summary ofWe Are Our BrainsBook by D. F. Swaab

first KEY POINT

Three pounds of 100 billion neurons determine our life

The brain is the source of pain and pleasure, love and hate. It’s responsible not only for thinking, learning and mental abilities we need for work, this organ reacts to every tiny stimuli inside the body and in the outer world. The power it has over our lives is impressive. Yes, the brain controls us and defines our behavior. But what if something goes wrong? In the worst case scenarios it causes madness, attacks us with intrusive thoughts, ‘voices’ and memory loss.Historically, the brain used to compare with ‘a book with all the answers’, a theater, a church organ and a machine. Reading We Are Our Brains, you will see that all of the statements make sense to some extent.

D. F. Swaab does not just give us some boring theory, he explains who we are and why we are like that. We are our brains. By studying disorders, we learn how the brain normally functions. Unfortunately, we still can’t cure some of them, but now we are closer than ever before and have insights that in the nearest future will be tested for treatment of patients. And who knows, maybe soon we will cure aging.Also — why do we believe in God? Is it beneficial for us or not? The author shares his own perspective and provides examples of two sides of the argument. In this summary you will find out whether gender and sexual orientation is predetermined or a question of choice, and you will look closer at the relationship with parents. Another crucial accent is made on autism, schizophrenia and dementia. Is there something positive about having a disorder? People with autism prove that you can have talents even though you are limited in social behavior.