Brain and Mind Made Simple

Overall an interesting book. I like Professor Nutts writing style. It’s easy to read yet highly informative. I’ve read other texts by him and found them to be most enjoyable, but also extremely useful in a professional setting. This one is slightly different, because while mostly up to his usual high standards, he allows what appear to be his own personal biases to come through at times when formulating an opinion. Both selection and confirmation bias appear to be in evidence regarding his views on religion, which is disappointing.In another chapter he starts one paragraph by stating ‘Why depression leads to guilt feelings is a great mystery’. Yet further on makes a huge leap suggesting it’s not really a mystery because (with regard to thinking processes): ‘Their complex content with common themes must imply some prior learning and memory of moral and religious values that relate to guilt’. For me then, the implication is, that all distorted thinking that leads to guilt can be traced to these two things in some way. This is rather disturbing and assumes guilt can home from this. So, what of those who have no religious beliefs, no interest in religion, or come from a home where generationally religion has not played any part in their upbringing? Or what about those who are atheist? How can this possibly apply to them (unless he considers atheism a religion?)There are other occasional sweeping statements like this in the book. Lastly, and most annoyingly, the copy editor must have been having a really bad day when going through this manuscript as there appear to be several occasions where mistakes in the manuscript concerning grammar should have been picked up (eg missing words).

I bought it on-line because the author is an eminent medical scientist however If I had seen this book in a book shop I would have left it on the shelf. Although the content is accurate, the text appears to be a summary, or notes, about the topics. Whilst there are a few line diagrams, they are very simple - which i suppose is why the book has this title. There are text books that give more information and have much better illustrations, and at a reasonable price. I'm left wondering just who the book was written for? I suggest that anyone thinking of buying it should look at it first and then decide if they want it.