The mind has a body of its own

By Sandra and Matthew Blakeslee.

An excellent book about the construction of the human mind. Jam packed with interesting details about how the organization of the brain leads to the mind.
Starting off with the finding that specific parts of the parietal lobe correspond to the human body, in that if parts of it are electrically stimulated, a person feels as if they have been touched there. Similarly, next to the touch map, there is a motor map, which, when stimulated, causes you to move various associated muscles. However this book then delves into far more interesting detail about areas of your brain that represent not your body, but the space around it, even tools and other people. In short, your brain maps you and lots of other stuff, which begs the question as to why you think that you stop at your skin and the external world begins there. As far as your mind is concerned, a golf club is as much you as your pinkie. This is demonstrated dramatically by phantom limbs, the way you can "feel" the pavement with a stick (as you would with your hand) and so on. Later, the authors delve into emotions and their correlation with visceral maps. I'm going to have to read this again, there is so much in it. Based on cutting edge research. An easy read, and thoroughly recommended. 8/10