
Recommended Reading
This is a collection of books that I have read and that I often talk about in my presentations. I have found these books to be, not only fascinating and enjoyable, but extremely educational and relevant. Most of them have some kind of flavour of neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science or behavioural science sometimes mixed in with sales, leadership or business. I encourage you to read them as they all have wonderful pearls of wisdom in them that make the world make a little bit more sense. If you click on them it will take you straight to Amazon where you can read summaries and reviews. Enjoy!
Book of the Month
The Tale of the Duelling Neurosurgeons - Sam Kean
For centuries, scientists had only one way to study the brain- wait for misfortune to strike - strokes, seizures, infections, lobotomies, horrendous accidents, phantom limbs, Siamese twins - and see how the victims changed afterwards. In many cases their survival was miraculous, and observers marvelled at the transformations that took place when different parts of the brain were destroyed. Parents suddenly couldn't recognise their children. Pillars of the community became pathological liars and paedophiles. Some people couldn't speak but could still sing. Others couldn't read but could write.
The stories of these people laid the foundations of modern neuroscience and, century by century, key cases taught scientists what every last region of the brain did. With lucid explanations and incisive wit, Sam Kean explores the brain's secret passageways and recounts the forgotten tales of ordinary individuals whose struggles, resilience and deep humanity made neuroscience possible.