MIND WIDE OPEN

A technology writer for WIRED and DISCOVER, Steven Johnson studied signs, symbols, and communication in college. His interest here is in neurological communication as he explains how the conscious mind is a bundle of fascinating chemical and electrical variables. An ambitious and stimulating writer, he is an artist when it comes to explaining the brain mechanisms behind laughter, jealousy, music sensitivity, trust and familiarity, and of course fear, anger, love, and anxiety. He writes brilliantly about how neuroscience can be reconciled with Freud and the concepts of identity and free will. With the help of an intelligent reading by Alan Sklar, the audio is one of the best available on the mind’s orchestral complexity and beauty. T.W. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE/JULY 05]