SKEPTIC'S GUIDE TO THE MIND

What if our soundest, most reasonable judgments are beyond our control?despite 2500 years of contemplation by the world's greatest minds and the more recent phenomenal advances in basic neuroscience, neither neuroscientists nor philosophers have a decent understanding of what the mind is or how it works. the gap between what the brain does and the mind experiences remains uncharted territory. nevertheless, with powerful new tools such as the fmri scan, neuroscience has become the de facto mode of explanation of behavior. neuroscientists tell us why we prefer coke to pepsi, and the media trumpets headlines such as "possible site of free will found in brain." or: "bad behavior down to genes, not poor parenting." robert burton believes that while some neuroscience observations are real advances, others are overreaching, unwarranted, wrong-headed, self-serving, or just plain ridiculous, and often with the potential for catastrophic personal and social consequences. in a skeptic's guide to the mind, he brings together clinical observations, practical thought experiments, personal anecdotes, and cutting-edge neuroscience to decipher what neuroscience can tell us and where it falls woefully short. at the same time, he offers a new vision of how to think about what the mind might be and how it works. a skeptic's guide to the mind is a critical, startling, and expansive journey into the mysteries of the brain and what makes us human. review “an informative, witty, provocative meditation on the mind-brain paradox.” ―kirkus, starred review“written in a relatable style that balances hard science with philosophy and speculation, burton's project is . . . to emphasize that 'a humble acknowledgement of the limits of inquiry should be the first step in the study of the mind.it's an important point.” ―publishers weekly“burton does an excellent job retracing the history of neuroscience studies and directing readersattention to future discoveries. he takes an unbiased look at the fundamentals of the field, and posits that, no matter how much the field advances, slippery notions of consciousness and moral decision-making will always allow for some amount of speculation. recommended for skeptics and enthusiasts alike.” ―library journal“the neurologist robert burton is skeptical, to say the least. his new book, "a skeptic's guide to the mind," is a scathing indictment of reductionism in all its guises, and a stirring call to consider whether scientists are even asking the right kinds of questions.” ―salon.com“recommended…..notable” ―scientific american“an excursion into the choppy waters of intelligence, consciousness, and language. it is, burton says, ‘best read as a late-night meditation', which might explain his slightly circular thesis: that our innate irrationality, revealed by neuroscience, has itself led neuroscientists astray in their attempts to understand the mind. for the most part, his conclusions are spot on.” ―new scientist“burton is no defeatist; he's a skeptic with something to offer beyond criticism. while reading this book, you're likely to learn more about what we do know about our elusive brains and what we can reasonably argue about the mind than from most others on the shelf.” ―forbes.com“covers such topics as the brain's role in 'out-of-bodyexperiences and the lingering effects of limb amputations. it also examines the latest neurological research, which burton argues is often overstated by the media.” ―washington post“neuroscientists themselves are like any author: they bring their own prejudices, needs, hopes and dreams to their work. because their data is highly susceptible to interpretation, you need to understand who they are, where they come from and what personal slant they bring to that data before you believe any of it.” ―cbs.com“sharply guides us through a litany of initially promising, but eventually debunked, research and illuminating examples countering the conven