If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Did you know that a single, freak injury to the brain can completely rewrite a person’s personality, memories, and even their moral compass?
- Have you ever wondered how a 16th-century royal duel and a series of bizarre medical accidents paved the way for our modern understanding of the human mind?
- Are you curious about the strange case studies that reveal how our brains create consciousness, emotions, and even the sensation of 'phantom' limbs?
Listen to The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons — Free Audiobook
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Key Takeaways from The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons
- Discover how early pioneers of neuroscience mapped the human brain by studying the bizarre behaviors and autopsies of brain-damaged historical figures like King Henri II.
- Understand the three-part architecture of your brain, from the lower brain's basic survival functions to the cortex's complex decision-making and sensory processing.
- Learn how neurons and glial cells form the crucial building blocks of your mind, and uncover how the starvation of these cells drove a historical assassin to insanity.
- Explore how 100 billion neurons communicate across synapses using chemical neurotransmitters that either excite or inhibit the flow of information.
- Find out how your brain's neural pathways remain elastic throughout your life, enabling extraordinary adaptations like blind individuals using echolocation to 'see' their surroundings.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons
Mind Map
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons
History of Neuroscience
Studying Brain Damage
King Henri II
Brain Anatomy & Cells
Macro Structure
Micro Structure
Communication & Plasticity
Neurotransmitters
Hormones
Neuroplasticity
Specific Regions & Functions
Visual Processing
Somatosensory Cortex
Hemispheres
Limbic System & Decisions
Thalamus
Amygdala
Emotion vs. Reason
Memory Processing
Hippocampus
Semantic Memory
Procedural Memory
Episodic Memory
Syndromes & Malfunctions
Neurological Syndromes
General Disorders
Consciousness & Identity
Sense of Self
Alien Limbs
Personality Resilience
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Question 1 of 10
How did early pioneers of neuroscience primarily learn about the inner workings of the healthy human brain?
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Much of what we know about the brain comes from studying people with brain injuries.
Chapter 3: The human brain consists of three main parts: the lower brain, middle brain and cortex.
Chapter 4: Neurons and glial cells form the basic building blocks of the brain.
Chapter 5: Neurons use chemicals to communicate and create flexible connections in the brain.
Chapter 6: Damage to any brain region can lead to very specific effects.
Chapter 7: Our limbic system governs our emotions and supports rational decision-making.
Chapter 8: Hormones act as the brain’s chemical messaging network.
Chapter 9: The human brain is extremely fragile and vulnerable to many disorders and failures.
Chapter 10: A tiny brain region called the hippocampus handles all three major forms of memory.
Chapter 11: The left and right hemispheres of the brain have different specialties but operate together.
Chapter 12: Consciousness is an intricate process that engages almost your entire brain.
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons Summary & Overview
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons (2014) is a trip into the fascinating world of the human brain via some of the strangest psychological case studies in history. Until quite recently, neuroscientists could only study the brain by analyzing the thoughts and behaviors of people with aberrant brains. Sam Kean uses these historic case studies to paint a picture of the organ that creates our emotions, personality and consciousness.
Who Should Listen to The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons?
- Psychology and neuroscience students
- Anyone who wants to understand their own mind
- Anyone interested in unusual medical conditions
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