In The Brain, David Eagleman explains that “the inner cosmos” is an infinitely dense tangle of billons of brain cells and their trillions of connections. “I hope you’ll be able “to squint and make out something that you might not have expected to see in there. You.”

He observes: “All the experiences in tour life – from single conversations to your broader culture – shape the microscopic details of your brain. Neurally speaking, who you are depends on where you’ve been. Your brain is a relentless shape-shifter, constantly rewriting its own circuitry – and because your experiences are unique, so are the vast, detailed patterns in your neural networks. Because they continue to change your whole life, your identity is a moving target; it never reaches an endpoint.”

Think of this book as a detailed “map” of what is — for most of us — wholly unfamiliar territory.

Think of Eagleman as a tour guide during what is certain to be an exceptionally exciting journey.

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To learn more about David Eagleman and his brilliant work, please click here.

To learn more about the PBS series based on The Brain, please click here.

The Brain was originally published by Pantheon (2015) and is now available in a paperbound edition.