Description
Book SynopsisDopamine is the most widely studied of all neurotransmitters in the human brain. In this text, Fred Previc puts forth a provocative evolutionary theory, positing that high levels of dopamine account for all major aspects of uniquely human behaviour, including abstract intelligence, creativity, exploration, religious behaviour and left-hemispheric thought.
Trade ReviewReview of the hardback: 'One of the challenges of evolutionary theory is to explain how we humans have come to occupy our exalted place on earth. What other species can even begin to speculate on its own evolution? Most accounts have focused on such characteristics as brain size, language, tool use, or cerebral asymmetry. In this extraordinary book, Previc puts the onus on the dopaminergic system, and builds the case from there. Written with enthusiasm and verve, this book will cause us to rethink our ideas about where we came from, and how we got here.' Michael Corballis, The University of Auckland
Review of the hardback: 'Whether you agree with Fred Previc's theories or not, his astonishingly ambitious history of the role of dopamine in the development of human consciousness is one of the most thought provoking and deeply informed science books I've read in years. A bold synthesis of evolutionary theory, genetics, and musings on war, technology, culture, and mental illness, this book will shake you up and make you see the timeline of human development - and the dynamics of your own mind - in startlingly fresh ways.' Steve Silberman, Senior Writer for Wired magazine
Table of Contents1. What makes humans special?; 2. Dopamine in the brain; 3. Dopamine and behaviour; 4. Dopamine and mental health; 5. Evolution of the dopaminergic mind; 6. The dopaminergic mind in history; 7. Relinquishing the dopaminergic imperative.
