The master and his emissary : the divided brain and the making of the Western world /
Iain McGilchrist.
- New Haven : Yale University Press, (c)2009.
- 1 online resource (ix, 534 pages) : illustrations
Includes bibliographies and index.
Asymmetry and the brain -- What do the two hemispheres 'do'? -- Language, truth, and music -- The nature of the two worlds -- The primacy of the right hemisphere -- The triumph of the left hemisphere -- Imitation and the evolution of culture -- The ancient world -- The Renaissance and the Reformation -- The Enlightenment -- Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution -- The modern and post-modern worlds.
"Why is the brain divided? The difference between right and left hemispheres has been puzzled over for centuries. In this book, Iain McGilchrist draws on a vast body of recent brain research, illustrated with case histories, to reveal that the difference is profound - not just this or that function, but two whole, coherent, but incompatible ways of experiencing the world. The left hemisphere is detail oriented, prefers mechanisms to living things, and is inclined to self-interest, where the right hemisphere has greater breadth, flexibility, and generosity. This division helps explain the origins of music and language, and casts new light on the history of philosophy, as well as on some mental illnesses."--Jacket.
Cerebral dominance. Electronic books. Social evolution. Dominance, Cerebral Cerebrum--physiology Cultural Evolution Social Change--history Western World--history