Norman Doidge's The Brain That Changes Itself is my latest neuroscience read, and, focusing as it does on neuroplasticity, also the most relevant. (It's not everyday that pyschopaths or the evolution of brain function enter into my thoughts or conversations. Neuroplasticity, though, now that's a serious buzzword around here.)
In a nutshell, Doidge presents case studies of several patients with serious brain injury (such as stroke, early childhood trauma, or other congenital condition) and explores how their brains process different types of information including sight, sound, language, and tactile sensation. Through these examples, Doidge walks the reader through the ways in which these cases support previously known information or - more frequently than not - how science advances by the ways in which these cases upend what doctors and scientists thought they previously understood.
All of the examples showcase the remarkable plastic features of the brain and the use-it-or-lose-it principle that underpins much of neuroscience. The cases here explain much to me about the obvious neuroplasticity we've seen with our son, and fill me with hope for how far neuroplasticity might extend.
Unless you've got a particular and personal interest in neuroscience, this book likely won't be on your reading list - and you needn't feel compelled to add it. If, on the other hand, a reader is specifically seeking an accessible (i.e., non-medical) volume on neuroplasticity, The Brain That Changes Itself has much to recommend it.
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