Visual Agnosia (Bradford Books) [Hardcover]

Martha J. Farah (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0262062380 | ISBN-13: 978-0262062381 | Edition: second edition

The cognitive neuroscience of human vision draws on two kinds of evidence: functional imaging of normal subjects and the study of neurological patients with visual disorders. Martha Farah's landmark 1990 book Visual Agnosia presented the first comprehensive analysis of disorders of visual recognition within the framework of cognitive neuroscience, and remains the authoritative work on the subject. This long-awaited second edition provides a reorganized and updated review of the visual agnosias, incorporating the latest research on patients with insights from the functional neuroimaging literature. Visual agnosia refers to a multitude of different disorders and syndromes, fascinating in their own right and valuable for what they can tell us about normal human vision. Some patients cannot recognize faces but can still recognize other objects, while others retain only face recognition. Some see only one object at a time; others can see multiple objects but recognize only one at a time. Some do not consciously perceive the orientation of an object but nevertheless reach for it with perfected oriented grasp; others do not consciously recognize a face as familiar but nevertheless respond to it autonomically. Each disorder is illustrated with a clinical vignette, followed by a thorough review of the case report literature and a discussion of the theoretical implications of the disorder for cognitive neuroscience.The second edition extends the range of disorders covered to include disorders of topographic recognition, and both general and selective disorders of semantic memory, as well as expanded coverage of face recognition impairments. Also included are a discussion of the complementary roles of imaging and patient-based research in cognitive neuroscience, and a final integrative chapter presenting the "big picture" of object recognition as illuminated by agnosia research.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Martha Farah shows how a potentially impenetrable topic, visual agnosia, can be unpacked and analyzed in a captivating way. Her classic work of 15 years ago is now updated and fleshed out so thorougly that it is almost a new book. It is a must-read." --Michael S. Gazzaniga, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College

From the Inside Flap

"Martha Farah shows how a potentially impenetrable topic, visual agnosia, can be unpacked and analyzed in a captivating way. Her classic work of 15 years ago is now updated and fleshed out so thorougly that it is almost a new book. It is a must-read."
--Michael S. Gazzaniga, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: A Bradford Book; second edition edition (April 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262062380
• ISBN-13: 978-0262062381
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,259,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MARTHA J. FARAH, PhD, is the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Natural Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, where directs the Center for Neuroscience & Society, teaches undergraduates and graduate students, and carries out research. In addition to several books on vision and cognitive neuroscience, Martha has published over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and ranks among the 250 most highly cited psychologists/psychiatrists worldwide.

Martha's current interests include the effects of poverty on children's brain development and 'neuroethics', the ethical, legal and social implications of neuroscience. Her latest book is Neuroethics: An Introduction with Readings, published in August of 2010 by MIT Press.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Ezxactly what I was looking for., May 14, 2009

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This review is from: Visual Agnosia (Bradford Books) (Paperback)

With brain damage to my parietal and occipital lobes, this book game me more information and definition to my condition that I was looking for. It is part of my 'brain' library as I recover.