Fine memoir by an important neuroscientist with a great sense of humor and humility. A little bit about his work and discoveries, and a pretty fair amount about what a life as a top-level brain scientist is like. I really liked the last few chapters where he sums up the meaning of his work in the context of understanding human consciousness - what has been discovered and how much more is still to be learned. ( )

Michael S. Gazzaniga is a leading scientist in the field of cognitive neuroscience, having in fact helped to create the field as the study of the brain advanced. In this book, he discusses his life and his research. He did important, even critical, research on split brains (brains where the corpus callosum, the nerve bundle connecting the left and right sides of the brain) was severed--sometimes in accidents, but often intentionally, in cases where epileptic seizures were unmanageably severe and frequent. It was effective enough to be considered justified in very severe cases--especially as it seemed to have no obvious impact on normal functioning.

In fact it did have significant effects, but most early testing wasn't effective at identifying those effects. Gazzaniga was one of the leaders in developing those techniques, identifying the effects, and ultimately, developing a far more sophisticated understanding of how the human brain really works, both when it's intact, and when the corpus callosum is split.

His description of his research is informative, interesting, and often downright joyful. It's really fascinating.

His accounts of his moves back and forth across the country, moving between east and west coast universities and research centers (he created several of those research centers) I have to say I found positively dizzying. In at least one case, he created a new research center, and left for the other coast after just three years. I might be completely wrong, but I do have the impression that this is not typical in academia.

We also learn something of his personal life, his two marriages and several children, his social life, his friendships with comedian Steve Allen, conservative pundit and founder of the National Review William F. Buckley, Jr., and others. Gazzaniga seems proud of having been a member of the "Animal House" fraternity at Dartmouth College, which at minimum tells me he's so much more social and uninhibited than I am that even now that he's 82, I'd probably run screaming in the other direction if I met him--but a lot more people would probably really enjoy meeting him.

All in all, a very interesting book, and the things I find off-putting are likely the very things that other people will find engaging.

I bought this audiobook. ( )

The stories about the brain and its parts and how it does - or doesn't communicate from one side to another were fascinating. There is no doubt whatsoever that the author knows his science. The travelogue and vignettes of all the famous scientists and people the author has met, the fabulous resorts he has stayed at during conferences, and the over all fame whoring quickly grew tiresome. ( )

I read a third of this. Repetitious and boring. The material is interesting if you can stand the writing. ( )

An interesting book. one that I imagine would be better if it were the author telling the stories in person over a coupla beers