The Trickster Brain: Neuroscience, Evolution, and Narrative

The Trickster Brain: Neuroscience, Evolution, and Narrative

by David Williams (Author)

Synopsis

The Trickster Brain: Neuroscience, Evolution, and Nature by David Williams looks at literature from an evolutionary, biological, and neurological perspective. He uses the Trickster character as he/she appears across cultures to demonstrate how stories reveal universal aspects of the biological mind. Williams brings together science and the humanities, demonstrating a critical way of approaching literature that incorporates scientific thought.

$52.34

Quantity

17 in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 314
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 18 Oct 2013

ISBN 10: 0739188321
ISBN 13: 9780739188323

Media Reviews
David Williams tricks the reader into following in his fleet footsteps into the land of neuroscience, evolution, music, and other seemingly non-literary areas in order to flesh out something important about our evolutionary brains, namely our propensity for weaving stories. -- Peter Swirski, author of Of Literature and Knowledge: Explorations in Narrative Thought Experiments, Evolution, and Game Theory
In The Trickster Brain, David Williams brings together the seemingly incompatible worlds of neuroscience, anthropology and literature with wit and scholarly flair. Williams does not shy away from the more contradictory elements of human nature in this ambitious book, and he leaves the reader with the knowledge that our own brains are tricking us into a better understanding of our most elemental natures. -- Kayt Sukel, author of Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex, and Relationships
Taken as a whole, The Trickster Brain can be admired for its lofty goal, which is to connect a kind of cross-culturally realized narrative element to the biological design and function of the human brain. Folklorists may also admire Williams' willingness to work across disciplinary lines. * Journal of Folklore Research *
Author Bio
David Williams, PhD, has been a writer-in-residence at a number of universities and colleges, including Knox College and the Metropolitan State College of Denver. He is also an Emmy winning songwriter, cartoonist, and string musician with many CDs to his credit. Currently, he teaches in the Writing Program at the University of Colorado Boulder.