Phantoms in the Brain or Make This Your Lucky Day

Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

Author: V S Ramachandran

Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran is internationally renowned for uncovering answers to the deep and quirky questions of human nature that few scientists have dared to address. His bold insights about the brain are matched only by the stunning simplicity of his experiments -- using such low-tech tools as cotton swabs, glasses of water and dime-store mirrors. In Phantoms in the Brain, Dr. Ramachandran recounts how his work with patients who have bizarre neurological disorders has shed new light on the deep architecture of the brain, and what these findings tell us about who we are, how we construct our body image, why we laugh or become depressed, why we may believe in God, how we make decisions, deceive ourselves and dream, perhaps even why we're so clever at philosophy, music and art. Some of his most notable cases: * A woman paralyzed on the left side of her body who believes she is lifting a tray of drinks with both hands offers a unique opportunity to test Freud's theory of denial. * A woman who hallucinates cartoon characters illustrates how, in a sense, we are all hallucinating, all the time. Dr. Ramachandran's inspired medical detective work pushes the boundaries of medicine's last great frontier -- the human mind -- yielding new and provocative insights into the "big questions" about consciousness and the self.

Francis Crick

This is a splendid book.

New York Times Book Review

Enthralling . . . eloquent.

The New York Times Book Review - Michael E. Goldberg

The book is enthralling not only for its clear, eloquent description of neurological phenomena...but also for its portrait of Ramachandran, the enthusiast in search of the secrets of the human mind. Phantoms in the Brain is about both...and he is a splendid subject indeed.

Francis Crick

"This is a splendid book."

The New York Times

"Enthralling . . . eloquent."

Publishers Weekly

In these unsettling tales from a neuroscientist every bit as quirky as the more well-known Oliver Sacks, Ramachandran sets out his beliefs that no matter how bizarre the case, empirical, strikingly simple testing can illuminate the ways brain circuitry establishes "self." In a chatty, nearly avuncular style, he (along with his coauthor, a New York Times science writer) snatches territory from philosophers on how we think we know what we know. In one experiment, stroking an amputee's cheek produces sensations in his "phantom limb" because the part of the brain's map that once related to the lost limb has "invaded" the adjacent brain area that relates to the cheek. Unafraid to speculate, Ramachandran then moves a step closer toward indicating that the brain is not only a busy lump of genetically deemed-and-dying hard-wiring but an organ that can continuously "re-map" in response to new sensory information from the outside. Equally fascinating are Ramachandran's "mirror tricks" on amputees and paralyzed patients that begin to reveal how much the brain relies on context and comparison as well as on "inside" neural connectivity to form self. Perhaps most disquieting are beginnings of proof that much brain activity, including what we like to think of as uniquely human behavior, happens unbidden. There may be no escape from the un-Western conclusion that self is only a limited illusion. "De-throning man," as the author points out, is at the heart of most revolutionary scientific thought. Regrettably, his book sags in the middle as it drifts from these deft experiments into generalized musings on idiot-savants and phantom pregnancies, detracting from what is otherwise entertaining, tip-of-the-neurological-iceberg sleuthing.

Library Journal

Neuroscientist Ramachandran looks at neurological disorders to help us understand brain function.

Michael E. Goldberg

The book is enthralling not only for its clear, eloquent description of neurological phenomena...but also for its portrait of Ramachandran, the enthusiast in search of the secrets of the human mind. Phantoms in the Brain is about both...and he is a splendid subject indeed. -- The New York Times Book Review

Kirkus Reviews

Insights and intriguing speculations from a neurologist whose patients provide him with unusual opportunities to explore the brain. Ramachandran's present volume began as a "Decade of the Brain" lecture given three years ago at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. With the help of New York Times writer Blakeslee, he has expanded that address to scientists into a work of popular science for the general reader. He introduces patients with strange, sometimes extraordinary, symptomsþa man who experiences orgasms in an amputated, or phantom, foot; a woman who is convinced that her own arm must belong to her brother; stroke victims who insist they can move their paralyzed limbs; an accident survivor who believes that his parents are imposters; perfectly sane men and women with hallucinations of animals, objects, even cartoons—and then offers his ideas about what is going on in the patient's brain that would explain such symptoms. Often he devises ingenious experiments involving mirrors, gloves, and helpful graduate students to test his ideas. The results are a new understanding of how information from different senses interacts and how the brain forms new connections and updates its model of reality in response to new sensory inputs. The wide-ranging Ramachandran also looks into the brain for clues about the mystery of autistic savants, human laughter, multiple personality disorder, religious experiences, and the very nature of the self. Besides informative drawings and images of the human brain, the text contains numerous illustrations demonstrating optical phenomena that demand reader involvement. Ramachandran, who likens himself to a sleuth and hasboundless curiosity, leads readers on a riveting trail of detection.

What People Are Saying

Oliver Sacks
One of the most original and accessible neruology books of our generation.

Francis Crick
A splendid book...The patients are fascinating, and his experiments are simple and ingenious....If you are at all interested in how your brain works, this is the book to read.

Table of Contents:

	Foreword
	Preface
Ch. 1	The Phantom Within	1
Ch. 2	"Knowing Where to Scratch"	21
Ch. 3	Chasing the Phantom	39
Ch. 4	The Zombie in the Brain	63
Ch. 5	The Secret Life of James Thurber	85
Ch. 6	Through the Looking Glass	113
Ch. 7	The Sound of One Hand Clapping	127
Ch. 8	"The Unbearable Likeness of Being"	158
Ch. 9	God and the Limbic System	174
Ch. 10	The Woman Who Died Laughing	199
Ch. 11	"You Forgot to Deliver the Twin"	212
Ch. 12	Do Martians See Red?	227
	Acknowledgments	259
	Notes	263
	Bibliography and Suggested Reading	299
	Index	314

Make This Your Lucky Day: Fun and Easy Secrets and Shortcuts to Success, Romance, Health, and Harmony

Author: Ellen Whitehurst

SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALL THE LUCK. THE REST OF US MAKE IT.

Let’s face it: Most of us think Feng Shui is synonymous with moving furniture. But Feng Shui specialist Ellen Whitehurst has updated this ancient art form and given it her own unique spin. The result is “Lucky Day Shui,” which is based on her more than twenty years of training and expertise in Feng Shui, aromatherapy, and other modes of holistic healing. What’s more, this approach is a breeze to incorporate into your life, and there’s no heavy lifting required!

Make This Your Lucky Day covers all nine Feng Shui energies–including career, wealth, marriage and partnership, children, and creativity–and is broken down into specific days, events, and life situations for which you could use a little extra luck. Do you wish to

• Ace that job interview? Wear deep, dark blue to enhance self-esteem.
• Increase your bank account? Place eight coins under the welcome mat at your front door.
• Seal a great business deal? Start the day by lighting nine red candles.
• Finally get pregnant? Sleep on green bedsheets.
• Chase away a cold? Diffuse lavender essential oil for a holistic antibiotic.

Harness the energy of the universe, stack the deck in your favor, and open the door to greater opportunities. Today can be your lucky day!

“[Ellen Whitehurst] is a magical person with strange and mysterious ways. She found my power centers, and they even work during a blackout. Now, that’s talent!”
–Joy Behar, co-host, The View

“Ellen is irresistible–both her personality and heradvice. And fortunately one never comes without the other.”
–Stacy Morrison, editor-in-chief, Redbook

Deborah Bigelow - Library Journal

These two very different books are related in their authors' belief in luck and in the ability of individuals to obtain it. Astrologer Dolnick and attorney Davidson's mini reference examines the concept of luck throughout history as observed by a variety of religious sects and practiced in many cultures. The authors help readers develop a personal-luck profile and detail how to apply astrology, numerology, and even herbology toward increasing the odds in one's favor. A practical section on gambling advises readers how to play cards, dice, or the roulette wheel with caution.Holistic practitioner Whitehurst concentrates solely on feng shui and its nine energies, including career, wealth, marriage, and health. After explaining the basic concepts of the discipline, she offers easy techniques for employing these energies. While using one's chi is instrumental, other easy tactics include placing three rosemary plants in the kitchen for healthy financial independence and taping a picture of a mountain onto the back of one's desk chair for career success. Luckwill have more general appeal, while Make This Your Lucky Daywill draw New Age readers. Both are excellent choices for public libraries.