Electric Brain

Title: Electric Brain: How the New Science of Brainwaves Reads Minds, Tells Us How We Learn, and Helps Us Change for the Better
Published by: BenBella
Release Date: February 4, 2020
ISBN13: 978-1946885456
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Books-A-Million

 
Overview

What is as unique as your fingerprints and more revealing than your diary? Hint: Your body is emitting them right now and has been every single day of your life.

Brainwaves.

Analyzing brainwaves, the imperceptible waves of electricity surging across your scalp, has been possible for nearly a century. But only now are neuroscientists becoming aware of the wealth of information brainwaves hold about a person’s life, thoughts, and future health.

From the moment a reclusive German doctor discovered waves of electricity radiating from the heads of his patients in the 1920s, brainwaves have sparked astonishment and intrigue, yet the significance of the discovery and its momentous implications have been poorly understood. Now, it is clear that these silent broadcasts can actually reveal a stunning wealth of information about any one of us.

In Electric Brain, world-renowned neuroscientist and author R. Douglas Fields takes us on an enthralling journey into the world of brainwaves, detailing how new brain science could fundamentally change society, separating fact from hyperbole along the way.

In this eye-opening and in-depth look at the most recent findings in brain science, Fields explores groundbreaking research that shows brainwaves can:

  • Reveal the type of brain you have—its strengths and weaknesses and your aptitude for learning different types of information
  • Allow scientists to watch your brain learn, glean your intelligence, and even tell how adventurous you are
  • Expose hidden dysfunctions—including signifiers of mental illness and neurological disorders
  • Render your thoughts and transmit them to machines and back from machines into your brain
  • Meld minds by telepathically transmitting information from one brain to another
  • Enable individuals to rewire their own brains and improve cognitive performance

Written by one of the neuroscientists on the cutting edge of brainwave research, Electric Brain tells a fascinating and obscure story of discovery, explains the latest science, and looks to the future—and the exciting possibilities in store for medicine, technology, and our understanding of ourselves.

Audio Excerpt

Praise

"Electric Brain tells the story behind one of the most basic and important features of the nervous system--its electrical properties. Forget the hype you've heard about "brain waves." Read Doug Fields' facile account of the role of brain electrical activity in mind and behavior."
—Joseph LeDoux, Neuroscientist and author of The Deep History of Ourselves: The Four-Billion-Year-Story of How We Got Conscious Brains

"Brainwaves, not heartbeat, determine the threshold between life and death. They can control drones and in turn be controlled by machines. Doug Fields has done a remarkable job of lifting the veil on these mysterious, fascinating emanations and their potential to change our behavior, influence our personality and teach us about the core of consciousness itself."
—Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix

"Douglas Fields explains how electricity is exploited in neuronal circuits for both simple and complex functions. He does it in an accessible language, embedded in a beautiful prose where beyond discussing fascinating scientific topics of brain works, the scientists come to the fore. A great book for everyone interested in the most complex matter that exists."
—Gyorgy Buzsaki, M.D., Ph.D. Neuroscientist and author of Rhythms of the Brain and The Brain from Inside Out

“With a storyteller’s heart and a scientist’s keen eye, Douglas Fields serves as our neural Jacques Cousteau, roving the depths of this thrilling realm to bring home vital truths about today and tomorrow.”
—Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code

"A lively personal account of the wild west of brain wave research, opening multiple windows to deep mysteries underlying our conscious and unconscious selves. Lucid discussions of dreams, mental disorders, mind control, and more provide the reader with a vibrant look into brain science and its impacts on our lives. Strongly recommended."
—Paul L. Nunez, Ph.D. , Neuroscientist and author of The New Science of Consciousness: Exploring the Complexity of Brain, Mind, and Self

“The interplay between conscious and unconscious cognition is not unfamiliar territory, as readers of Daniel Kahneman or Malcolm Gladwell will recognize, but Fields’ personal experience adds a fresh viewpoint to an intriguing subject.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Neuroscientist Fields provides insight into the seemingly inexplicable....”
—Publishers Weekly

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