new book – ‘The Encultured Brain: An Introduction to Neuroanthropology,’ ed. by Daniel Lende & Greg Downey
Written on September 4, 2012
The Encultured Brain: An Introduction to Neuroanthropology ed. by Daniel H. Lende and Greg Downey (MIT Press, 2012)
Book description from the publisher:
The brain and the nervous system are our most cultural organs. Our nervous system is especially immature at birth, our brain disproportionately small in relation to its adult size and open to cultural sculpting at multiple levels. Recognizing this, the new field of neuroanthropology places the brain at the center of discussions about human nature and culture. Anthropology offers brain science more robust accounts of enculturation to explain observable difference in brain function; neuroscience offers anthropology evidence of neuroplasticity’s role in social and cultural dynamics. This book provides a foundational text for neuroanthropology, offering basic concepts and case studies at the intersection of brain and culture. After an overview of the field and background information on recent research in biology, a series of case studies demonstrate neuroanthropology in practice. Contributors first focus on capabilities and skills–including memory in medical practice, skill acquisition in martial arts, and the role of humor in coping with breast cancer treatment and recovery–then report on problems and pathologies that range from post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans to smoking as a part of college social life.
See also: Authors’ blog
Filed in: cognitive science,culture,new books.
