Tales From Both Sides of the Brain: A Life in Neuroscience

Gazzaniga (psychology, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara; Who's in Charge??), who heads the new SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind and is a leading researcher in cognitive neuroscience, has written numerous books for scientists and laypersons and hundreds of peer-reviewed articles on how the brain works and lateralization of brain functions. This engaging, accessible biography describes not only his research, but his family life as well. It illustrates that work in the laboratory does not occur in a vacuum and that advances in science are sometimes inspired by people working in other fields as well as students and mentors. Gazzaniga speaks with candor about the many scientists he has worked with and how they inspired his research. He also acknowledges the exceptional contributions of the split-brain patients he has been close to for most of his career. It is fascinating to read about the stories going on behind the split-brain experiments that don't make it into the scientific literature.