Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written in Your Brain-And How They Guide You
“A profoundly illuminating account of how the brain works . . . Rebecca Schwarzlose is a neuroscientist with a novelist's literary flair.” —Cass R. Sunstein, author of Too Much Information

A path-breaking journey into the brain, showing how perception, thought, and action are products of maps etched into your gray matter—and how technology can use them to read your mind


Your brain is a collection of maps. That is no metaphor: scrawled across your brain’s surfaces are actual maps of the sights, sounds, and actions that hold the key to your survival. Scientists first began uncovering these maps over a century ago, but we are only now beginning to unlock their secrets—and comprehend their profound impact on our lives. Brain maps distort and shape our experience of the world, support complex thought, and make technology-enabled mind reading a modern-day reality, which raises important questions about what is real, what is fair, and what is private. They shine a light on our past and our possible futures. In the process, they invite us to view ourselves from a startling new perspective. 

In Brainscapes, Rebecca Schwarzlose combines unforgettable real-life stories, cutting-edge research, and vivid illustrations to reveal brain maps’ surprising lessons about our place in the world—and about the world’s place within us.
1137169304
Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written in Your Brain-And How They Guide You
“A profoundly illuminating account of how the brain works . . . Rebecca Schwarzlose is a neuroscientist with a novelist's literary flair.” —Cass R. Sunstein, author of Too Much Information

A path-breaking journey into the brain, showing how perception, thought, and action are products of maps etched into your gray matter—and how technology can use them to read your mind


Your brain is a collection of maps. That is no metaphor: scrawled across your brain’s surfaces are actual maps of the sights, sounds, and actions that hold the key to your survival. Scientists first began uncovering these maps over a century ago, but we are only now beginning to unlock their secrets—and comprehend their profound impact on our lives. Brain maps distort and shape our experience of the world, support complex thought, and make technology-enabled mind reading a modern-day reality, which raises important questions about what is real, what is fair, and what is private. They shine a light on our past and our possible futures. In the process, they invite us to view ourselves from a startling new perspective. 

In Brainscapes, Rebecca Schwarzlose combines unforgettable real-life stories, cutting-edge research, and vivid illustrations to reveal brain maps’ surprising lessons about our place in the world—and about the world’s place within us.
17.99 In Stock
Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written in Your Brain-And How They Guide You

Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written in Your Brain-And How They Guide You

by Rebecca Schwarzlose
Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written in Your Brain-And How They Guide You

Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written in Your Brain-And How They Guide You

by Rebecca Schwarzlose

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$17.99 
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Overview

“A profoundly illuminating account of how the brain works . . . Rebecca Schwarzlose is a neuroscientist with a novelist's literary flair.” —Cass R. Sunstein, author of Too Much Information

A path-breaking journey into the brain, showing how perception, thought, and action are products of maps etched into your gray matter—and how technology can use them to read your mind


Your brain is a collection of maps. That is no metaphor: scrawled across your brain’s surfaces are actual maps of the sights, sounds, and actions that hold the key to your survival. Scientists first began uncovering these maps over a century ago, but we are only now beginning to unlock their secrets—and comprehend their profound impact on our lives. Brain maps distort and shape our experience of the world, support complex thought, and make technology-enabled mind reading a modern-day reality, which raises important questions about what is real, what is fair, and what is private. They shine a light on our past and our possible futures. In the process, they invite us to view ourselves from a startling new perspective. 

In Brainscapes, Rebecca Schwarzlose combines unforgettable real-life stories, cutting-edge research, and vivid illustrations to reveal brain maps’ surprising lessons about our place in the world—and about the world’s place within us.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780358699323
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 06/21/2022
Pages: 320
Sales rank: 595,688
Product dimensions: 5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

REBECCA SCHWARZLOSE is a neuroscientist at Washington University in Saint Louis. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from MIT and has served as chief editor of the scholarly journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences. She lives in Saint Louis.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 An Atlas of You: What Is a Brain Map? 7

2 The Tyranny of Numbers: Why Brain Maps Exist 25

3 How Brain Maps Determine What We See and Feel 45

4 Out of the Ether: Brain Maps for Hearing 71

5 Brain Maps and Codes for Taste and Smell 85

6 On the Move: Brain Maps for Action 107

7 Maps in the Making: How Brain Maps Develop and Adapt 131

8 Knowing Again: Brain Maps for Recognition 151

9 Imagining, Remembering, and Paying Attention with Brain Maps 171

10 Comprehending and Communicating with Brain Maps 191

11 Maps as Portals: Mind Reading and Mind Writing with Brain Maps 213

12 How Brain Maps Weigh Us Down and How We Rise Above Them 243

Acknowledgments 257

Notes 259

Index 287

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