<p>I am looking to learn about the brain. I have in mind something that is more thorough than “basic”, but less thorough than “college textbook”. I would be most grateful for your suggestions.</p>
<p>Thank you very much!</p>
<p>Neurology for the Non-Neurologist.
<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Neurology-Non-Neurologist-Weiner/dp/1605472395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341846195&sr=8-1&keywords=neurology+for+the+non-neurologist[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Neurology-Non-Neurologist-Weiner/dp/1605472395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341846195&sr=8-1&keywords=neurology+for+the+non-neurologist</a></p>
<p>It may lean toward being more comprehensive than what you are looking for… depends upon whether you have basic understanding of
anatomy/physiology.</p>
<p>I was fascinated by “The Brain that Changes Itself” by Norman Doidge:
[Amazon.com:</a> the brain that changes itself: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+brain+that+changes+itself&sprefix=the+brain+that%2Cstripbooks%2C304]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+brain+that+changes+itself&sprefix=the+brain+that%2Cstripbooks%2C304)</p>
<p>It’s a very well-written review of the brain’s ability to transfer functionality from one area to another. So, if, for example, a stroke impairs the part of the brain that controls mobility, can the brain learn to move the body using a different, still functional area?</p>
<p>Anything by Oliver Sacks, such as The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat; (he has lots of very interesting books). Also This is Your Brain on Music, by Daniel J. Levitin. Oh yes, Oliver Sacks has a book on the brain and music called Musicophilia. Any of Sacks’ books read like interesting stories but are all true; they are tales of various brain malfunctions Sacks (a neurologist, I think) has encountered in his long career. His writing is interesting and by hearing about various brain problems through story telling you learn a lot about the functioning of the brain.</p>
<p>I second Oliver Sacks.</p>
<p>Another interesting book is ‘Phantoms in the Brain’ by V.S. Ramachandran. It covers phantom pain from missing limbs and other strange quirks in the brain. It’s very readable - not like a textbook.</p>
<p>I third Oliver Sacks, but Jonah Lehrer has also written some accessible books about brain research. My favorite is “How we Decide”. Fascinating!</p>
<p>Are you looking for the physical / electrical / chemical stuff (i.e. neurology etc) or more of how the brain ‘works’ stuff (i.e. cognitive science) ?</p>
<p>Check out Brain Facts (an online book published by the Society for Neuroscience). Granted, it is a bit basic, but it does provides a nice introduction to the field of neuroscience. </p>
<p>[Brain</a> Facts book - BrainFacts.org](<a href=“http://www.brainfacts.org/about-neuroscience/brain-facts-book/]Brain”>404)</p>
<p>It’s actually also used as the official study guide for the Brain Bee (a neuroscience competition for high school students, also sponsored by SfN)</p>
<p>Try also “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” by Kahneman.</p>
<p>@turbo93: If possible I would like to know more about both. I would not attempt textbook-level study of either, but if possible I just hope to get a better understanding of the whole of the brain.</p>
<p>ADad, this isn’t necessarily what you’re looking for, but I enjoyed the Teaching Company Philosophy of Mind: Brains, Consciousness, and Thinking Machines lectures by Prof. Patrick Grim. </p>
<p>And, although it’s almost certainly not what you’ve got in mind :-), I can still recall finding one of the exercises in this book geared to a younger audience particularly enlightening – The Brain Explorer.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/]Le”>http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/]Le</a> cerveau </p>
<p>My daughter brought home this book from her college Cognitive Neuroscience course. My husband and I are both reading it, it’s fascinating and readable for the interested layman.</p>
<p>The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human, by V.S. Ramachandran. </p>
<p>“With a storyteller’s eye for compelling case studies and a researcher’s flair for new approaches to age-old questions, Ramachandran tackles the most exciting and controversial topics in brain science, including language, creativity, and consciousness.”</p>
<p>My Stroke of Genius…the author, a neuroscientist, tells of what she experiences when she has a stroke. Having studied strokes, and then experiencing one, makes her an unusual narrator. As well you can google the title, and listen to the TED talk she gave. Simply fascinating.</p>
<p>you definitely got me interested. Here is what I have out from the library:</p>
<p>The brain : big bangs, behaviors, and beliefs /
by DeSalle, Rob.
33114502305907 07/14/2012 08/04/2012 0</p>
<p>The Scientific American healthy aging brain : the neuroscience of making the most of your mature mind /
by Horstman, Judith.
33114502322076 07/14/2012 08/04/2012 0</p>
<p>The woman who changed her brain : and other inspiring stories of pioneering brain transformation /</p>
<p>For exercise/brain topics… I recommend “Spark”</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (9780316113502): John J. Ratey, Eric Hagerman: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316113506/?tag=hyprod-20&hvadid=15473565099&hvpos=1o2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=392963894854953653&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&ref=asc_df_0316113506]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316113506/?tag=hyprod-20&hvadid=15473565099&hvpos=1o2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=392963894854953653&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&ref=asc_df_0316113506)</p>
<p>Thank you very much for all of your input!</p>
<p>Someone gave me an idea that I thought I would share. A professor of anatomy suggested a college-level textbook in Anatomy and Physiology. She showed me an example: There were three chapters pertaining to the brain and nervous system. Her thinking was that such a book would have depth about the brain, but not too much depth.</p>