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The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World Paperback – Illustrated, 1 Feb. 2019

by Iain Mcgilchrist (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 2,135 ratings
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A pioneering exploration of the differences between the brain’s right and left hemispheres and their effects on society, history, and culture

"One of the few contemporary works deserving classic status” Nicholas Shakespeare, The Times

“Persuasively argues that our society is suffering from the consequences of an over-dominant left hemisphere losing touch with its natural regulative ‘master’ the right. Brilliant and disturbing.”―Salley Vickers, a Guardian Best Book of the Year

"I know of no better exposition of the current state of functional brain neuroscience.”―W. F. Bynum, TLS

Why is the brain divided? The difference between right and left hemispheres has been puzzled over for centuries. Drawing upon a vast body of brain research, the renowned psychiatrist, author, and thinker Iain McGilchrist reveals that the difference between the two sides is profound―two whole, coherent, but incompatible ways of experiencing the world. The detail-oriented left hemisphere prefers mechanisms to living things and is inclined to self-interest, while the right hemisphere has greater breadth, flexibility, and generosity.

In the second part of his book, McGilchrist takes the reader on a journey through the history of Western culture, illustrating the tension between these two worlds as revealed in the thought and belief of thinkers and artists from the ancient to the modern, from Aeschylus to Magritte. He ultimately argues that, despite its inferior grasp of reality, the left hemisphere is increasingly taking precedence in today’s world―with potentially disastrous consequences.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0300245920
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0300245929
  3. Edition
    2nd
  4. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  5. Publication date
    1 Feb. 2019
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    21.59 x 14.22 x 4.06 cm
  8. Print length
    616 pages
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”One of the few contemporary works deserving classic status.”—Nicholas Shakespeare, The Times

"A landmark. . . It tells a story you need to hear, of where we live now"–Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times

"A seminal book"—Professor Ervin László, Huffington Post

"McGilchrist describes broad [intellectual] movements and famous figures as if they were battles and soldiers in a 2,500-year war between the brain’s hemispheres. . .A scintillating intelligence is at work."—Economist

"A fascinating book. . . [McGilchrist] is a subtle and clever thinker, and unusually qualified to range with such authority over so many different domains of knowledge"—Harry Eyres, Financial Times

"A veritable tour de force, gradually and skilfully revealed. I know of no better exposition of the current state of functional brain neuroscience"–Professor W.F. Bynum, TLS

“Fascinating and elegantly written”—Grethe Hooper Hansen, Association for Humanistic Psychology in Britain Magazine

“A densely researched and entirely thrilling examination of the difference between the two kinds of thinking typical of the right and left hemispheres of the brain”—Philip Pullman, New Statesman

Winner of the Scientific and Medical Network Book Prize 2009

Shortlisted for the Bristol Festival of Ideas Book Prize 2010

Longlisted for the Royal Society Book Prize 2010

About the Author

Iain McGilchrist is a former fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, where he taught literature before training in medicine. He now lives on the Isle of Skye, where he continues to write, and lectures worldwide.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 Feb. 2019
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 616 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300245920
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300245929
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 816 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 21.59 x 14.22 x 4.06 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 7,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 2,135 ratings

About the author

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Iain McGilchrist

Iain McGilchrist

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Dr Iain McGilchrist is a psychiatrist, neuroscience researcher, philosopher and literary scholar. He is a Quondam Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and former Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director at the Bethlem Royal & Maudsley Hospital, London. 

He has been a Research Fellow in neuroimaging at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore and a Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Stellenbosch.  He has published original articles and research papers in a wide range of publications on topics in literature, philosophy, medicine and psychiatry. 

He is the author of a number of books, but is best-known for The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World (Yale 2009), and The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions and the Unmaking of the World (Perspective 2021).

He lives on the Isle of Skye, has two daughters and a son, and now grandchildren.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
2,135 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book deeply researched and authoritative in its investigation of brain workings, with one review noting how it draws from a surprisingly wide range of topics. Moreover, the writing style is well-executed, and customers consider it important reading that explains many human problems. Additionally, the content receives positive feedback for its interesting points, and customers find it fascinating and worth the investment. However, the readability and challenge level receive mixed reactions - while some find it highly readable, others say it's not an easy read, and while some find it engaging, others describe it as hard work at times.

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Research qualityInspirationWriting styleContentInterestValue for moneyReadabilityChallenge level
64 customers mention ‘Research quality’55 positive9 negative

Customers praise the book's research quality, describing it as a deeply-researched and authoritative investigation of brain workings, with one customer noting how the author draws from a surprisingly wide range of topics.

"...and from this background he has produced something special and thought provoking...." Read more

"...The Master and His Emissary is a deeply-researched yet expansive, seminal masterpiece – vitally relevant and necessary in these modern, post-modern..." Read more

"Densely rich and fascinating. A wonderful review of how neuroscience can inform an understanding our our nature as human beings and the world we..." Read more

"Excellent and insightful book by a friendly yet challenging academic who makes his material both pioneering and accessible." Read more

19 customers mention ‘Inspiration’18 positive1 negative

Customers find the book inspiring and profound, explaining many aspects of human problems, with one customer noting how it changes the way you think about the subject.

"...theological and soteriological implications of this dense book are profound. Four and a half stars." Read more

"Masterly! Explains so much about the problems of humanity...." Read more

"...What is thought? Where do ideas come from? An amazing and inspiring read." Read more

"...But the author's style is so easy and persuasive that any intelligent reader who is concerned for the state of our world should read and truly..." Read more

17 customers mention ‘Writing style’15 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as well-written and masterly, with one customer noting its lyrical approach.

"fascinating insights into the brain. beautiful writing style, but a tough read with all the scholarly detail...." Read more

"Masterly! Explains so much about the problems of humanity...." Read more

"...The writing style is clear, concise yet inspires with its beauty...." Read more

"McGilchrist is an absolutely wonderful writer; able to create an engaging epic, which condenses a fascinating and compelling vision of what we..." Read more

15 customers mention ‘Content’14 positive1 negative

Customers find the content of the book interesting and important, with one customer noting that it reaches into every area of life.

"A fascinating subject, thoroughly researched and presented, in simple terms arguing that the left "analytical" half of our brain has usurped..." Read more

"...It's such an important book with a whole new slant on the workings and relationship of our right and left cerebral hemispheres...." Read more

"Is ground breaking book understanding the influence of the brain's physiology on human thinking and particularly Western Culture...." Read more

"...next - but whatever the content, I am certain it will be researched, considered, true and deep. What a book!..." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Interest’12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating, with one describing it as an engaging epic.

"Fascinating. Cuts through all the new age rubbish and provides a decent science based analysis of split brain theories" Read more

"This is a fascinating and profoundly insightful exploration of the functions of the two hemispheres of our brain, and how they relate to one another..." Read more

"...'s interview with the author who seemed a very erudite and interesting man...." Read more

"...It is a highly imaginative and compelling book . It will be of interest and great value to a large group of readers: anyone who asks themselves..." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Value for money’12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth its price.

"Amazing! It’s long but it’s worth it. Amazing!" Read more

"...re-reading of some passages and reflection, but it was well worth the effort: it makes you look at the world in a different light." Read more

"...A difficult read at times, just about worth the effort." Read more

"...This is not teatime reading; but it's well worth it for those wanting a fairly exhaustive examination of creation and the 'bean'." Read more

27 customers mention ‘Readability’10 positive17 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it highly readable while others note it is not an easy read and takes a substantial amount of time to complete.

"Extremely difficult and complex book but very interesting: Professor Macgilchrist is a considerable scholar and polymath and a fellow of All Souls..." Read more

"One of the most important books written on this subject. Easy to read and changes the way you think about the subject...." Read more

"...sink into the whole of my self and sigh - it has been exciting but very difficult - I have read and re read many sentences before beginning to..." Read more

"Delivery was fine but a hard read and as such, incomplete!!!!" Read more

9 customers mention ‘Challenge level’5 positive4 negative

Customers find the book demanding and hard work at times to read.

"Excellent and insightful book by a friendly yet challenging academic who makes his material both pioneering and accessible." Read more

"Hard work but totally brilliant. I would have been much better if I could have afforded the hard back version" Read more

"This book is a subtle yet forceful challenge to some of our accepted attitudes...." Read more

"This is masterly, demanding but well very well written. I'm having to take my time over absorbing it, but I can heartily recommend the experience...." Read more

The font size is minuscule
5 out of 5 stars
The font size is minuscule
I have rated the book 5 stars as to not damage the author but the font size is so small I can barely manage to read it comfortably. The book is circa 530 pages so I can only presume that the font size was chosen to save the book from becoming 650 odd pages. It just doesn’t lend to comfortable reading.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Eleanor Stoneham
    5.0 out of 5 stars A shifting balance of power between the brain hemispheres gives hope for our world
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2010
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This is a fascinating and profoundly insightful exploration of the functions of the two hemispheres of our brain, and how they relate to one another; but it goes much further than that. From a sound background of brain research and neuro imaging covered in some considerable depth in Part One, the second Part goes on to make sense of these findings in a wider worldly context, suggesting how the balance of power may have switched between the two hemispheres over the centuries. We read how this may have influenced human behaviour and how this knowledge can be related to the history of Western culture and thought. The author is therefore able to provide convincing explanations for the present predicament the Western world finds itself in.

    I love the skilful use of metaphor throughout the book and the pace with which a new and fascinating story or idea unfolds with each page turned. There is so much that resonates with our human condition and the place we find ourselves in today, and it is difficult to do justice to the sheer scope of coverage in a brief review. It certainly makes sense to me in what I see around me, for example, that Christianity is losing its spirituality to dogma, and that individual responsibility is being dulled by increasing state interference, both symptomatic of a left hemispheric world. I can relate to the idea that our loss of cultural tradition and contact with the natural world reduces our ability to counter such left hemispheric dominance, but that body, soul and art combined may be able to resist such tendencies. The book poses important questions, such as: "Is the obvious inauthenticity of the mechanistic left hemispheric world now going to lead us to seek to change it?" Or "Can we learn from the cultural qualities and values of the East before they become Westernised beyond redemption?"

    Most importantly the author leaves us with a message of hope as he shows why there may still be time and opportunity for the empathic and intuitive right hemisphere to assert itself over the mechanistic and rational left hemisphere, with potentially huge significance for our future well being.

    Once I began reading I could not put this book down. With his vast experience and knowledge of medicine and psychiatry, philosophy and English literature, the author is more than well qualified to write a book of this enormous scope and depth. Erudite it certainly is, and the book will surely be essential reading for anyone involved in any study of the human brain and human behaviour. But the author's style is so easy and persuasive that any intelligent reader who is concerned for the state of our world should read and truly digest this quite unique and valuable book.
    40 people found this helpful
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  • Mark Hill
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tour de force
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 January 2022
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    One of the most interesting and informative books this century.

    I would highly recommend listening to the audible version a few times before reading the book.

    The book covers many different subjects from many different angles; drawing on fields of knowledge which are often jealously policed by academic specialists.

    It’s a literary, scientific, and philosophical tour de force which gives many plausible explanations for the disastrous mess in which we find ourselves.

    McGilchrist mentions that the topics of each chapter are so vast that lifetimes of study and research would be needed to cover them; and this, for me, is the root of the problem. Thinking and studying in the way we do – in a predominantly left hemispheric manner in a predominantly left hemispherically organized culture – we can never hope to learn much in a lifetime or evolve; we can however, in our little detached spheres of ‘learning’ do a huge amount of damage to ourselves and our planet. In brief, there has to be another way of learning and living. But first, as McGilchrist points out, we should perhaps observe that overdriving the left hemisphere for centuries has created a hypertrophy of focus; we are hypnotised, in a deep trance state; as mystics rightly claim, we are asleep. The difficulty is that a sleeping ‘civilization’ has to realize that it is asleep. This book is a constructive way of beginning to understand what’s wrong and to begin to twitch a little in our own sleep.

    It’s interesting that the left hemisphere as described by McGilchrist, has many of the functions and attributes of the self which Idries Shah describes as the ‘Commanding Self’ in his book ‘The Sufis’ (greed, laziness, selfishness, envy etc). This ‘Commanding Self’ is a secondary self, common to all of us, which highjacks the real self. If we don’t observe it and control it, it will control us; it will become what we assume ourselves to be. It’s interesting because, as with McGilchrist’s emissary, the Commanding Self is a usurper. When this self is on the throne (or McGilchrist’s ‘Emissary’) we are upside down in relation to reality. As another Sufi, Hakim Sanai mentioned: ‘If you yourself are upside down in relation to reality, then your wisdom and faith are bound to be topsy turvy.’ In the following verse Sanai writes, ‘Stop weaving a net about yourself. Burst like a lion from the cage.’ Hopefully, understanding McGilchrist’s ‘Emissary’ brings us a little closer to understanding the cage maker; and the designs of our cages.
    38 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Anya leitao
    5.0 out of 5 stars Super indico
    Reviewed in Brazil on 3 June 2025
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Uma maestria para os estudiosos de neuropsicologia
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  • sebastian placencia sanchez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Información necesaria
    Reviewed in Spain on 28 October 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    No pude esperar a la traducción. Sorprende lo entretenido y fácil de su lectura. Adentrarse en la estructura del cerebro es adentrase en uno mismo y en la historia. Esto, más que una metáfora creíble, es una sensiblemente cambia-vidas. Fascinante y revelador contenido.
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  • Laurie A
    5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable explanation of how our brains actually shape us, culture and history
    Reviewed in Canada on 15 May 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    McGilchrist has written an absolutely brilliant tome on how our divided brain works. His exposition on what each hemisphere of the brain does and how they interact clarifies and extends the knowledge on the "right brain/left brain" far beyond the commonly held (and incorrect) understandings. The sweep of this book is enormous, covering anatomy, neuroscience, history, psychology and culture. McGilchrist writes in an erudite, lucid and riveting style. This is one of these foundational books you'll find yourself referring and returning to often. Highly recommend.
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  • Kenny Russell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent take on what makes us tick
    Reviewed in Australia on 3 September 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    An excellent, if challenging, read. My knowledge of philosophy and neuroscience are not my strengths and the book, for the most part, majors on these areas. However, if you persevere, the way the author explores the strengths and weaknesses of the left and right hemisphere of the brain and relates them to how we view the world and the world views us, becomes clearer and clearer. He finally relates how the left and right hemisphere’s relationship has evolved through time with a focus on the here and now. The author’s research of his subject is immense and thorough which helps to provide you with a very enlightened view of the subject matter (whether you have specialist knowledge or not). All in all, a very worthwhile read which I highly recommend.
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  • Nithin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Dense, dry and tedious. but very clear
    Reviewed in India on 13 October 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I selected this book after reading Daniel Kahneman’s ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’, which was a breeze compared to this monster. This book needs a lot of referencing and the reader must commit their full attention at all times, I held this book and revisited narrations at the same time I was listening to the audiobook, emptied a highlighter marking important passages and references from beginning to the end. The author could have expanded on Upanishads which he only mentioned in passing as tertiary reference, the ancient Upanishads cover a great deal of what he was trying to explain. Maybe another left brain rejection? Another case of Gödel’s incompleteness!
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