Neuroscience Christmas Shopping List - 2024

In this book, Daniel Kahneman takes readers on a tour of the mind, explaining how the two systems of thought shape our judgments and decisions. System 1 is fast, automatic, and emotional, while System 2 is slower, effortful, and logical. Kahneman discusses the impact of cognitive biases, the difficulties of predicting future happiness, and the effects of overconfidence on corporate strategies. He offers practical insights into how to guard against mental glitches and how to benefit from slow thinking in both personal and business life. The book also explores the distinction between the 'experiencing self' and the 'remembering self' and their roles in our perception of happiness.

This book challenges the traditional view that the brain is fixed and unchangeable. Norman Doidge presents case studies and scientific research that demonstrate the brain's ability to reorganize itself in response to injury, learning, and experience. The book covers various aspects of neuroplasticity, including recovery from brain damage, treatment of mental disorders, and the impact of culture and education on brain development. Doidge's work highlights the potential for brain change and its implications for human nature and potential.

In this book, Dr. V.S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee discuss neurophysiology and neuropsychology through case studies of patients with bizarre neurological disorders. The book delves into how these disorders shed light on body image construction, mood, decision-making, self-deception, and artistic skills. It also addresses the 'hard problem' of consciousness, discussing qualia and various facets of the self. Notable cases include patients with phantom limbs, the Capgras delusion, and religious experiences associated with epileptic seizures, providing new and provocative insights into the human mind.