Summary & Study Guide - We Are Our Brains: A Neurobiography of the Brain from the Womb to Alzheimer's
By Lee Tang
()
About this ebook
This book is a summary of “We Are Our Brains: A Neurobiography of the Brain from the Womb to Alzheimer’s,” by D. F. Swaab
In We Are Our Brains, the renowned neuroscientist D.F. Swaab takes us on a guided tour of the intricate inner workings of our brains, with each chapter serving as a window on a different stage of brain development. He shows how gender identity anAd moral behavior develop, what goes on in the adolescent mind, and how we age. He looks at common brain diseases like addiction, autism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia; and explores the relationship between the brain and religion, the soul, the mind, and free will. This book demystifies the chemical and genetic workings of our most mysterious organ and helps us see who we are through new lenses.
Read this book and find out how our brains predetermine everything about us long before we are born, from our moral character to our religious leanings, and sexual orientation.
This guide includes:
* Book Summary—helps you understand the key concepts.
* Online Videos—cover the concepts in more depth.
Value-added from this guide:
* Save time
* Understand key concepts
* Expand your knowledge
Lee Tang
Lee Tang is a retired executive of a major global insurance company. Prior to his retirement, he has worked as an actuary, a risk officer and a chief financial officer for several major insurance organizations in the United States, Canada, and Taiwan. To learn more about Lee and his work, visit his website and blog at https://lmtpress.wordpress.com. You can reach him by email at leetang888@gmail.com.
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Book preview
Summary & Study Guide - We Are Our Brains - Lee Tang
A Definitive Book on How the Brain Evolves Through Every Stage of Life.
This book is a summary of We Are Our Brains: A Neurobiography of the Brain from the Womb to Alzheimer’s,
by D. F. Swaab.
In We Are Our Brains, the renowned neuroscientist D.F. Swaab takes us on a guided tour of the intricate inner workings of our brains, with each chapter serving as a window on a different stage of brain development. He shows how gender identity and moral behavior develop, what goes on in the adolescent mind, and how we age. He looks at common brain diseases like addiction, autism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia; and explores the relationship between the brain and religion, the soul, the mind, and free will. This book demystifies the chemical and genetic workings of our most mysterious organ and helps us see who we are through new lenses.
Read this book and find out how our brains predetermine everything about us long before we are born, from our moral character to our religious leanings, and sexual orientation.
This guide includes:
Book Summary—helps you understand the key concepts.
Online Videos—cover the concepts in more depth.
Value-added from this guide:
Save time
Understand key concepts
Expand your knowledge
Important Note About This Guide
This guide is a summary and not a critique/review of the book. The summary may not be organized chapter-wise but summarizes the book’s main ideas, viewpoints, and arguments. It is NOT meant to be a replacement, but a supplement to help you understand the book’s key ideas and recommendations.
Title: Summary & Study Guide - We Are Our Brains
Subtitle: A Neurobiography of the Brain from the Womb to Alzheimer's
Author: Lee Tang
Publisher: LMT Press (lmtpress.wordpress.com)
Cover-Image, https://www.modup.net/
Copyright © 2018 by Lee Tang
All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.
First Edition: February 2018
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 9781988970059 (ebook)
ISBN 9781985343832 (paperback)
ISBN 9781987063684 (paperback)
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and author make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of these contents and disclaim all warranties such as warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. The website addresses in the book were correct at the time going to print. However, the publisher and author are not responsible for the content of third-party websites, which are subject to change.
To my wife, Lillian, who is the source of energy and love for everything I do, and to Andrew and Amanda: watching you grow up has been a privilege.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Introduction
1. Developments, Birth, and Parental Care
2. Threats to the Fetal Brain
3. Sexual Differentiation of the Brain in the Womb
4. Puberty, Love, and Sexual Behavior
5. Hypothalamus
6. Addictive Substances
7. The Brain and Consciousness
8. Aggression
9. Autism
10. Schizophrenia and Other Reasons for Hallucinations
11. Repair and Electric Stimulation
12. The Brain and Sports
13. Moral Behavior
14. Memory
15. Neurotheology: The Brain and Religion
16. There Isn't More Between Heaven and Earth
17. Free Will, a Pleasant Illusion
18. Alzheimer's Disease
19. Death
20. Evolution
Index
About the Author
Introduction
The brain is comprised of gray and white matters. The gray matter houses the principal brain cells, called neurons. These are the cells responsible for thought, perception, motion, and control of bodily functions. Neurons connect with other neurons through the white matter which comprises axons. It is white because it’s covered with a fatty substance called myelin—a great electrical insulation. When you perform an activity, the neurons in specific areas of the brain become activated and light up in brain scans. That’s how we know which parts we use to read, think, or listen to music.
The Main Areas of the Brain
There are two sides to the brain, each called a hemisphere. The right side of our brain controls the left side of our body. The brain sits on the brainstem which controls many of our most critical biological functions, like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and bladder and bowel movements. The brainstem and spinal cord are connected to the brain through the thalamus. Information from all the senses flows through the thalamus to the cerebral cortex which comprises four lobes:
Frontal (top front)—houses the primary motor cortex and provides executive functions, judgment, insight, and impulse control.
Parietal (top back)—houses the primary sensory cortex and integrates sensory information (sight, touch, navigation, perception).
Temporal (sides)—houses the auditory cortex. Its main functions include hearing, memory, emotion, sexuality, and language.
Occipital (back)—houses the visual cortex.
The