The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain [Hardcover]

As a seasoned psychotherapist in private practice in West Los Angeles, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Cozolino's well written exploration into the brain and our human propensity to attach and, hopefully, develop a self. Dr. Cozolino leads this exploration in a very reader friendly, yet scientific manner, illuminating the path with on target vignettes and cogent observations that has you underlining and starring his text repeatedly as a personal assurance to go back and reread that terrific insight once again. This adventure into the brain, it's chemistry,and our ability,and inabilities to attach is exceptionally depicted. Dr. Cozolino manages to deftly depict our brain function, and hook it to the regions of the brain that may be responsible. If you read Antonio Demasio's Descartes Error, and enjoyed it, you will absolutely enjoy this well written, interestingly presented and thoroughly documented book by Dr. Cozolino. I have never written a review, but the goodness of this book demanded I do so now. After reading this book, you will come away with a knowledge base you simply did not have before. It is one of those rare of rare books, truly 5 star.

I am in a neuroscience book group composed of clinical psychologists and social workers that has been meeting for four years. We've read about 25 books in this group over the years. Much of it has been tough going. This and Cozolino's book, The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy, are two of the very best. They are comprehensive, clinically relevant, very well written, even entertaining. The clinical vignettes bring the neuroscience to life. His speculations as to the implications of the science and his ability to integrate it with attachment theory and clinical observations are compelling and stimulating. I have not written a review before but I am so grateful for these books that I felt motivated to do so. Couldn't recommend them more.

It is remarkable how many neuroscientists lose their nerve.

They often fail to follow insights and findings to their logical conclusions.

As an example, the brain consists of hundreds of systems and circuits each dedicated to specific functions, but most also able to contribute to the overall functioning of the organ and the organism. When the need arises, they can be recruited and pressed into the service of the greater good. These systems and circuits are the fruit of millions of years of evolution, but until recently few people saw them for what they are: individuals that also belong to ever more complex organizational hierarchies. Neurons, glia cells and the other key contributors to the functions of the brain live to communicate and cooperate. Each on its own is a stunted thing. Together they can create the works of Shakespeare, or work out how to go to the moon.

Louis Cozolino is professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, and in this book he pushes the envelop of the idea that brains are social organisms that develop and grow from their interactions with each other and with the material, maternal, familial and social environments. The important point is that the brain is not a static structure. It continues to grow and develop throughout life, and experiences sculpt the physical and functional landscape of our minds and bodies. Not just traumatic or adverse experiences, but also the positive ones. Hence the idea that psychotherapy and meditation may help reverse or re-fashion the maldevelopment and faulty wiring created by events earlier in life.

The basic concept is important. There are still people embroiled in the sterile nature vs. nurture debate. I recently heard some family members of people with a neuropsychiatric problem criticizing research that suggested a role for the environment in the genesis of the disease. They felt that it was a waste of time to look at anything other than the neurology of the illness. Yet the genes expressed in the brain do not determine behavior. Instead they help to condition the ways in which we respond to the environment. One mother was incensed, saying that her son had enjoyed a perfect childhood, so the illness was not her "fault." Chances are that it was nobody's "fault," but a delicate interplay of susceptibility genes with subtle environmental factors.

In Six Parts and 23 chapters, the book gives a very good overview of the roles of genes and the environment on neuroplasticity, neurogenesis and the development of the social and emotional functions of the brain.

Part I: The Emergence of Social Neuroscience Introduction: I-Me-Mine
1: The Social Brain

2: The Evolving Brain

Part II: The Social Brain: Structures and Functions
3: The Developing Brain

4: The Social Brain: A Thumbnail Sketch

5: Social and Emotional Laterality

Part III: Bridging the Social Synapse
6: Experience-Dependent Plasticity
7: Reflexes and Instincts: Jumpstarting Attachment

8: Addicted to Love

9: Implicit Social Memory

10: Ways of Attaching

Part IV: Social Vision: The Language of Faces
11: Linking Gazes

12: Reading Faces

13: Imitation and Mirror Neurons: Monkey See, Monkey Do

14: Resonance, Attunement, and Empathy

Part V Disorders of the Social Brain
15: Impact of Early Stress

16: Interpersonal Trauma

17: Social Phobia: When Others Trigger Fear

18: Borderline Personality Disorder: When Attachment Fails

19: Psychopathy: The Antisocial Brain

20: Autism: The Asocial Brain

Part VI: Social Neural Plasticity
21: From Neurons to Narratives

22: Healing Relationships

23: Social Brain and Group Mind

The chapters are followed by selected references up to the end of 2004, followed by a good index.

Although the neurosciences have expanded enormously in the last few years, this book remains an excellent introduction to the ways in which the brain develops through life and some of the research indicating that it may never be too late to change.

I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the brain and human behavior.

Richard G. Petty, MD, author of Healing, Meaning and Purpose: The Magical Power of the Emerging Laws of Life