In “Republic”, Plato constructed an ideal State; in “Timaeus”, he designed an ideal Universe. Plato’s universe is built with proportion, order, beauty, symmetry and cycles according to the pattern of the Eternal Being. Both universe and man are governed by the same principles, such as “like to like”, which are inductive to harmony and stability; Both are composed of mortal body and immortal soul; Both are made of four elements, […]
Read moreCategory: Physiology and Medicine
“The Youngest Science” by Lewis Thomas
Medicine Watcher Dr. Thomas gives a fascinating personal account of the development of medicine in the last three-quarters of a century. He grew up watching his parents practice medicine (his father was a physician, and his mother a nurse), became a physician himself, also a professor and dean of the medical school of NYU, served on the New York Board of Health overseeing public health policy and later headed a […]
Read more“The Brain That Changes Itself” by Norman Doidge
This book gives an overview of the recent advances in neuroscience with emphasis on applications to restore brain functions to people who have suffered damages to the brain (caused by diseases, accidents or birth defect). Use it or Lose it The human brain is not rigid, but is constantly adapting to changes in the environment and the brain itself. Brain functions can be strengthened and partly restored through targeted mental […]
Read more“Synaptic Self” by Joseph LeDoux
Well-structured and comprehensive overview of the historical development and recent advances in neuroscience, with focus on the functional architecture of the brain, especially the amygdala and working memory. I read this book shortly after “In Search of Memory” by Eric Kandel. There are some overlaps between the two, but overall they complement each other very well, approaching the same problems from different perspectives.
Read more“Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain” by Oliver Sacks
A comprehensive overview of the various aspects of musicality and the relationship between music and the mind, especially emotion and memory. Although I didn’t gain any further insights into the neural correlates of musicality (than what I’ve already learned from his other book “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat”), I enjoyed stories of people whose lives are intimately bound with and affected by music. Links Oliver Sacks […]
Read more“The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat” by Oliver Sacks
Understanding Mental Illness “Nothing is to be feared, but to be understood.” This is perhaps true especially in the cases of mental disorders. There are few things more devastating than losing one’s mind or the control of one’s body. If we can understand the cause of the disorder, however, we may be able to find a cure, or at least come to term with it. This books details some of […]
Read more“In Search of Memory” by Eric Kandel
A Good Mystery Novel Kandel tells the story of how fascination with memory has led him to a life-long search for the biological underpinning of memory and consciousness. It’s part autobiography and part textbook, but reads like a good mystery novel. I could hardly put it down until I finished it. His writing is very fluid and concise, and he inserts figures at just the right junctures to illustrate and […]
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