Mindworks: Time and Conscious Experience

Does the human fetus have dreams as a way of ""breaking in'' the brain for postnatal functioning? Do negative emotions register more strongly on the left side of the face? Poppel, a German neuroscientist, answers yes to both questions, citing scattered evidence. Despite its dry, academic style, this exploration of how the mind works is peppered with intriguing facts and speculation. Through a series of mental exercises supported by illustrations, readers are invited to examine how people construct their inner experience of time and space. The author's attempt to prove that an unconscious mind exists whether or not one accepts Freud is enlightening. In short, incisive chapters, he unearths periodic patterns in speech and poetry, and shows how an internal biological clock affects one's experience of work, depression, sleep, waking and boredom. (March)