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 Seriously flawed Nov 03, 2009
The most fascinating thing about this book is the nearly complete lack of honest critical response to Doidge's book.
Doidge, a Freudian psychoanalyst, has no training in neurobiology, and prior to this book has published next to nothing relevant to the topic. He makes two fundamental errors in the way he tells his story.
The first of these is the division he makes between "localizationists" and "neuroplasticians". No one working in neuroscience would take seriously the straw man position that Doidge puts forth for localizationists, that there is "one location, one function" and that the brain operates as an unchangeable machine. It is one of the most fundamental axioms of neuroscience that neural changes underlie any learning mechanism. No one would seriously postulate that brains *don't* change a great deal during the life of an organism. Even those involved in the practice of understanding how functions are localized (e.g., speech in the left hemisphere) would not suggest that there is anything special or unchangeable about the physical location, that this location couldn't change after brain injury. Mainstream neuroscience, not a marginalized fringe, has long been aware of the adaptations and plasticity that can happen after a stroke or other brain damage. Doidge seriously misrepresents himself as the champion of a movement.
The second error is the implication that brains are infinitely malleable. He presents a cherry-picked set of case studies and select experiments that might suggest that this is the case, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest exactly the opposite conclusion. Doidge even goes as far as to intimate that any neurological condition can be fixed with the right training. Autism, dyslexia, maybe even Alzheimer's. This is seriously misleading at best.
One of the traps that Doidge falls into is the excessive use of "brainspeak". Many of the examples and implications that he talks about are behavioral, and a brain description is really not the appropriate level. After a while, the term "brain map" has lost a good deal of it's punch as it's applied to anything at all. He suggests that Freud was ahead of his time because, in essence, psychotherapy is "changing your brain maps". Well, yes. But so is any learning at all; there's no privileged place for psychoanalysis. In essence, Doidge is trying to convince you that evidence for brain plasticity should let you know that YOUR brain (and life) can be changed. But in many ways the brainspeak is an unnecessary diversion. The world is full of stories of personal triumph, and those enough are evidence that personal triumph is possible.
 A fascinating look at the brain Oct 27, 2009
This book gave me a much greater understanding and apprecaition for the brain's mystery and complexity. It's also a very entertaining read that left me feeling more self-aware after having read it. I've already passed it along to a friend.
Fascinating book for anyone with a brain or even half a brain! Oct 18, 2009
This is one of the most inspirational and interesting books I have ever read. A scientific study of the incredible plasticity of the human brain. It proves that human (and perhaps animal) potentiality is unlimited. I can't recommend this book enough!
Fantastic book Oct 17, 2009
Absolutely fascinating, I loved this book and have bought numerous copies for family members. Book has been very well received by family members I have given it to.
My advice:if you are interested in neuroplasticity-buy this book.
Everyone has to read this book Oct 15, 2009
Anyone who thinks we cannot change must read this book. Every chapter is filled with engaging examples of how people have reshaped their lives, and without scalpels or drugs. This book is a persuasive testament to the power of human transformation.
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