The Human Mind: And how to Make the Most of it

The most complex and mysterious object in the universe is unprepossessing in appearance. It is covered in a dull grey membrane and resembles a gigantic, convoluted fungus. Its inscrutability has captivated scientists, philosophers and artists from the ancient Egyptians to modern times. It is, of course, the human brain.

In the last century, exciting technological developments have helped us understand how the brain gives rise to the human mind. We can now see the extraordinary complexity of the brain's circuits and with brain imaging equipment, watch which regions use energy and which nerve cells generate electricity, as we fall in love, tell a lie or dream of a lottery win. And inside the 100 billion cells of this rubbery network is something remarkable: you.

In this accessible and entertaining book, which accompanies a major BBC1 television series, Robert Winston tells us how our senses, emotions, personality, feelings and intelligence, are the result of a ballet of genes and environment that shapes the path of our lives. He explains how memories are formed and lost, how the ever-changing brain is responsible for toddler tantrums, teenage angst, the battle of the sexes, even the insights gained from Shakespeare, Pirandello and Larkin. And he reveals the truth behind extra-sensory perception, déjà vu and out-of-body experiences.

Professor Winston takes us deep into the workings of the enigmatic human mind and shows us how we can boost our intelligence and dip into creative powers we never knew we had. By becoming the master of our own mind, we can break old habits, fight bad moods, keep our brain fit as we enter old age, and prevent illness. But perhaps the great paradox is this: because ultimately the human mind is all we have to help us understand itself, science may never quite explain everything about the complex and mysterious object that makes each of us who we are.