Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written in Your Brain-And How They Guide You

An exploration of how perception, thought, and action are products of maps etched into your brain—and how technology can use them to read your mind.

Your brain is a collection of maps. That is no metaphor: scrawled across your brain’s surfaces are actual maps of the sights, sounds, and actions that hold the key to your survival. Scientists first began uncovering these maps over a century ago, but we are only now beginning to unlock their secrets—and comprehend their profound impact on our lives. Brain maps distort our experience of the world, shape how we think and imagine, and open the door to mind-reading technologies. Their idiosyncrasies shine a light on our past and offer clues to our possible futures. In Brainscapes, Rebecca Schwarzlose combines unforgettable real-life stories, cutting-edge research, and vivid illustrations to reveal brain maps’ surprising lessons about our place in the world—and about the world’s place within us.

Praise for Brainscapes

“A profoundly illuminating account of how the brain works. . . . Rebecca Schwarzlose is a neuroscientist with a novelist’s literary flair.” —Cass R. Sunstein, author of Too Much Information

“Deeply enjoyable and thoroughly researched. . . . Schwarzlose’s presentation of cutting-edge science is consistently accessible and precise.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Brainscapes will change how you think about the brain and how you understand your own mind.” —Tali Sharot, author of The Influential Mind