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BOOK REVIEW How the Modern Age is Rewiring Your Mind by Richard Restak, M.D. Rodale Books - September 2003 Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty Our brains are changing, says Dr. Richard Restak
in his latest book, an engaging tour of the
frontiers of modern brain research. According to
him, we are entering the age of the New Brain where
new technologies like genetic mapping and imaging
technology will reveal to us for the first time the
mysterious secrets hidden within our skulls. And he
is superbly qualified to lead us on this adventure
into neuroscience. |
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Dr. Restak is a neurologist and neuropsychiatrist and an expert in brain function and the ongoing research of brain physiology and development. He is a clinical professor of neurology at George Washington Medical Center in the nation's capital and author of more than 15 books on the brain and brain function and appears often in the national media as a popular commentator on scientific research. What, in general, is the book about? Well, it is about genetic mapping, imaging technology, psychopharmacology, the fact that our brains are working differently from how they did a century ago, in what manner and why the demands of our modern world are bringing about changes in the brain itself, the dramatic new treatments that can repair damage in the brain, the way new drugs can influence how the brain operates and what behaviors can and will result, and the probability that technology, rather than biology, will play the major role in the evolution of the human brain. This is a compact book (only 212 pages of text) for books dealing with such complex topics, but that may well be to its advantage. It is, after all, written for the ordinary person and not the expert and therein lies its value. Members of the general public need to know what is going on in the area of modern brain research and what impact some of the new technologies in neuroscience may have on their lives. Furthermore, there are potential misuses of and abuses in some of these technologies, there are moral or ethical issues present, and all of us need to have enough knowledge so we can make informed decisions about how we want to permit this new research to affect our lives. Rather than attempt to provide an overview of all or most of the major topics in Restak's book, let me focus briefly on three revelations that Restak presents from the current research which are sure to be controversial and I found particularly intriguing. The first one is that it may be possible that brain imaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can indicate when you are telling the truth and when you are lying, a tool that would certainly be valuable to a prosecutor and jury if evidence from such a technique was ever accepted by courts of law. Another technique called Brain Fingerprinting, which detects changes in the brain's electrical activity, has already been used in criminal investigations and Restak cites one example where the investigation led to a life sentence in prison. Interesting stuff, that. And the efficacy of such tools will surely be widely debated on the popular media talk-shows. Another controversial area that Restak explores is that of the influence of violence in the media on brain physiology and behavior. There are, he notes, more than 1,000 studies which support the conclusion "that when children watch violent media they become more aggressive." Without getting into the matter of TV or movie censorship, Restak presents some rather powerful evidence and says "...we know that watching violence -- or even just imagining it -- reduces the functional activity of those parts of our brain that are normally enlisted to inhibit violent impulses." He concludes that "From a practical point of view, it makes a lot of sense...to avoid vivid images of events that, according to what we're learning from new brain research, can lead to psychological harm." I suspect we'll hear a lot more about this research in the future and it will be widely debated. My personal favorite, however, is his brief discussion regarding the two methods that have traditionally been used to teach children to read. The controversy over which teaching method is best -- phonics or whole-word (aka "look-say") -- has raged for decades. I spent over seventeen years in the public schools and was a strong advocate of phonics, finding myself decidedly in the minority all that time. Now, according to Restak, brain research may have decided the issue. The question he asks is: "Which of the two methods corresponds most closely to what happens in the brain during reading?" The answer, Restak says, is that "recent fMRI studies have largely come down in favor of phonics." I just knew that some day my position on the matter would be vindicated by science. And so it seems. The only criticism I have of the book regards its subtitle, "How the Modern Age is Rewiring Your Mind." As a philosopher in the tradition of Classical Realism, I make a distinction in kind between the human brain and the human mind. The human brain may be "rewiring" itself, but the human mind cannot do so. It is understandable, however, why Dr. Restak fails to make this distinction; unfortunately, most empirical scientists today also fail to make it. It is interesting, though, that while he uses the term "mind" in his subtitle, no where else in the book do I find him using that term. This book is a good read. And, I think, an important one considering the nature of the topic and its significance to all our lives. It is generally nontechnical and easily understood, but be aware that it is really an overview of a deeply complex subject. I highly recommend it to everyone. |
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