Customer Reviews

Mirroring People: The New Science of How We Connect with Others

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book tells you a great deal about the people who study mirror neurons. You will learn, for example that Vittorio Gallese is one of twenty-seven members of an exclusive club in Parma in which each member personifies one of Giuseppi Verdi's twenty-seven operas. You will learn that in July 2006 Italy won the World Cup of soccer by defeating France on penalty kicks following a 1-1 tie. You will learn that the author's daughter, Caterina, is in the six grade, is studying ballet, and practices en pointe in the living room. You will learn that UCLA has a Chancellor's Fund for Academic Border Crossing specifically designed for interdisciplinary projects involving two professors from different disciplines mentoring a graduate student who wants to perform interdisciplinary work. If all this sounds fascinating, you will not be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you hoped to learn such things as to how the behavior of mirror neurons is consistent with neural network models, you may be disappointed. The author has a penchant for attributing human attributes to neurons and their workings (perhaps he never heard the admonition, "Don't anthropomorphize neurons; they hate it when you do that"); I found his blending of psychology and neuroscience disconcerting. The authors of the blurbs on the cover of the book clearly found a treasure trove that I somehow missed. I hope you will find similar treasures if you chose to read the book.

I would rate this book six stars if I could. I read about 100 serious books a year and this is my top book for the year so far. It tells the fascinating story of the discovery of mirror neurons in a well structured narrative that is highly memorable. As someone who had been following this research at a distance for its implications for my own field, I would say that the author weaves the story wonderfully well around the diverse research teams that make up this expanding field. Each step of the research road becomes comprehensibly built on the previous step. The technology of fMRI etc is well explained at just the right point, as is the research design of each experiment but not drily but memorably. The editing of this book (or its author's skill) is formidable: yet it is a good read: a non-fiction page turner! The fundamental findings described are that certain motor neurons called mirror neurons in our brains fire not only when we act, but when we watch others act. We simulate others actions. This establishes a connection at the most automatic visceral level between people and allows us to attribute intentionality to others. The connections between mirror neurons and the limbic system mean that we can actually simulate what others are feeling. So we can do far more than merely take their perspective; we can actually experience their feelings. This begins to break down the idea of the atomistic individual and shows ways in which community and shared culture can bond us as a profoundly social species. It also provides a clear neural basis for the sense of self versus others. The book shows how this is mediated by super mirror neurons that inhibit the working of mirror neurons differentially if actions are being taken or merely being imitated. Of course this breaking down of barriers between self and other is rather threatening to much of the current received wisdom in psychology, economics, not to mention wider society. So read this book to have your existing understanding challenged; open yourself to the idea that your reading of others is much more accurate than you think; though exercise some care with certain more manipulative folk who self-deceive. The professional reviewers of this book cited, in my view give a fair impression of its importance and how it might shape future research. Outstanding!

"Mirroring People: The New Concept of How We Connect with Others", by Marco Iacoboni, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York 2008. ISBN-13: 978-0-374-21017-5, HC 272/308. Notes 23 pgs., Index 13 pgs., & several illus., 8 ½" x 5 ¾".

A short book, written by neurologist Iacoboni "originally from Italy", for lay people. He does TMS studies at the Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. We learn Giacomo Rizzolatti and Vittorio Gallese through serendipity discovered the mirror neurons (area F5) while studying Macaca nemestina in Parma, Italy some 20 years ago while doing neurophysiologic experimentation using brain electrodes. We learn the author has been lecturing on mirror neurons for a decade and that his wife Mirella Dapretto is a developmental psychologist expert in autism and pediatric brain imaging using fMRI.

The subject of mirror neurons, their function, location & importance engendering empathy, morality, social cognition and self-awareness is explained - and NY Times reports: "The discovery is shaking up numerous scientific disciplines, shifting the understanding of culture, empathy, philosophy,..." Thusly, ,a collection of material is provided: function of mirror cells, imitation as distinguishing human trait of self versus other, empathy & morality, coding intentions, gestures (iconic, beating, & emblem), palm mental reflex, McGurk effect, chameleon effect, Moebius syndrome, maternal empathy, mirror sign, mirror recognition test, embarrassment syndrome, autism & Asperger's. The latter two may be regarded as instances of "broken mirrors" that can lead to social deficits.

All in all, this research is obviously important and one prays that the focus of such expensive & highly technical work aught to prioritize the study of autism & Asperger's syndrome maximally, dwelling somewhat less on studies on effective of advertisements (ads) & college student's thoughts about political candidates (neuromarketing & neuropolitics) - although that may be where the big money lies!

Unfortunately, the author is not a fluid writer - his prose is jerky, wordy, self grandiosing, and unrestrained with poorly defined time lines - unfortunate since the subject matter is so fertile and promises so much more.

Since this is not a literature review on mirror neurons published in a neuroscience journal, it would be naive to expect a really in depth scientific text. Marco Iacoboni is a scientist who attempted to convey current research on mirror neurons to people who are not neuroscientists. This is important, since mirror neuron research have strong implications not only for cognitive science but also for every field which relates to cognition one way or the other. Iacoboni helps with understanding mirror neuron research program and its implication by providing a easy to read account of what has been done until now and what we may expect from future research.

Although Iacoboni does not get into the details of research conducted he refers to all of the important research on mirror neurons and beyond. In this sense, the content in this book is extensive but may be not be comprehensive enough to please a lazy neuroscientist who is looking for a comprehensive literature review instead of reading the original research manuscripts.

I certainly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an introduction to research on mirror neurons.

This book was definitely one of the top 3 I have read all year (and I read a lot of non-fiction). I will concede with the more negative reviewers that if you are looking for a cure for Autism, or detailed technological data you won't find it here. But if you are looking for an interesting layperson's view into recent advances into the nature of the brain and working of the mind, this is definitely an excellent book. The writing style is not quite up to the level of Lewis Thomas or S. J. Gould, but certainly readable and an intelligent exposition of the subject.

There are few people working on the science of Mirror Neurons today: Antonio Damasio (author of Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain, The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness and Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain), Giacomo Rizzolatti (author of Mirror Neurons and the Evolution of Brain and Language (Advances in Consciousness Research, 42)) and Vitorrio Gallese (author of Mirrors in the Brain: How Our Minds Share Actions, Emotions, and Experience) being some of the most prominent in the field. The work being done by these four men is widely cited throughout the field of psychology.

Iacoboni's book is useful for bringing the average reader up-to-speed on the research behind mirror neurons. My only complaint is that there is something off kilter about the writing style...I can't really articulate what it is other than to say that I felt as though I was frequently waiting for Iacoboni to get to the point. Perhaps it is because English is not his first language (I am not certain about this), but suffice it to say that I felt a certain kind of tension while reading this book. With that aside, I think this is a decent book and recommend it although I would recommend Damasio's newest book first - Self Comes to Mind.

As a last word, I really appreciate Iacoboni's last chapter the best; in this chapter he states this: "In my lectures on mirror neurons I often conclude by saying that our research should be called existential neuroscience. I say this because the themes raised by mirror neuron research map well onto themes recurrent in existential phenomenology." He later adds, "The existentialists have constantly reminded us that what is worth understanding and knowing is our existence, the human condition, and that engagement and involvement are superior to a detached stance. Mirror neurons are brain cells that seem specialized in understanding our existential condition and our involvement with others. They show that we are not alone, but are biologically wired and evolutionarily designed to be deeply interconnected with one another." It was in this last chapter that Iacoboni really did his best writing I believe.

"Mirroring People" starts out as an easy to read, casually narrated science-popularization tale and gradually evolves into a thought-provoking discussion of the nature of Self, behavioral causality, and neurolaw, neuroethics, and neuropolitics. The narrative makes sense: science first, social implications second. The tone is personal (you catch many a colorful glimpse of author's home country (Italy) and home life). The author, a neuroscientist, builds the suspense by connecting data dots into a hypothesis and then presenting research findings. He is committed to his conclusions and laconically emphatic about their interdisciplinary implications. Towards the end of the book, very appropriately, Iacoboni reveals himself a social visionary with a global message of empathy and compassion.

Pavel Somov, Ph.D., author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) [...]

If you want to know the neurological reasons for empathy, and imitative violence, you need to read "Mirroring People." Recently, using experiments on monkies, scientists have discovered mirror neurons. Basically, through electrodes attached to the brain, they found certain neurons firing in response to the actions of other monkies. They called these mirror neurons. Through mirror neurons, the monkies enact in their brain the perceived act and consequence of the action they are observing. They mirror neurons exist in the area roughly equivelant to the "Broca" area in the human brain, which is the area of language. So the kind of electrodes they used on the monkies haven't been implanted in humans, but noninvasive brain scanning has been done using the same kinds of experiments, and that humans have mirror neurons is a strong conclusion.

What this suggests is that symbolic language, culture, and civilization itself are largely due to our ability to imitate, and this comes from mirror neurons. Iacobini is sympathetic to Blackmore's Meme hypothesis, which is that we humans have big brains because of our ability to imitate, and that imitation on a large and signfiicant scale is what makes us human.

Iacobini offers much food for thought. He talks about how mirror neurons offer the basis for empathy, sympathy, and unfortunately, imitative violence. Indeed, he suggests that our notions of free-will will probably have to be revised. One of the most fascinating aspects of this book for me was the author's description of how he and his colleagues tested specific hypothoses about mirror neurons- the reader gets to see science in action. If you enjoy popular science books, and are interested in learning about why we are the way we are, you should read "Mirroring People."

This book isn't an "easy read", but it rewards your careful attention with wonderful insights into neuroscience, psychology, and the day-to-day practice of science, including fascinating descriptions of ingenious experimental designs. Starting with the fantastic, serendipitous first discovery of "mirror neurons", Iacobini guides you along a path of years of theoretical speculation and experimentation, ending up at our current state of understanding of the role of mirror neurons in human cognition -- most particularly, how mirror neurons enable us to empathize with and understand other people. How do we know what someone is up to when they smile a certain way or do certain things? Iacobini explains that we don't understand others by "logical analysis", which would be far too slow and cumbersome. (Imagine trying to successfully maneuver through, say, a big party if you had to consciously think about and analyze every little thing you saw people doing in order to know how to respond! You'd probably give up and run away!) Instead, and amazingly (at least until you really think about it), we understand others by "mirroring" the things we see other people doing, and feeling what it's like to be in that person's shoes. For instance, when I see you smile a certain way, I subconsciously and subtly activate the muscles in my face to echo your expression. Voila! Instantly, without any conscious analysis whatsoever, I know that you're being sarcastic! Iacobini's book is full of fantastic information like this, including data which help to explain why people with social deficits (e.g., autistic children) are the way they are: their mirror neuron systems don't function properly ... as fascintating experiments, described by Iacobini in detail, establish. If you're interested in neuroscience, and want to know more about mirror neurons, this is the perfect book for you. I've read many books about neuroscience (from Damasio to Edelman to Ramachandran) and this book compares favorably with the best -- it's enlightening, clearly written, and neither too esoteric nor too simple. It's just right!

For something like 150 years, economists have argued with sociologists and psychologists as to whether human behavior, including decision-making, is rationalistic, individualistic, and self-aware -- or if it's often the result of forces that act on us unconsciously. In recent years, neuroscience and related fields have weighed in on the side of unconscious motivators. Joining other books like "Brain and Culture" by Bruce Wexler and "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink, Marco Iacoboni's "Mirroring People" is another step forward in understanding how our minds actually work, as opposed to how armchair theorists would like them to work.

Other reviewers have described the book pretty well, so I won't really get into that here. But just briefly, it's a well-researched, easy-to-read account of what scientists have learned about mirror neurons, the mechanism through which the brain uitilizes what we perceive other people doing and feeling. Mirror neurons are the key to understanding why we play better tennis after watching a pro match on TV, or why we're likely to laugh if people around us are laughing.

I'll add another note, in case no one else has mentioned it: often after describing an experiment, the author then asks the question that a reader may fairly ask: couldn't the results have a different explanation? He then answers this by describing other experiments done to eliminate other likely possibilities. The result is that the reader comes away feeling that Prof. Iacoboni has been careful to get all the facts he can before coming to a conclusion.

There are about 16 pages of notes at the end, giving references that the reader can follow up on to learn more. No need to take anything on faith here. :-) An excellent work!