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Top Brain, Bottom Brain: Surprising Insights into How You Think Hardcover – November 5, 2013

by Stephen Kosslyn (Author), G. Wayne Miller (Author)

4.1 53 ratings

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In this groundbreaking contribution to the literature of human personality, a celebrated psychologist and an award-winning author offer an exciting new way of thinking about our minds—and ourselves—based on a new way of looking at the brain.

IN THIS GROUNDBREAKING contribution to the literature on human personality, a celebrated psychologist and an award-winning author offer a novel way to learn about how each of us thinks. For the past fifty years, popular culture has led us to believe in the left brain vs. right brain theory of personality types. It would be an illuminating theory if it did not have one major drawback: It is simply not supported by science. In contrast, the Top Brain, Bottom Brain theory is based on solid research that has stayed within the confines of labs all over the world—until now.

With cowriter G. Wayne Miller, Stephen M. Kosslyn, PhD, a leader in the field of cognitive neuroscience, explains this exciting new theory for the first time. Kosslyn and Miller describe how the top and bottom parts of the brain work together, summarizing extensive research with ease and accessibility. In doing so, they introduce us to four modes of thought: Mover, Perceiver, Stimulator, and Adaptor.

These ways of thinking and behaving shape your personality, and with the scientifically developed test provided in the book, you’ll quickly be able to determine which mode best defines your dominant way of thinking. Once you’ve identified your dominant cognitive mode, you can reflect on the many possible practical applications from the way you conduct business to your relationships to your voyage of personal discovery.

Review

"Kosslyn and Miller describe a new insight emerging from contemporary brain research: that the upper reaches of the brain's cerebral hemispheres think differently from their lower portions... They bolster their argument with evidence from key studies, meta-analyses of brain functioning, and a new scale of cognitive style. The writing is lively and accessible, and I was excited about the idea of using insights from brain science to identify new dimensions of our character."
-- John D. Mayer, Scientific American/Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

"A beguiling sweep of brain science... a fun excursion through the mind, shedding light on one's own way of thinking."
-- Providence Sunday Journal.

"Top Brain, Bottom Brain provides insight not only into our individual personalities, but the manner in which we interact with others and the implications for our personal and professional lives. This book provides inventive data on the workings of the human brain with the potential to change the way society thinks about thinking."
-- Bookshelf Reviews

An " 'Upending' idea.. The traditional paradigm of the way we understood how the brain learns has been replaced by an interdependent model of cognition that is more scientifically robust. Our educational system should be a place where such scientific research has an immediate societal effect. If we have a better understanding of how the brain learns, we can construct more efficient and effective curricula for our children."
-- Chris Kukk, professor at Western Connecticut State University, founding Director of the Center for Compassion, Creativity and Innovation, and TED Talk speaker.

About the Author

Stephen M. Kosslyn, PhD, is founding dean of the Minerva Schools at the Keck Graduate Institute. He previously served as director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and as the John Lindsley Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, where he also served as chair of the Department of Psychology and dean of Social Science. Stephen has been recognized by election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, three honorary doctorates, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the National Academy of Sciences Award for Initiatives in Research.

G. Wayne Miller is a staff writer at The Providence Journal, a documentary filmmaker, and the author of seven books of nonfiction, three novels, and three short story collections. He is also director and cofounder of the Story in the Public Square program at Salve Regina University’s Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy in Newport, RI. Find him at GWayneMiller.com or on Twitter @GWayneMiller.

Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Simon & Schuster
Publication date

November 5, 2013
Dimensions

6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

1451645104
ISBN-13

978-1451645101
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G. Wayne Miller
300
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Robin Rosenberg
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Stephen M. Kosslyn
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Stephen M. Kosslyn
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Stephen M. Kosslyn
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; First Edition (November 5, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1451645104
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1451645101
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,094,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,474 in Popular Neuropsychology
- #5,009 in Popular Psychology Personality Study
- #13,102 in Biology (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.1 53 ratings

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About the authors

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G. Wayne Miller
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G. Wayne Miller is an author, filmmaker, podcaster, screenwriter, and founder and director of Ocean State Stories, a non-profit, non-partisan media outlet based at Salve Regina University’s Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy. He is also the co-host and co-producer of the multiple Telly Award-winning weekly national PBS TV and SiriusXM Satellite Radio show “Story in the Public Square.”
Miller has been honored more than 50 times for his work. His books have won wide critical acclaim and been translated into several languages. His 17th book, "Kid Number One: A story of heart, soul and business, featuring Alan Hassenfeld and Hasbro," was published in September 2019. His 18th book, "The Growing Season: Frank Beazley and the meaning of a life," was published in June 2020. His 19th book, "Blue Hill," a novel, was published in October 2020. His 20th book, "Traces of Mary," a one-of-a-kind mix of horror, science-fiction, thriller and mystery, was published on March 8, 2022. His next, "Unfit to Print: A Modern Media Satire," will be published in the fall of 2023.
Visit him at www.gwaynemiller.com; follow on Twitter @gwaynemiller; follow on Instagram, www.instagram.com/g.waynemiller/; or like his Facebook page, www.facebook.com/GWayneMillerNews/
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Stephen M. Kosslyn
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Stephen M. Kosslyn is the Founder and President of Active Learning Sciences, Inc. Prior to that,
he was Founder, President and Chief Academic Officer of Foundry Collge, after having been
Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Minerva University. He previously served
as Director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University
after having been chair of the Department of Psychology, Dean of Social Science, and the
John Lindsley Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. While at Harvard, he was also
co-director of the Mind of the Market Lab at Harvard Business School and a member of the
Department of Neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He received a B.A. from
UCLA and a Ph.D. from Stanford University, both in psychology. Kosslyn’s research has focused
on the science of learning, the nature of visual cognition, and visual communication. He has
authored or coauthored 15 books and over 350 papers on these topics. Kosslyn has received
numerous honors, including the National Academy of Sciences Initiatives in Research Award,
a Guggenheim Fellowship, three honorary Doctorates (University of Caen, University of Paris
Descartes, Bern University), and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
See more on the author's page

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4.1 out of 5

53 global ratings

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Todd I. Stark

A new way of thinking about thinking

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2014

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We have a rough sense that people have different stable personalities that cross situations to some extent. We also tend to think of people learning and even reasoning differently from each other. But so far these perceptions have not really lent themselves to good scientific models using clear categories. We have popular models of personality, some better validated than others, and we have popular stereotypes, but none of them specifically and scientifically addresses broad cross-domain patterns in the way we think. So it is of great significance that we are starting to see such a model introduced in this book. This is based on both neurobiological and psychological concepts and empirical work and is rooted in a realistic model of how our thinking involves both ongoing interaction with our environments and planned metacognitive control and all sorts of combinations of those. We've needed a new way of envisioning human thinking styles for a while and this is the most original and carefully executed attempt I've seen in a long time.

4 people found this helpful

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Andres

Accesible yet informative book on cognitive models of thinking.

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2017

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I thought it was very interesting even though some of the book was refresher material. I It reminded me of another book entitled the Secret Psychology of How we Fall in Love by Dr. Paul Dobransky. I saw parallels between the Theory of Four Cognitive Modes of this book and those of the Personality Type Theory of Dr. Dobransky's. I think this book kind of put the meat on the bones of the aforementioned book albeit with more scientific backing. I thought it was interesting this book also mentioned the Meyers-Briggs type indicator, and even the Big-5 Personality dimensions and did a compare and contrast with them to make things more accessible. This showed me the authors were open-minded and knowledgeable enough to include differing and competing perspectives yet the theory was scientific and robust enough that it could stand on its own.

6 people found this helpful

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T. Lord

One of the best around

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2013

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This book succeeds where most books on neuroscience fail. It is readable and useful. It is also based on extensive research. Kosslyn previously taught psychology at Harvard and has since moved on to other projects. The short quiz in the 13th chapter of the book will help you understand how you process information. One of the best books on the subject where others promise much but typically fall short.

40 people found this helpful

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spsanders

Better Brains

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2013

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If you don't know any neuroanatomy then this is the book for you. No major insights and reads more like a college text.

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2013

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The authors of this book have synthesized many studies and posit that the long-held theory of left-right brain is not correct. They believe that brain function is actually divided more along the lines of top and bottom brain function. It is a fascinating book and very interesting for anyone who has an interest in how our brains operate and how we negotiate with the world around us.

5 people found this helpful

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Cecilio

A new and powerful theory.

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2014

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For some reason, I was always suspect of the left-right brain theory. Every other scientist kept saying that the brain can (and does) storage information "all over the place." This new theory is more in tone with the general science world.

One person found this helpful

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Roadrunner

Surprising details about our brains.

Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2014

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Everyone should read this book. It is a shock to learn how our brains really work and how these details describe personality types
we all are familiar with.

2 people found this helpful

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A Partner in Crime...

Note to authors.

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2016

Verified Purchase

I think you guys missed something important. I've removed my review until I work through the math. Your work combined with the logical brain's tendency to decide then rationalize later (thought to disprove free will - it doesn't.) suggests that the brain functions completely counter intuitively. The math is tricky, I'll get back to you.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Alma Dakaj

Breakthrough!

Reviewed in Italy on December 13, 2013

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I have always thought the left-brain / right-brain theory was flawed and neural networks are so much more and differently connected. After reading 'Top Brain, Bottom Brain' I was persuaded. Besides, this book comes from a knowledge 'marble column', prof Stephan Kosslyn whose research work is amazing and breakthrough. Highly recommend it!

books

poor

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2013

Verified Purchase

It makes a good argument that the left/right brain dichotomy is too simplistic and then just swaps it for for another simplistic generalisation.The new one has 4 parts instead of 2 but is just as simplistic.You can do the online test to find out which type you use predominantly but it didnt feel particularly insightful to me.I really did not gain anything from the book and have forgotten what it was all about,half an hour after finishing it.

8 people found this helpful

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