The master and his emissary : the divided brain and the making of the Western world / Iain McGilchrist.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McGilchrist, Iain, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cerebral dominance.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, [2010]

Summary:

In a book of unprecedented scope--now available in a larger format—Iain McGilchrist presents a fascinating exploration of the differences between the brain’s left and right hemispheres, and how those differences have affected society, history, and culture. McGilchrist draws on a vast body of recent research in neuroscience and psychology to reveal that the difference is profound: the left hemisphere is detail oriented, while the right has greater breadth, flexibility, and generosity. McGilchrist then 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. "A landmark new book. . . . It tells a story you need to hear, of where we live now."

Contents:

Asymmetry and the brain

What do the two hemispheres 'do'?

Language, truth, and music

The nature of the two worlds

The primacy of the right hemisphere

The triumph of the left hemisphere

Imitation and the evolution of culture

The ancient world

The Renaissance and the Reformation

The Enlightenment

Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution

The modern and post-modern worlds.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-300-19758-6

OCLC:

957126720