin
Excellent
Excellent read. Great experiments to explain, things I have always noticed, but never understood.
Published on 22 Mar 2009 by P. George
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