Description

How much of our behavior is determined by our genes and how much by our environment? Fiercely debated but not fully resolved, we continue to grapple with this nature-vs.-nurture question. But data from the study of the developing and adult brain are providing us with new ways of thinking about this issue ways that, finally, promise answers.

Whether our personality, our intelligence, and our behavior are more likely to be shaped and affected by our environment or our genetic coding is not simply an idle question for today s researchers. There are tremendous consequences to understanding the crucial role that each plays. How we raise and educate our children, how we treat various mental diseases or conditions, how we care for our elderly these are just some of the issues that can be informed by a better and more complete understanding of brain development.

John Dowling, eminent neuroscience researcher, looks at these and other important issues. The work that is being done by scientists on the connection between the brain and vision, as well as the ways in which our brains help us learn new languages, are particularly revealing. From this groundbreaking new research we are able to gain startling new insights into how the brain functions and how it can (or cannot) be molded and changed. By studying the brain across the spectrum of our lives, from infancy through adulthood and into old age, we see how the brain develops, transforms, and adjusts through the years. Looking specifically at early development and then at the opportunities for additional learning and development as we grow older, we learn more about the ways in which both nature and nurture play key roles over the course of a human lifetime.

Reviews

"John Dowling is a first-rate visual neuroscientist who knows the brain and who inspiringly draws on his own research program to communicate with Carl Sagan-like clarity the complexities of the inner cosmos--brain function and brain development. ... Dowling does a masterful job of laying out how the brain is born and then matures. His eloquent essay provides solid examples of what elements of brain development and brain function are under genetic control and which are largely guided by experience. ... This highly readable account of brain development and brain function will appeal to an educated reader, one who is capable of critically evaluating the literature even if only from the perspective of an outsider."
-- Science, February 25, 2005

"[Dowling] writes authoritatively and covers the important stuff."
-- The San Diego Union Tribune, November 24, 2004

"In The Great Brain Debate, John Dowling provides a marvelously concise primer on the brain. By means of vivid examples, he illustrates why nature and nurture are as inextricably interwoven as the threads in an Oriental carpet. If you must choose one source to learn about brain development, transformations, and enrichment, you could not do better than this enlightening and entertaining book."
-- Dr. Richard Restak, author of The Secret Life of the Brain and Poe's Heart and The Mountain Climber: An Exploration Into Our Anxious Brains and Culture

"...a very interesting and useful book... Dowling's balanced account on this very important subject will be appreciated by thoughtful readers..."
-- Richard L. Sidman, M.D, Bullard Professor of Neuropathology (Neuroscience), Emeritus at Harvard Medical School

"Dowling is at his best when he discusses vision, but just as expertly serves up issues in language acquisition, birdsong or memory formation. He does all this in a simple, direct and very friendly genial tone that makes the book a highly accessible read. Even if 'nature v. nurture' questions do not keep you awake at night, the book is an enjoyable primer on some of the most exciting areas of neuroscience research today. ...Dowling does not confine himself to merely describing relevant neuroscientific findings. He also presents a fair-minded account of the current controversies and his own speculations. His is a very interesting, readable book that will leave you better informed to participate in the continuing debate."
-- The Times Higher Education Supplement, July 29, 2005

Author Biography

John E. Dowling is the Llura and Gordon Gund Professor of Neurosciences and Harvard College Professor at Harvard University. He currently serves as President of the Corporation of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Professor Dowling is author of the acclaimed book Creating Mind: How the Brain Works, which was a Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of 1998. He has received numerous awards for his research on the visual system, including the Friedenwald Medal from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, The Von Sallman Prize and the Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and member of the American Philosophical Society. Dowling lives in Boston with his wife, Judith.

Authoring Organizations

• Joseph Henry Press (JHP)
• More Titles from JHP

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