Experimental Blog #4

Comments on the book "Brain - The Complete Mind" - How It Developes, How It Works, and How to Keep It Sharp by Michael S. Sweeney

This book is a very new, copywrite 2009, National Geographic book about the human brain. Besides this book, the author has written seven previous National Geographic books.
However, from the begining of the book, I felt that the author was beating the "Darwinian drum" so continuously that the writing seemed to become as much political as scientific at times. There might also be more details of molecular neurology than some people are interested in. There are also some paragraphs that some people might think are a little bit peculiar, or might "raise their eyebrows", refering to Sigmund Freud or Tiger Woods, for instance.
In one small section the book says, "Researchers ... discovered that those who view aging as a positive experience outlived their sourpuss peers an average of seven and a half years." And, "So, what's a person with a bad attitude to do?"
Overall, the book made me think of "Triumphalism", or is it "Triumphialism". I read that somewhere recently. I don't really know anything about it, but it seemed to fit.

However, these somewhat negative remarks not withstanding, this National Geographic book is a very up to date and thorough report on one of the most fascinating and amazing sciences of our 21st century times.