As a trainee doctor, Andrew Lees was enthralled by his mentors: esteemed neurologists who combined the precision of mathematicians, the scrupulosity of entomologists and the solemnity of undertakers in their diagnoses and treatments. For them, there was no such thing as an unexplained symptom or psychosomatic problem – no difficult cases, only interesting ones – and it was only a matter of time before all disorders of the brain would be understood in terms of anatomical electrical and chem...

Get a glimpse into the fascinating world of modern neurology as a leading expert offers a first-of-its-kind tour through the methods and daily lives of neurologists.For fans of medical memoirs by Oliver Sacks and anyone interested in brain health!As a trainee doctor, A. J. Lees was enthralled by his mentors: esteemed neurologists who combined the precision of mathematicians, the scrupulosity of entomologists, and the solemnity of undertaker...

A famed British neurologist embarks on an expedition in Brazil to follow the trail of Percy Fawcett, an occult-obsessed explorer who went missing in the Amazon rainforest and was the subject of the 2016 film The Lost City of Z.As a boy growing up near Liverpool in the 1950s, Andrew Lees would visit the docks with his father to watch the ships from Brazil unload their exotic cargo of coffee, cotton bales, molasses, and cocoa. One day, his father gave him a ...

A fascinating account by one of the world's leading neurologists of the profound influence of William Burroughs on his medical career. Lees relates how Burroughs, author of Naked Lunch and troubled drug addict, inspired him to discover a ground-breaking treatment for Parkinson's Disease. Lees journeys to the Amazonian rainforest in search of cures, and through self-experimentation seeks to find the answers his patients crave. He enters a powerful plea for the return of imagination...

**Get a science-based introduction to cultural and human evolution—and discover a blueprint for a better future—in this fascinating book for fans of Sapiens and Guns, Germs, and Steel.Who are we, and what makes us different from other species?**Playing on the phrase “a theory of everything” from physics, Michael Muthukrishna’s ambitious, original, and deeply hopeful book A Theory of Everyone draws on the most recent research from across t...

**A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEARSeven Deadly Sins will explore the underlying nature of the seven deadly sins, their neuroscientific and psychological basis, and their origin in our genes.**Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Pride. Envy. Lust. Anger. These are The Seven Deadly Sins, the vices of humankind that define immorality. But do these sins really represent moral failings, or are they simply important and useful biological functions that humans need to...

A New Yorker Best Book of the Year. "A beautifully written and well-documented account of how creativity gained the societal value it has today." —Vlad Glăveanu, author of CreativityCreativity is one of American society's signature values, but the idea that there is such a thing as "creativity"—and that it can be cultivated—is surprisingly recent, entering our everyday speech in the 1950s. As S...

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE BIG BANG? A physics professor offers a theory about the ultimate origin of the universe—and challenges the concept of a multiverse, string theory, and more.In the beginning was the Big Bang: an unimaginably hot fire almost 14 billion years ago in which the first elements were forged. The physical theory of the hot nascent universe—the Big Bang—was one of the most consequential developments in 20th-century science. And yet it leaves...

"In her wide-ranging cultural history of the term ['character'], Garber has unearthed fascinating material and is a convivial, stimulating critic." —Michael Saler, The Times Literary SupplementSince at least Aristotle's time, philosophers, theologians, artists, and scientists have pondered the enigma of human character. Whether defined as a moral idea, a literary persona, or a scientifically observable type, character has become omnipresent in discussions ...

This classic book of symbols by Catalan polymath Joan Cirlot illuminates the symbolic underpinnings of myth, modern psychology, literature, and art.“Guides us through what unites us across nations, religions, and literary and artistic traditions.” —Angelica Frey, HyperallergicJuan Eduardo Cirlot’s A Dictionary of Symbols is a feat of scholarship, an act of the imagination, and a tool for contemplation, as well as a work of...

Ranging from math to literature to philosophy, Uncountable explains how numbers triumphed as the basis of knowledge—and compromise our sense of humanity.Our knowledge of mathematics has structured much of what we think we know about ourselves as individuals and communities, shaping our psychologies, sociologies, and economies. In pursuit of a more predictable and more controllable cosmos, we have extended mathematical insights and methods to more and more a...

A groundbreaking examination of how speech causes some of our deepest social divides—and how it can help us overcome them."Katherine Kinzler is a phenomenon—one of the most brilliant young psychologists of her generation." —Paul Bloom, author of Against Empathy and Just BabiesWe gravitate toward people like us; it's human nature. Race, class, and gender shape our social...