A review by becklabeck
An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain by Diane Ackerman

4.0

I love Diane Ackerman but this book was my least favorite of the 4 I've read from her so far. I feel her prose really sparkles when she's writing about direct observations and nature, and while the subject matter was definitely interesting, I didn't feel the tug of magic like I have in her other books. It might be because there was not much new information to me in this book. It was a pretty introductory overview of the human brain and how we behave because of the way it works. I did learn a handful of new things, was struck by several stunning insights, and I really enjoyed the chapter on language. But overall the book felt mostly redundant and I was glad to be done with it. I still think it was interesting and well-written, just didn't do as much for me personally as I had hoped.