An ambitious and meticulous foray into the nature of being. -- The Boston GlobeA landmark
exploration of the relationship between emotion and reason Since Descartes famously proclaimed
I think therefore I am science has often overlooked emotions as the source of a person s true
being. Even modern neuroscience has tended until recently to concentrate on the cognitive
aspects of brain function disregarding emotions. This attitude began to change with the
publication of Descartes Error in 1995. Antonio Damasio one of the world s leading neurologists
(The New York Times) challenged traditional ideas about the connection between emotions and
rationality. In this wondrously engaging book Damasio takes the reader on a journey of
scientific discovery through a series of case studies demonstrating what many of us have long
suspected: emotions are not a luxury they are essential to rational thinking and to normal
social behavior.
