Customer Reviews

The Creative Loop: How the Brain Makes a Mind (Helix Books)

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This book is a theory in the field of cognitive science that's presented in a way accessible to people who haven't had much experience. The book focuses on creative thinking, which is a nice change from the much-adopted discipline of analysing largely the "rational" parts of the mind.

The main premise of the book is that creativity is enabled by a feedback loop in the brain, whereby what we see is interpreted very basically and that information fed back to the sections of the brain dealing with vision. This enhances what we perceive as important in the object and also makes seemingly simple things like vision very subjective.

The book does tend to be a little too broad and all over the place at times but there's still a unified organisation. There are plenty of diagrams and references to culture and mysticism in terms of the function of the brain. Overall the book isn't brilliant but a very worthwhile read.

An excellent book and a very enjoyable read BUT be careful - it's a slippery slope. 5 years ago I was a happy-go-lucky, carefree musician. This book was one of the major influences that finally made me get around to going to college - and now I'm studying for a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience. You have been warned!

Readers are in for a mind-opening treat. Brilliance not only an the presentation of up-to-date science, but also in Professor Harth's artful writing leads the reader to thorougly uplifting experience. This book is a "don't miss" for anyone interested in the ongoing dialectic of science and philosophy