Altered Egos: How the Brain Creates the Self 1st Edition, Kindle Edition
by Todd E. Feinberg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 9
It may be the deepest mystery of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience: how does the brain unite to create the self, the subjective "I"? In Altered Egos, Dr. Todd Feinberg presents a new theory of the self, based on his first-hand experience as both a psychiatrist and neurologist.
Feinberg first introduces the reader to dozens of intriguing cases of patients whose disorders have resulted in what he calls "altered egos": a change in the brain that transforms the boundaries of the self. He describes patients who suffer from "alien hand syndrome" where one hand might attack the patient's own throat, patients with frontal lobe damage who invent fantastic stories about their lives, paralyzed patients who reject and disown one of their limbs. Feinberg argues that the brain damage suffered by these people has done more than simply impair certain functions--it has fragmented their sense of self. After illustrating how these patients provide a window into the self and the mind, the author presents a new model of the self that links the workings of the brain with unique and personal features of the mind, such as meaning, purpose, and being. Drawing on his own and other evidence, Feinberg explains how the unified self, while not located in one or another brain region, arises out of the staggering complexity and number of the brain's component parts.
Lucid, insightful, filled with fascinating case studies and provocative new ideas, Altered Egos promises to change the way we think about human consciousness and the creation and maintenance of human identity.
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Product description
Review
"Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist
"Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind
"A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand, ' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, film director
"This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning . . . I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
"In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain
Review
"Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist "Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind "A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand,' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, film director "This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning . . . I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania "In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain "Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist "Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind "A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand,' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, director of Good Will Hunting and Psycho "This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning.... I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania "In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain "Altered Egos combines philosophy and psychology with case histories of neurological and psychiatric patients to paint a novel picture of how the brain makes the self. It's fascinating reading, start to finish." --Joseph E. LeDoux, Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, New York University, and author of The Emotional Brain
Review
"A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand,' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, film director
"Altered Egos combines philosophy and psychology with case histories of neurological and psychiatric patients to paint a novel picture of how the brain makes the self. It's fascinating reading, start to finish." --Joseph E. LeDoux, Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, New York University, and author of The Emotional Brain
"Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist
"Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind
"This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning . . . I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
"In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain
From the Publisher
Todd E. Feinberg, M.D. is Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Chief of the Betty and Morton Yarmon Division of Neurobehavior and Alzheimer's Disease at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
About the Author
Todd E. Feinberg, M.D. is Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Chief of the Betty and Morton Yarmon Division of Neurobehavior and Alzheimer's Disease at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
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Product details
ASIN : B00WBN5CUW
Publisher : Oxford University Press; 1st edition (2 May 2002)
Language : English
File size : 1317 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
Print length : 215 pages
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Customer Reviews:
Top reviews from other countries
Ben C.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating, Neurological Perspective on the Mind-Body EnigmaReviewed in the United States on 6 December 2013
Verified Purchase
Todd E. Feinberg’s Altered Egos represents a fascinating and unique perspective on the metaphysical enigma known as the mind-body problem. As an Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Feinberg employs anecdotal evidence of how neurological disorders affect the self to provide a possible solution. As a prospective neurologist, I found his conception of consciousness to be an enlightening and entertaining read that encouraged my interests in the field via its clinical stories and resolved many of my personal philosophical uncertainties regarding the mind.
Structurally, Altered Egos is bifurcated into an expository exploration of numerous cases of self-distorting disorders and a philosophical treatise concerning the formation of the self and the emergence of consciousness from the brain. The former is a fascinating and intriguing excursion into a realm of neuropsychiatric disorders that I was unfamiliar with prior to reading this book. Feinberg describes a variety of confabulatory, proprioceptive, and perceptual disorders of past patients, including asomatognosia, a condition following strokes that causes one to “reject, misidentify, or deny a part of their body,” as is exemplified by individuals spookily attributing a left limb to a deceased loved one. The latter section of the book uses this information to illustrate the relationship between the self, a facet of the mind, and the brain. Ultimately, Feinberg advocates that consciousness “emerges” from a “nested hierarchy of meaning and purpose” created in the brain. He suggests that meaning and purpose provide “the constraint that ‘pulls’ the mind together to form the ‘inner I’ of the self.” This “inner I” represents the subjective dimension of the brain and rationalizes the labeling of consciousness as being “emergent.” Consciousness is said to have both an objective and a subjective, first-person reality, the latter of which cannot be reduced to “nothing but” the physical processes of the brain. The mind is, thus, “more than the sum of its parts,” being “causally reducible,” but “ontologically irreducible.”
Altered Egos is a compelling and delightfully comprehensive book. The sheer variety and number of topics covered is astounding. The diversity of disciplinary viewpoints provided (biological, philosophical, psychological) will make the book intriguing for the philosopher, the neuroscientist, and the layman. As a neuroscience student, I found that the disorders discussed were reflective of topics from my classes. The peculiarity of the clinical stories furthered my interests in pursuing a position in the field of neurology. The theories presented in the book also provided me a sense of resolution, as the struggle to reconcile a belief in the irreducibility of consciousness and my own pursuits in neuroscience had plagued me considerably prior to reading. Unfortunately, questions still remain regarding the nature of the mind and consciousness, but these are characteristic of any address of the mind-body problem and are not reflective of any deficit of this book.
Feinberg’s theory presented in Altered Egos is the most intuitively satisfying of the “solutions” to the mind-body problem that I’ve read (along with John Searle’s harmonious “biological naturalism”). The book offers a unique perspective on the metaphysical conundrum that is grounded in neurological case studies, each of which are fascinating accounts on the terrifying and amazing capabilities of the human brain and its ability to alter one’s sense of self. I suggest that anyone interested in neuroscience, philosophy of the mind, or the nature of one’s being read this book.
Read less
3 people found this helpfulReport
Paul P. Mealing
4.0 out of 5 stars Combines neuroscience with philosophyReviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 July 2012
Verified Purchase
I have to admit I found the early chapters in this book a little disconcerting, if not disturbing, as Feinberg describes what happens when parts of the brain go wrong. But the point he makes, similar to Oliver Sacks in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, is that the 'self' is extraordinarily resilient. It's in the latter part of the book that Feinberg addresses the philosophical dimensions of this topic, and I think that's what makes the book worth reading. Feinberg's specific approach is of a 'nested hierarchy', which he claims is evident throughout biology whereby the 'whole is greater than the sum of its parts'. His discussion on the difference between the 'subjective' and 'objective' experience of consciousness is the best I've read on the subject. He makes the point that the brain is 'not aware of itself' but of everything else. He argues that the mind is only `material' to the possessor, but `immaterial' to an observer. Therefore, everyone's conscious experience is a 'delusion' to everyone else. He makes a compelling argument that computers will never be sentient and therefore never be alive.
Elvene (1 Volume Set)
2 people found this helpfulReport
Bruce Egert
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Guide for all who Care about the MindReviewed in the United States on 12 June 2001
Verified Purchase
I have taken the time to read Dr. Feinberg's book not once, but twice, in order to get its full flavor. As one practices law and who deals with clients with neurological injuries, both as injury victims and the elderly I am amazed at how well the author explains the nuances between mind and "self" or as I like it: the way one presents him or her self to the world.
The book is very readable and does not contain any pedantic phrases or highly technical scientific terms that are often replete in such texts. Instead it very ably explains much of what needs to be known about the brain.
Dr. Feinberg's insight should inspire other researchers and academics to continue their inquiry into the function of the brain so that we can all become more aware and knowledgable about ourselves and those around us.
9 people found this helpfulReport
Vanessa Artiaga
5.0 out of 5 stars It's actually a great book. I had to read it for an ...Reviewed in the United States on 25 June 2015
Verified Purchase
It's actually a great book. I had to read it for an assignment but honestly I'd read it for leisure too.
One person found this helpfulReport
Top reviews from other countries
Ben C.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating, Neurological Perspective on the Mind-Body EnigmaReviewed in the United States on 6 December 2013
Verified Purchase
Todd E. Feinberg’s Altered Egos represents a fascinating and unique perspective on the metaphysical enigma known as the mind-body problem. As an Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Feinberg employs anecdotal evidence of how neurological disorders affect the self to provide a possible solution. As a prospective neurologist, I found his conception of consciousness to be an enlightening and entertaining read that encouraged my interests in the field via its clinical stories and resolved many of my personal philosophical uncertainties regarding the mind.
Structurally, Altered Egos is bifurcated into an expository exploration of numerous cases of self-distorting disorders and a philosophical treatise concerning the formation of the self and the emergence of consciousness from the brain. The former is a fascinating and intriguing excursion into a realm of neuropsychiatric disorders that I was unfamiliar with prior to reading this book. Feinberg describes a variety of confabulatory, proprioceptive, and perceptual disorders of past patients, including asomatognosia, a condition following strokes that causes one to “reject, misidentify, or deny a part of their body,” as is exemplified by individuals spookily attributing a left limb to a deceased loved one. The latter section of the book uses this information to illustrate the relationship between the self, a facet of the mind, and the brain. Ultimately, Feinberg advocates that consciousness “emerges” from a “nested hierarchy of meaning and purpose” created in the brain. He suggests that meaning and purpose provide “the constraint that ‘pulls’ the mind together to form the ‘inner I’ of the self.” This “inner I” represents the subjective dimension of the brain and rationalizes the labeling of consciousness as being “emergent.” Consciousness is said to have both an objective and a subjective, first-person reality, the latter of which cannot be reduced to “nothing but” the physical processes of the brain. The mind is, thus, “more than the sum of its parts,” being “causally reducible,” but “ontologically irreducible.”
Altered Egos is a compelling and delightfully comprehensive book. The sheer variety and number of topics covered is astounding. The diversity of disciplinary viewpoints provided (biological, philosophical, psychological) will make the book intriguing for the philosopher, the neuroscientist, and the layman. As a neuroscience student, I found that the disorders discussed were reflective of topics from my classes. The peculiarity of the clinical stories furthered my interests in pursuing a position in the field of neurology. The theories presented in the book also provided me a sense of resolution, as the struggle to reconcile a belief in the irreducibility of consciousness and my own pursuits in neuroscience had plagued me considerably prior to reading. Unfortunately, questions still remain regarding the nature of the mind and consciousness, but these are characteristic of any address of the mind-body problem and are not reflective of any deficit of this book.
Feinberg’s theory presented in Altered Egos is the most intuitively satisfying of the “solutions” to the mind-body problem that I’ve read (along with John Searle’s harmonious “biological naturalism”). The book offers a unique perspective on the metaphysical conundrum that is grounded in neurological case studies, each of which are fascinating accounts on the terrifying and amazing capabilities of the human brain and its ability to alter one’s sense of self. I suggest that anyone interested in neuroscience, philosophy of the mind, or the nature of one’s being read this book.
Read less
3 people found this helpfulReport
Paul P. Mealing
4.0 out of 5 stars Combines neuroscience with philosophyReviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 July 2012
Verified Purchase
I have to admit I found the early chapters in this book a little disconcerting, if not disturbing, as Feinberg describes what happens when parts of the brain go wrong. But the point he makes, similar to Oliver Sacks in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, is that the 'self' is extraordinarily resilient. It's in the latter part of the book that Feinberg addresses the philosophical dimensions of this topic, and I think that's what makes the book worth reading. Feinberg's specific approach is of a 'nested hierarchy', which he claims is evident throughout biology whereby the 'whole is greater than the sum of its parts'. His discussion on the difference between the 'subjective' and 'objective' experience of consciousness is the best I've read on the subject. He makes the point that the brain is 'not aware of itself' but of everything else. He argues that the mind is only `material' to the possessor, but `immaterial' to an observer. Therefore, everyone's conscious experience is a 'delusion' to everyone else. He makes a compelling argument that computers will never be sentient and therefore never be alive.
Elvene (1 Volume Set)
2 people found this helpfulReport
Bruce Egert
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Guide for all who Care about the MindReviewed in the United States on 12 June 2001
Verified Purchase
I have taken the time to read Dr. Feinberg's book not once, but twice, in order to get its full flavor. As one practices law and who deals with clients with neurological injuries, both as injury victims and the elderly I am amazed at how well the author explains the nuances between mind and "self" or as I like it: the way one presents him or her self to the world.
The book is very readable and does not contain any pedantic phrases or highly technical scientific terms that are often replete in such texts. Instead it very ably explains much of what needs to be known about the brain.
Dr. Feinberg's insight should inspire other researchers and academics to continue their inquiry into the function of the brain so that we can all become more aware and knowledgable about ourselves and those around us.
9 people found this helpfulReport
Vanessa Artiaga
5.0 out of 5 stars It's actually a great book. I had to read it for an ...Reviewed in the United States on 25 June 2015
Verified Purchase
It's actually a great book. I had to read it for an assignment but honestly I'd read it for leisure too.
One person found this helpfulReport
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