The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World

Description

Introduction: The master and his emissary -- Part I: 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 2: 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.;"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 that 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." - back cover.