Member Reviews

I find neuroscience fascinating. The recent advances in understanding our brain and behaviors makes for interesting reading. AI adds intriguing possibilities to what we can uncover, as well as what humans & AI together can achieve. This is a detailed look at how our brains possibly create thought and ideas.

The key question is - how does a physical (neural) circuit create non-physical ideas? Research has shown that thought is a systems product – it is not a neuron-level outcome. I have read elsewhere as well on how the brain creates the world we see for us. A good example this book starts with is color, which does not exist in physical form. The color we see is a result of wavelengths objects reflect, the color cones in our retina and our neural circuitry. Hence, people do not have the exact same sense of color. Men & women, especially, often see differently due to chromosome differences (I now have a defense with my wife who tells me I many times incorrectly label many color shades). Similar to color, ideas are not physical entities. The working of the brain is complex – after all, it has to make sense of our context & events and provide a viewpoint to us (based on what it sees via eyes, hears via ears, etc).

This book takes a detailed look at how our brains are structured, work and potentially create thoughts and ideas. Though I mentioned at the start that I find neuroscience fascinating, I recognize that it is a complex subject. The research & citations in the book are extensive and while I appreciate the level of detail, I found many sections to be dense. Very interesting content but would have benefited with more conversational & experience-based writing.

Was this review helpful?

I loved how the book started from the smallest neural connections and built up to big-picture ideas like communication and social impact. It’s a bit technical, but the way it’s broken down kept me engaged. Not an easy read, but if you're curious about the science of thought, it’s absolutely worth reading!

Was this review helpful?