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The master and his emissary : the divided brain and the making of the Western world

By:

McGilchrist, Iain

Publisher: New Haven : Yale University Press, 2019Edition: 2nd edDescription: xxvi, 588p. : ill. (black and white, and colour) ; 21 cmISBN:

9780300245929 (pbk.) :

Subject(s):

NLM classification:

ZZ 3

Summary: Now available in a larger format, a fascinating exploration of the differences between the brain's right and left hemispheres and their effects on society, history and culture. Why is the brain divided? The difference between right and left hemispheres has been puzzled over for centuries. In a book of unprecedented scope, 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. In the second part of the book, he takes the reader on a journey through the history of Western culture, illustrating the tension between these two worlds as revealed in the thought and belief of thinkers and artists, from Aeschylus to Magritte. He argues that, despite its inferior grasp of reality, the left hemisphere is increasingly taking precedence in the modern world, with potentially disastrous consequences. This is truly a tour de force that should excite interest in a wide readership.

Holdings
Item type	Home library	Collection	Class number	Status	Date due	Barcode
Book	South London and Maudsley Trust Library Shelves	People & planet	ZZ 3 MCG (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Available		023212

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Previous	ZZ 3 KWA Taking up space : the black girl's manifesto for change	ZZ 3 LOU Loud black girls : 20 black women writers ask : what's next?	ZZ 3 MAS Clear bright future :	ZZ 3 MCG The master and his emissary : the divided brain and the making of the Western world	ZZ 3 NOT War doctor : surgery on the front line	ZZ 3 OLU Black and British : a forgotten history	ZZ 3 OLU So you want to talk about race	Next

Previous edition: 2009.

Now available in a larger format, a fascinating exploration of the differences between the brain's right and left hemispheres and their effects on society, history and culture. Why is the brain divided? The difference between right and left hemispheres has been puzzled over for centuries. In a book of unprecedented scope, 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. In the second part of the book, he takes the reader on a journey through the history of Western culture, illustrating the tension between these two worlds as revealed in the thought and belief of thinkers and artists, from Aeschylus to Magritte. He argues that, despite its inferior grasp of reality, the left hemisphere is increasingly taking precedence in the modern world, with potentially disastrous consequences. This is truly a tour de force that should excite interest in a wide readership.

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