Review of 'Brainwashed : The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
‘Brainwashed: The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience’
Being a neuroscience student, there was some hesitation when picking up this book… Understandably.
Neuroscience has come up as the latest ‘it’ field of STEM, similar to genetics, it has been shown as a ‘higher’ science of more complex nature. Whilst the field itself has had some revolutionary breakthroughs, it is often presented as more than it actually is—this is especially so in the case of neuroimaging! Satel does a fantastic job highlighting many times scientists and laymen alike have favoured brain scans and neuroscientific ‘evidence’ over other forms of evidence, without context or certainty. She points out this unconscious tendency to fall into the trap of neurocentrism, to view the brain as the ultimate explanation for behaviour. Something often used to gain the confidence of the layman in treatment, as seen in Daniel Amen’s imaging clinics—ironically one of the things that prompted …
‘Brainwashed: The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience’
Being a neuroscience student, there was some hesitation when picking up this book… Understandably.
Neuroscience has come up as the latest ‘it’ field of STEM, similar to genetics, it has been shown as a ‘higher’ science of more complex nature. Whilst the field itself has had some revolutionary breakthroughs, it is often presented as more than it actually is—this is especially so in the case of neuroimaging! Satel does a fantastic job highlighting many times scientists and laymen alike have favoured brain scans and neuroscientific ‘evidence’ over other forms of evidence, without context or certainty. She points out this unconscious tendency to fall into the trap of neurocentrism, to view the brain as the ultimate explanation for behaviour. Something often used to gain the confidence of the layman in treatment, as seen in Daniel Amen’s imaging clinics—ironically one of the things that prompted my interest in neuroscience as a field.
The chapters are well put together and easy to digest for folk out of the field whilst still appealing to those inside, a humbling yet still interesting read I’d recommend for neuro students/grads.
