{"product_id":"whos-in-charge-free-will-and-the-science-of-the-brain-isbn-9780061906107","title":"Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Big questions are Gazzaniga’s stock in trade.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gazzaniga is one of the most brilliant experimental neuroscientists in the world.”\u003cbr\u003e—Tom Wolfe\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gazzaniga stands as a giant among neuroscientists, for both the quality of his research and his ability to communicate it to a general public with infectious enthusiasm.”\u003cbr\u003e—Robert Bazell, Chief Science Correspondent, NBC News \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe author of \u003cem\u003eHuman\u003c\/em\u003e, Michael S. Gazzaniga has been called the “father of cognitive neuroscience.” In his remarkable book, \u003cem\u003eWho’s in Charge?,\u003c\/em\u003e he makes a powerful and provocative argument that counters the common wisdom that our lives are wholly determined by physical processes we cannot control. His well-reasoned case against the idea that we live in a “determined” world is fascinating and liberating, solidifying his place among the likes of Oliver Sacks, Antonio Damasio, V.S. Ramachandran, and other bestselling science authors exploring the mysteries of the human brain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003eThe father of cognitive neuroscience and author of \u003cem\u003eHuman\u003c\/em\u003e offers a provocative argument against the common belief that our lives are wholly determined by physical processes and we are therefore not responsible for our actions\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA powerful orthodoxy in the study of the brain has taken hold in recent years: Since physical laws govern the physical world and our own brains are part of that world, physical laws therefore govern our behavior and even our conscious selves. Free will is meaningless, goes the mantra; we live in a “determined” world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot so, argues the renowned neuroscientist Michael S. Gazzaniga in this thoughtful, provocative book based on his Gifford Lectures——one of the foremost lecture series in the world dealing with religion, science, and philosophy. \u003cem\u003eWho’s in Charge?\u003c\/em\u003e proposes that the mind, which is somehow generated by the physical processes of the brain, “constrains” the brain just as cars are constrained by the traffic they create. Writing with what Steven Pinker has called “his trademark wit and lack of pretension,” Gazzaniga shows how determinism immeasurably weakens our views of human responsibility; it allows a murderer to argue, in effect, “It wasn’t me who did it——it was my brain.” Gazzaniga convincingly argues that even given the latest insights into the physical mechanisms of the mind, there is an undeniable human reality: \u003cem\u003eWe are responsible agents who should be held accountable for our actions, because responsibility is found in how people interact, not in brains.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn extraordinary book that ranges across neuroscience, psychology, ethics, and the law with a light touch but profound implications, \u003cem\u003eWho’s in Charge?\u003c\/em\u003e is a lasting contribution from one of the leading thinkers of our time.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Terrific. . . . [An] engrossing study of the mechanics of thought.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[The] scope of Michael S. Gazzaniga’s \u003ci\u003eWho’s in Charge?\u003c\/i\u003e is huge—it tackles the age-old debate of free will [and] offers a lot to consider about what Gazzaniga deems the ‘scientific problem of the century.’” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePortland Mercury\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Fascinating. . . . [An] intriguing and persuasive treatment of the moral implications of modern neuroscience.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eReason.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“From one of the world’s leading thinkers comes a thought-provoking book on how we think and how we act. . . . An exciting, stimulating, and at times even funny read that helps us further understand ourselves, our actions, and our world.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCNBC.com, Best Books for the Holidays\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A fascinating, accessible, and often humorous read for anyone with a brain! And a must-read for neuroscientists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and criminal attorneys.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gazzaniga is a towering figure in contemporary neurobiology. . . . \u003ci\u003eWho’s in Charge?\u003c\/i\u003e is a joy to read.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Fascinating. . . . Gazzaniga uses a lifetime of experience in neuroscientific research to argue that free will is alive and well.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSalon.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An utterly captivating and fascinating read that addresses issues of consciousness and free will and, in the end, offers suggestions as to how these ideas may or may not inform legal matters.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaily Texan\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gazzaniga is careful to explain complex scientific data in terms that those outside the neurosciences can understand [and] gives a detailed narrative that paints a complicated and fascinating picture.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Journal of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In this superb book he takes on the ultimate questions in neuroscience: Are we nothing more than a collection of neurons? Is the ‘me’ just the by-product of hard-ass determinism? The answer he proposes is important and intensely provocative.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRobert Sapolsky, author of A Primate’s Memoir\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This exciting, stimulating, and sometimes even funny book challenges us to think in new ways about that most mysterious part of us—the part that makes us think we’re us.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlan Alda, actor and host of Scientific American Frontiers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Would you like to sit down for a chat with a friend, and get up a few hours later with a far deeper understanding of neuroscience, human nature, and free will? If so, then read this book. Because it began as a series of public lectures it is extraordinarily accessible. Because it was written by one of the broadest thinkers in psychology, it is an intellectual feast.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJonathan Haidt, author of The Happiness Hypothesis and The Righteous Mind\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A fascinating affirmation of our essential humanity.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Deliver[s] an up-to-date review of the research in psychology and neuroscience. . . . Take[s] us on a journey into the machinery of human decision-making, its constrictions and flaws. By studying how we make choices, we can learn to make better ones.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ecco","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889287229669,"sku":"NP9780061906107","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061906107.jpg?v=1730230931","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/whos-in-charge-free-will-and-the-science-of-the-brain-isbn-9780061906107","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}