Mystery of the Mind: A Critical Study of Consciousness and the Human Brain [Paperback]

Wilder Penfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1978

Light edge wear. Text is clean of markings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr; Softcover Ed edition (March 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691023603
• ISBN-13: 978-0691023601
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,596,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating findings, March 6, 2009

By 

Linda Edgington (Indiana) - See all my reviews
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I found Wilder Penfield's research with epileptic patients, fascinating. Reading his accounts of subjects responding to his "poking around" in their brains inspired me to read on. I was amazed that such poking could cause the recollection of detailed memories or the bodies of his subjects to react consistent with the area poked. It is remarkable that this brain surgeon was so puzzled by the fact that he could find no "record" in the brain of decision-making. His analogy of a "programmer" for the "computer/brain," gave even more data to the assumption of a "spirit" that resides in a person until death. I found it a reinforcement of what I already believe, but also surprising that a physician, who was not intending to propose such a hypothesis, came to such a conclusion. The book is very interesting reading for anyone who is interested in the workings of the brain or who is inquisitive about the existence of a "spirit" or a "mind" in human beings.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Renee, RN (USA), September 29, 2011

By 

Renee, RN - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Mystery of the Mind: A Critical Study of Consciousness and the Human Brain (Hardcover)

I found Penfield's writing about the "mind" and "spirit" to be fascinating. Scientists know what part of the brain is responsible for things like speech, sight, memory, sight, hearing, movement, etc. But what makes humans act and think the way we do? What is responsible for thought, reasoning, conscience, and those things that cant be measured? He describes the brain to be like a "computer that needs to be programmed". I found all his writing to be very interesting and informative. Some of the medical information was over my head as a lay person. But as a former patient of Montreal Neurological Hospital who had this very surgery while Awake for epilepsy, it brought back many memories of how they "poked" around in my brain and it created sensations in various areas of my body. For anyone interested in how the brain and mind work, this is an easy to read, interesting book. Like Dr. Feindel says in the introduction:" the brain is the most organized structure in the universe".

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind Changer, October 29, 2008

By 

Judilyn Duba (Morro Bay, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mystery of the Mind: A Critical Study of Consciousness and the Human Brain (Paperback)

This book was deep and lost me several times but the work to get back made me think. I would reccomend that this one should be read in a very quiet place.