The Master and His Emissary
In The Master and His Emissary, renowned psychiatrist and philosopher Dr. Iain McGilchrist reveals the profound difference between the two sides of the brain—two whole, coherent, but incompatible ways of experiencing the world. According to McGilchrist, the detail-oriented left hemisphere prefers mechanisms to living things and is inclined to self-interest, while the right hemisphere has greater breadth, flexibility, and generosity. He presents a fascinating exploration of the differences between the brain’s left and right hemispheres, and how those differences have affected society, history, and culture. The Master and His Emissary argues that the division of the brain into two hemispheres is essential to human existence, making possible incompatible versions of the world, with quite different priorities and values.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK
Winner of the Scientific and Medical Network Book Prize 2009
Shortlisted for the Bristol Festival of Ideas Book Prize 2010
”One of the few contemporary works deserving classic status.”
—Nicholas Shakespeare, The Times
"A landmark... It tells a story you need to hear, of where we live now"
—Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times
"A seminal book"
—Professor Ervin László, Huffington Post
"McGilchrist describes broad [intellectual] movements and famous figures as if they were battles and soldiers in a 2,500-year war between the brain’s hemispheres...A scintillating intelligence is at work."
"A fascinating book... [McGilchrist] is a subtle and clever thinker, and unusually qualified to range with such authority over so many different domains of knowledge"
—Harry Eyres, Financial Times