Description
Book SynopsisGroping around a familiar room in the dark, relearning to read after a brain injury, navigating a virtual landscape through an avatar: all are expressions of vicariance—when the brain substitutes one process or function for another. Alain Berthoz shows that this capacity allows humans to think creatively in an increasingly complex world.
Trade ReviewIn
The Vicarious Brain, Creator of Worlds, Alain Berthoz defines vicariance as the substitution of one process for another, when attempting to achieve a specific goal. The forms of vicariance, which are so well described by Berthoz, are a product of our brain’s capacity for learning and creative divergent thinking. This book allows us to better understand how the human brain provides us with the remarkable ability to improve our quality of life. -- Kenneth M. Heilman, University of Florida College of Medicine
Seeing things from multiple points of view is a skill that not all possess. Critical periods occur during the development of the brain for biocular vision, maternal bonding, and many other brain functions. Is it possible, as Berthoz supposes, that there is a critical period for being able to simultaneously hold different perspectives? If so, the implications are profound. -- Terrence Sejnowski, Salk Institute for Biological Studies
