A review by victorfrank
Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain by David Eagleman
5.0
A masterpiece of popular science and one of the most hopeful books I've ever read
Let's say there's a kid who has the worst case of epilepsy ever. Like, seizures every 20 minutes. Doctor says the only treatment is a hemispherectomy, which is exactly what it sounds like — removal of half the kid's brain. What do you think happens after the operation? How will the kid do?
If you said, "Well, the kid's going to lose his ability to walk, talk, do anything really," you'd be correct — but only for a few months. Because what actually happened to Matthew was that with intensive rehab, the remaining half of his brain adapted itself to take over the missing functions of the other half. And now, when Matthew serves you at a restaurant, you can't tell him apart from a normal person. If that doesn't blow your mind, check out the picture of his brain with half of it a black void.
"Livewired" is the catchy term David Eagleman has coined to describe the miraculous ability of the brain to adapt in concert with its environment and make sense of the world. With fluid prose and crystal-clear analogies, Eagleman explains the function of the cerebral cortex as a general computing machine that can take any kind of input from environmental sensors — e.g. the light sensors in your eye, the air-pressure sensors in your ear, or vibrations from a wrist band — and turn it into meaning.
Eagleman is particularly qualified to talk about this not only a neuroscientist, but also as an inventor creating a whole new frontier of livewiring via his company NeoSensory. Using vests and wristbands that transduce outside information like sound or light into mechanical vibrations, NeoSensory is not only giving back some sight and hearing ability back to those who have lost it; it is also creating whole new senses that didn't even exist before: "We tapped into the lidar stream [at Google headquarters] and hooked it up to the Vest. Then we brought in Alex, a blind young man. We strapped the Vest on him, and now—just like the soldiers in Westworld—he could feel the location of those moving around him. He could see in 360 degrees, going from blind to Jedi. And there was zero learning curve: he immediately got it." Ladies and gentlemen — this is science fiction made real.
Taking the idea further, Eagleman makes us wonder whether a livewired, self-adapting home and electric grid could be right around the corner. Trippy, sure, but why not? And that's what I particularly appreciate about Eagleman's work: he provokes us to think about *both* the stuff we take for granted *and* the radical "adjacent possible". This is especially fun since the book is talking about the very same thing you're using to read it (not the Kindle, silly — I mean your *brain*). For example, if the brain's so damn changeable, how can we even hold on to any memories before they get overwritten by new stuff?
The book is Eagleman's platform for some big new scientific ideas, e.g. the brain as an information-maximizing machine; the basis of synesthesia; and the purpose of dreaming (hint: so you don't go blind). It's also very entertaining. Along the way you will meet: a surfing dog, a skateboarding dog, and a bipedal dog; an armless archery champ; people who hate their limbs; a man with no short-term memory; and a woman who forgets nothing. Astonishing visual illusions will make you doubt your own sanity, and the stories will make for excellent fodder for all the cocktail parties you're not attending. (Note for future generations: this review was written during the 2020 pandemic. We don't get out much.)
With masterful storytelling, lucid analogies and thought-provoking new ideas, "Livewired" is a mind-expanding masterpiece of popular science. It's also one of the most hopeful books I've ever read, particularly needful in these uncertain times. Read it to renew your faith in not just the human spirit, but also to appreciate the gifts of your own miraculous brain.
-- Ali Binazir, M.D., M.Phil., Happiness Engineer, neuroplasticity coach, and author of [b: The Tao of Dating: The Smart Woman's Guide to Being Absolutely Irresistible|33977456|The Tao of Dating The Smart Woman's Guide to Being Absolutely Irresistible|Ali Binazir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485248157l/33977456._SY75_.jpg|13580088], the highest-rated dating book on Amazon, and [b: Should I Go to Medical School?: An Irreverent Guide to the Pros and Cons of a Career in Medicine|34099644|Should I Go to Medical School An Irreverent Guide to the Pros and Cons of a Career in Medicine|Ali Binazir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486004834l/34099644._SY75_.jpg|55119946]
Let's say there's a kid who has the worst case of epilepsy ever. Like, seizures every 20 minutes. Doctor says the only treatment is a hemispherectomy, which is exactly what it sounds like — removal of half the kid's brain. What do you think happens after the operation? How will the kid do?
If you said, "Well, the kid's going to lose his ability to walk, talk, do anything really," you'd be correct — but only for a few months. Because what actually happened to Matthew was that with intensive rehab, the remaining half of his brain adapted itself to take over the missing functions of the other half. And now, when Matthew serves you at a restaurant, you can't tell him apart from a normal person. If that doesn't blow your mind, check out the picture of his brain with half of it a black void.
"Livewired" is the catchy term David Eagleman has coined to describe the miraculous ability of the brain to adapt in concert with its environment and make sense of the world. With fluid prose and crystal-clear analogies, Eagleman explains the function of the cerebral cortex as a general computing machine that can take any kind of input from environmental sensors — e.g. the light sensors in your eye, the air-pressure sensors in your ear, or vibrations from a wrist band — and turn it into meaning.
Eagleman is particularly qualified to talk about this not only a neuroscientist, but also as an inventor creating a whole new frontier of livewiring via his company NeoSensory. Using vests and wristbands that transduce outside information like sound or light into mechanical vibrations, NeoSensory is not only giving back some sight and hearing ability back to those who have lost it; it is also creating whole new senses that didn't even exist before: "We tapped into the lidar stream [at Google headquarters] and hooked it up to the Vest. Then we brought in Alex, a blind young man. We strapped the Vest on him, and now—just like the soldiers in Westworld—he could feel the location of those moving around him. He could see in 360 degrees, going from blind to Jedi. And there was zero learning curve: he immediately got it." Ladies and gentlemen — this is science fiction made real.
Taking the idea further, Eagleman makes us wonder whether a livewired, self-adapting home and electric grid could be right around the corner. Trippy, sure, but why not? And that's what I particularly appreciate about Eagleman's work: he provokes us to think about *both* the stuff we take for granted *and* the radical "adjacent possible". This is especially fun since the book is talking about the very same thing you're using to read it (not the Kindle, silly — I mean your *brain*). For example, if the brain's so damn changeable, how can we even hold on to any memories before they get overwritten by new stuff?
The book is Eagleman's platform for some big new scientific ideas, e.g. the brain as an information-maximizing machine; the basis of synesthesia; and the purpose of dreaming (hint: so you don't go blind). It's also very entertaining. Along the way you will meet: a surfing dog, a skateboarding dog, and a bipedal dog; an armless archery champ; people who hate their limbs; a man with no short-term memory; and a woman who forgets nothing. Astonishing visual illusions will make you doubt your own sanity, and the stories will make for excellent fodder for all the cocktail parties you're not attending. (Note for future generations: this review was written during the 2020 pandemic. We don't get out much.)
With masterful storytelling, lucid analogies and thought-provoking new ideas, "Livewired" is a mind-expanding masterpiece of popular science. It's also one of the most hopeful books I've ever read, particularly needful in these uncertain times. Read it to renew your faith in not just the human spirit, but also to appreciate the gifts of your own miraculous brain.
-- Ali Binazir, M.D., M.Phil., Happiness Engineer, neuroplasticity coach, and author of [b: The Tao of Dating: The Smart Woman's Guide to Being Absolutely Irresistible|33977456|The Tao of Dating The Smart Woman's Guide to Being Absolutely Irresistible|Ali Binazir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485248157l/33977456._SY75_.jpg|13580088], the highest-rated dating book on Amazon, and [b: Should I Go to Medical School?: An Irreverent Guide to the Pros and Cons of a Career in Medicine|34099644|Should I Go to Medical School An Irreverent Guide to the Pros and Cons of a Career in Medicine|Ali Binazir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486004834l/34099644._SY75_.jpg|55119946]