"Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain" by David Eagleman
Jeff Glor talks to David Eagleman about his new book, "Incognito."
Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book?
David Eagleman: I was amazed at how little access we have to the massive work the brain does behind the scenes. Almost everything we think, do and believe is generated by parts of our brains to which we have no access and little acquaintance. The longer I've been going into the laboratory everyday, the more I've been surprised to discover how deep the caverns of the brain go -- and how little this issue is part of public dialog.
JG: What surprised you the most during the writing process?
DE: What surprised me the most was how many things there were to say on the topic. I realized I couldn't read a newspaper or go to a dinner party without scribbling down notes about some story or another that perfectly illustrated an important point in the book. So much of what surrounds us illustrates how blind we are to the vast operations of the wet electrochemical computer between our ears.
JG: What would you be doing if you weren't a writer?
DE: Well, during the day I'm a neuroscientist, and I'd of course continue along that path. But if I couldn't be either, I'd study the influence of viruses and bacteria on the course of human history.
JG: What else are you reading right now?
DE: "The Most Human Human" by Brian Christian and "The Measure of Love" by Chris Wilkins.
JG: What's next for you?
DE: I'm currently finishing my next two neuroscience books: one on brain plasticity (for a general audience) and one a Cognitive Neuroscience textbook for undergraduates. Then I'm back to my fiction writing. My next book of fiction picks up for me where "Sum" left off.
For more on "Incognito," visit the Random House website.
