In this fascinating and bold discussion, France's renowned neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux serves as guide to the most complex physical object in the living world: the human brain. Taking into account the newest brain research - morphological, physiological, chemical, and genetic - and placing these findings in the context of psychology, philosophy, art, and literature, Changeux ventures into the unexplored territories where these diverse disciplines intersect. Changeux's book draws on Plato's notion that the Good, the True, and the Beautiful are celestial essences or ideas, independent but so intertwined as to be inseparable.

Placing these essences within the characteristic features of the human brain's neuronal organization, the author addresses unsolved questions in neuroscience today. What is it to "perceive" something? How are we aware of our own existence? If we truly integrate the disciplines of neuroscience, biology, human science, and the history of civilization, what will we learn about our species? With imagination and deep insight, Changeux illuminates the evolution of the brain and deciphers what new developments in neuroscience may portend for the future of humanity.

Jean-Pierre Changeux was chair of cellular communication at College de France for 30 years and is a member of the French Academy of Sciences. He has written more than 600 scientific articles and several books, including Neuronal Man. He lives in Paris. Laurence Garey is a noted translator of books on neuroscience from French to English.