Customer Reviews

Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

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...I think Ramachandran is the most brilliant, creative Neuroscientist in the field. Sure, he is very popular, along with many other science writers. But if you aren't paying attention, you might not see that he is to our field what Mozart, Picasso, and Einstein were to theirs. And this book is both a masterpiece and a magnum opus. Here are some reasons to be so keen on Ramachandran:

Many, many neuroscientists pick "safe" topics and stick with variants upon a theme all their lives. The work is often valuable, but it is not exactly akin to a spectator sport. Ramachandran, in contrast, chooses "sexy" topics to study.

Most neuroscientists write primarily for their scientific peers. Ramachandran (with Blakesee) has written a book that is at once valuable to his peers and fascinating to everyone. And if you've ever seen Ramachandran speak (either to scientists or the general public), you know what I'm talking about, and you know that the book is not a fluke.

Ramachandran does not think like other neuroscientists. Most neuroscientists pick a topic or area of the brain, and then do systematic, parametric, sensible experiments to map and test the minute details of their theory. There's usually lots of data collection and data analysis. But Ramachandran has a knack for creating "breakthrough" experiments routinely. In these experiments, the answer to a sexy question comes instantly, dramatically, and powerfully. Such creative, intuitive genius is extremely rare. Trust me, we'd all like to do science this way.

I hope that we can appreciate that Ramachandran incorporates a wide variety of worldviews as he creates gem after gem. He is from the great culture that was and is southern India; he is a medical doctor and neurologist; he is a reknowned perceptual and cognitive neuroscientist who trained with master academics in England; and he is passionately insightful about art. I've heard people compare Ramachandran to mystics, healers and others. The cult status is of course a little ridiculous. But the enthusiasm is understandable. And the book is wonderful. I recommend it!

This is a good popular neurology book, that much is true. But it is not unifed, and it is not very deep. What I mean is that the authors do not present a clear theory of brain function, nor a clear way to bridge the gap of phenomenology and neurology. It also does not talk of very important issues, and concentrates on those in which Ramachandran has worked. This is not necessarlily bad. But truly, you do not learn much about consciousness by reading this book. What you do learn are disconnected neurology facts, theories and cases.

By far the best and more original of the explanations given are those concerned with visual illusions and the phantom-limb phenomenon. Taking the idea that there is a body-matrix genetically mapped in the brain, Ramachandran explains phantom limb pain in a simple and plausible way. The map of the lost limb is taken over by adjacent maps (brain plasticity) and when someone stimulates the thing that is mapped in the second map, there is feeling in the missing limb. In the hand case, it turns out the face is mapped right next to it, in the brain. Ramachandran found that by stimulating the face, he could arouse phantom limb feelings in his patients. HIs experiments with the mirror-box are also really interesting.

Ramachandran also explains how the brain "fills-in" information, like in tha case of the blindspot. He also explains many visual illusions. The rest of the book reads like a case study of different sindromes, like Capgras, Neglect,Propagnosia among others. For example Ramachandran describes patients that see cartoons in little soctomas in their blind fields, or people who claim their relatives are not "the originals". So at the end there is a lot of field discussed, but no semming unification or a grander theory. Ramachandran also touches in controversial issues like "the god part od the brain", presumably in the limbic or temporal regions.

I enjoyed the book, and it was a good read. It is a good overview of some neuropsychology, and it is a fast and easy read. But it is not very original, nor speculative.

This very able neuroscientist clearly and concisely explains some of the stranger phenomena that follow from the damaged human brain. A highlight comes when he discovers a way to lessen (or eliminate) amputees' phantom limb pain with a jerry-rigged mirror in a box.

Brilliant.

Being a psychotherapist who has a very high interest in neuroscience (as I do believe there is a connection) this book was fascinating! Dr. V.S. Ramachandarn is a genius! He has shed a lot of light when psychology and neuroscience come into play in a patient. I would recommend this book. However this book does go into detail about the how the brain functions and some may find it boring or to in-depth. I found it just right for me. Read the book, it really opens up your mind.

For someone like me, with no training in the biological science, this book was amazingly educational and astounding. It was definitely a page turner packed with humour and insight. You'll never think the same about your own thoughts again.

Skip the very last chapter though where he gets a bit too metaphysical for my tastes.

An excellent introduction to the fascinating field of neuropsychology. Dr. Ramachandran has here hand-picked the most interesting of his case studies, and the result is a very interesting book. Even if you have no knowledge of the brain, Ramachandran writes fluently in a language that entertains, informs, and fascinates even the least academic of readers. His writing is easy to follow and unhindered by too many technical terms, as compared to another popular neurologist/author, Oliver Sacks, whose work is less accessible to those unfamiliar with brain physiology. He offers his (very detailed and well-researched) theories and explanations for a number of neurological disorders and everyday experiences, complete with incredibly helpful endnotes for those curious to learn more. I recommend this book to psychology students, science nuts, philosophers, and laypersons alike.

I first heard of VS Ramachandran when quite by accident I tuned into his giving the 2003 Reith Lectures on BBC Radio 4 (like PBS). His entertaining & instructive style prompted me to tune in a few nights later for the next instalment, and then to go and seek out his published work.

Phantoms in the Brain is an excellent introduction to practical studies of phantom limbs syndrome, and thus into the workings of the human brain and the concept of body imaging.

As a direct consequence of reading this book, I then eagerly awaited his next offering, the transcript of those BBC Lectures.

I am an IT professional working for an MNC.When I first looked at this book, I was not very sure if i can understand the complex subject the book dealt with.
But now,after having read the book, I feel its just great.
Some of the incidents in the book are surprising and thought provoking.
Very interesting narration about how the brain works, human vision and why we behave in a particular way.

Now, everytime i come across the word 'phantom' I recollect this book.

The assembled stories are truly amazing, prompting a thoughtful reanalysis of the way our minds work and what it means to be human. Dr. Ramachandran's writing (or ghost-writing; I note there are two authors listed) is excellent, as well. He describes his cases with compassion and enthusiastically explores the possible meanings of his observations. He explores topics ranging from body imaging, the inner workings of vision, hemispheric specialization, to the neurological correlates to religious experience. Though I don't think his conclusions are always foolproof (and neither does he), there is a great deal of food for thought here, enough to keep you thinking about the nature of the brain and human experience long after the final page is turned.

Put into layman's terms this book clearly identifies the newest topics of nueropsychology. With his wit and humor Ramachandran illustrates these topics as so the average joe could understand. If you are just starting to topple this field this is just the type of book I would recommend starting with.