The master and his emissary : the divided brain and the making of the Western world
Iain McGilchrist (Author)
A new edition of the bestselling classic - published with a special introduction to mark its 10th anniversary This pioneering account sets out to understand the structure of the human brain - the place where mind meets matter. Until recently, the left hemisphere of our brain has been seen as the 'rational' side, the superior partner to the right. But is this distinction true? Drawing on a vast body of experimental research, Iain McGilchrist argues while our left brain makes for a wonderful servant, it is a very poor master. As he shows, it is the right side which is the more reliable and insightful. Without it, our world would be mechanistic - stripped of depth, colour and value
eBook, English, 2019
New expanded edition View all formats and editions
Yale University Press, New Haven, 2019
1 online resource
9780300247459, 0300247451
1085890369
Introduction: the master and his emissary
PART ONE: The divided brain
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
PART TWO: How the brain has shaped our world
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
Conclusion: The Master betrayed
Notes
Bibliography
Index