Phantoms in the Brain

Phantoms in the Brain (1998) is an enduring classic of popular science that has transformed how we think about the brain and its relationship to the human experience. Drawing on the author’s clinical practice, it presents a series of patients with rare and astonishing neurological conditions. These case studies illuminate the architecture of our brains and, in the process, cast fresh light on timeless philosophical questions regarding the nature of consciousness, identity, and reality itself.

S. Ramachandran is an internationally renowned neuroscientist and brain researcher. A professor at the University of California, San Diego, he’s notable for being the inventor of mirror therapy, developed to help treat amputees who suffer from phantom limb pain. Ramachandran is also the author of three other popular science books including The Tell-Tale Brain. Sandra Blakeslee is an award-winning science writer for the New York Times who specializes in neuroscience. She’s the coauthor of two other books, The Good Marriage and the national best seller Second Chances.