Synopses & Reviews
If the conscious mind — the part you consider to be you — is just the tip of the iceberg, what is the rest doing?
In this sparkling and provocative book, renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman navigates the depths of the subconscious brain to illuminate its surprising mysteries. Why can your foot move halfway to the brake pedal before you become consciously aware of danger ahead? Is there a true Mel Gibson? How is your brain like a conflicted democracy engaged in civil war? What do Odysseus and the subprime mortgage meltdown have in common? Why are people whose names begin with J more like to marry other people whose names begin with J? And why is it so difficult to keep a secret?
Taking in brain damage, plane spotting, dating, drugs, beauty, infidelity, synesthesia, criminal law, artificial intelligence, and visual illusions, Incognito is a thrilling subsurface exploration of the mind and all its contradictions.
Review
"A popularizer of impressive gusto...[Eagleman] aims, grandly, to do for the study of the mind what Copernicus did for the study of the stars....Incognito proposes a grand new account of the relationship between consciousness and the brain. It is full of dazzling ideas, as it is chockablock with facts and instances." The New York Observer
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"Eagleman engagingly sums up recent discoveries about the unconscious processes that dominate our mental life....[He] is the kind of guy who really does make being a neuroscientist look like fun." The New York Times
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"Although Incognito is fast-paced, mind-bending stuff, it's a book for regular folks. Eagleman does a brilliant job refining heavy science into a compelling read. He is a gifted writer." Houston Chronicle
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"Eagleman has a talent for testing the untestable, for taking seemingly sophomoric notions and using them to nail down the slippery stuff of consciousness." The New Yorker
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"Incognito does the right thing by diving straight into the deep end and trying to swim. Eagleman, by imagining the future so vividly, puts into relief just how challenging neuroscience is, and will be." The Boston Globe
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"Your mind is an elaborate trick, and mastermind David Eagleman explains how the trick works with great lucidity and amazement. Your mind will thank you." Wired
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"A fun read by a smart person for smart people....It will attract a new generation to ponder their inner workings." New Scientist
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"Fascinating....Eagleman has the ability to turn hard science and jargon into interesting and relatable prose, illuminating the mind's processes with clever analogies and metaphors." Salt Lake City Weekly
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"Touches on some of the more intriguing cul-de-sacs of human behavior." Santa Cruz Sentinel
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"Startling....It's a book that will leave you looking at yourself — and the world — differently." Austin American-Statesman
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"Sparkling and provocative....A thrilling subsurface exploration of the mind and all its contradictions." The Courier-Journal
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"After you read Eagleman's breezy treatment of the brain, you will marvel at how much is illusory that we think is real, and how we sometimes function on autopilot without consciously knowing what is happening....This is a fascinating book." The Advocate
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"A pleasure to read....If a reader is looking for a fun but illuminating read, Incognito is a good choice. With its nice balance between hard science and entertaining anecdotes, it is a good alternative to the usual brainless summer blockbusters." Deseret News
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"Eagleman presents difficult neuroscience concepts in an energetic, casual voice with plenty of analogies and examples to ensure that what could easily be an overwhelming catalog of facts remains engaging and accessible....The ideas in Eagleman's book are well-articulated and entertaining, elucidated with the intelligent, casual tone of an enthusiastic university lecturer." TheMillions.com
Review
"Written in clear, precise language, the book is sure to appeal to readers with an interest in psychology and the human mind, but it will also please people who just want to know, with a little more clarity, what is going on inside their own skulls." Booklist
Review
"Eagleman engagingly sums up recent discoveries about the unconscious processes that dominate our mental life." The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
David Eagleman is a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine, where he directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action as well as the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. His scientific research has been published in journals from Science to Nature, and his neuroscience books include Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia, Why the Net Matters, and the forthcoming Live-Wired. He is also the author of the internationally best-selling book of fiction Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives.