The Tell-Tale Brain

A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human

By: V. S. Ramachandran

Narrated by: David Drummond

Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

V. S. Ramachandran is at the forefront of his field - so much so that Richard Dawkins dubbed him the "Marco Polo of neuroscience". Now, in a major new work, Ramachandran sets his sights on the mystery of human uniqueness.

Taking us to the frontiers of neurology, he reveals what baffling and extreme case studies can teach us about normal brain function and how it evolved. Synesthesia becomes a window into the brain mechanisms that make some of us more creative than others. And autism - for which Ramachandran opens a new direction for treatment - gives us a glimpse of the aspect of being human that we understand least: self-awareness.

Ramachandran tackles the most exciting and controversial topics in neurology with a storyteller's eye for compelling case studies and a researcher's flair for new approaches to age-old questions. Tracing the strange links between neurology and behavior, this book unveils a wealth of clues into the deepest mysteries of the human brain.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2011 V.S. Ramachandran (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Ramachandran produces an exhilarating and at times funny text that invites discussion and experimentation." ( Kirkus)

Fascinating, but needs an editor

Any additional comments?

A really fascinating book, combining cognitive science with speculation about the nature of consciousness (and clearly differentiating between the two). The tone is rather pompous (and the reader doesn't help) but the real problem is that sentences and phrases get repeated verbatim throughout the book, making you wonder if you hit the wrong button on your iPod.

Insight in paradigm changing doses

If you could sum up The Tell-Tale Brain in three words, what would they be?

Illuminating, Explanatory, Psycho-Physics

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tell-Tale Brain?

Hearing of the detailed experiments devised to tease out information away from the variables. Singling out what you want to look at is difficult in every area of science, but such a tall task in the sometimes seemingly chaotic soup of the brain's many processes.

Have you listened to any of David Drummond’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not before. I was very impressed. Initially upon downloading I was disappointed to find it was not read by Ramachandran himself as I've grown fond of his endearing accent from many hours of lecture online. This proved not to bother me no more than a minute or two into the recording. Mr. Drummond does an outstanding job being clear while still managing to exude some of the boundless enjoyment and fascination that should come from any pop science offering.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

You, the you behind your eyes, are a vivid hallucination pieced together by many subtle seemingly disconnected processes. Whenever any of these processes fail, you change radically. Follow us as we discover some of the myriad pillars of consciousness. As we discover who you really are.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend a fairly firm grasp of evolutionary theory. Though it can likely be enjoyed without a university level grasp, much subtlety (read elegant beauty) would be lost.

Fascinating, enlightening and a little bizzare

I absolutely love the way the author explains the brain, the most dynamic description. For someone who loves neurobiology but has never officially studied it, this was a very new way of thinking about the brain, so fluid versus static and compartmentalized. The portions on his actual research are much more entrancing then those on his speculations.

Some novel science plus a lot of speculation

Having heard of Ramachandran's work before reading this book, I had high expectations. Some of those were fulfilled, in hearing about synaesthesia and mirror neurons. However there is also a huge amount of plain discussion and even sheer speculation about art, beauty, and the evolution of human preferences. For example, he invents a list of principles of aesthetics, without reference to any artists or prior thinking on the subject. Overall there was enough science to make it interesting. The narration is a bit breathless, like listening to 777-FILM.

Loved it

Would have been better with the accompanying pdf of images mentioned throughout for reference, it becomes hard to follow in some chapters without them

Fascinating

Full of deep thoughts and interesting examples of patients with neurological conditions that help illustrate the concepts. I was initially put off by the delivery of the narrator as he spoke in a tone akin to a TV or radio announcer. However, he’s easy to understand and his style grew on me by the end.

I am fascinated by V.S. Ramachandran and his work

I learned so many new things about the brain in this book. I was most interested in the section about mirror neurons. I thought the chapters on art were too long. Overall, I always enjoy books and videos by V.S. Ramachandran and how he is able to describe things in layman's terms.

Enlightening and superbly interesting!!

This book was absolutely interesting from beginning to end. It was difficult to follow at times but ultimately entertaining.

Great book but a little technical

This is a great book; but since it's an audiobook, if you aren't familiar with brain structures off the top of your head then it can be a little confusing for the average layman reader.

Boring, monotone.I love the topic but not this

not loved it. Boring, monotones, not easy to digest as a topic, so petty. sorry