The Disordered Mind: What Unusual Brains Tell Us About Ourselves

All decisions and actions originate in our psyche thanks to the work of neural networks. Malfunctions make us suffer, but sometimes they also grant the ability to make non-standard decisions and create masterpieces. In this book, Nobel Prize laureate Eric Kandel examines mental disorders through the lens of the “new biology of the mind,” the product of merging neurobiology and cognitive psychology. Advances in neuroimaging, animal modeling, and genetics help the author uncover the mysteries of the brain and outline approaches to treating psychological—and even social—illnesses. He discusses a wealth of interesting questions: How great is the role of genes in the development of mental disorders? And what about the role of the unconscious in creativity and decision-making? What do these conditions have in common that are commonly separated into neurological and psychological—and what biological mechanisms underlie them? What do people’s art has in common with schizophrenia and “ordinary” surrealists? Can psychoanalysis be revived? And what do all these pieces of knowledge give us?