Mirroring People: The New Science of How We Connect with Others

Marco Iacoboni

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Jun 23, 2009 - Psychology - 320 pages

What accounts for the remarkable ability to get inside another person's head—to know what they're thinking and feeling? "Mind reading" is the very heart of what it means to be human, creating a bridge between self and others that is fundamental to the development of culture and society. But until recently, scientists didn't understand what in the brain makes it possible.

This has all changed in the last decade. Marco Iacoboni, a leading neuroscientist whose work has been covered in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal, explains the groundbreaking research into mirror neurons, the "smart cells" in our brain that allow us to understand others. From imitation to morality, from learning to addiction, from political affiliations to consumer choices, mirror neurons seem to have properties that are relevant to all these aspects of social cognition. As The New York Times reports: "The discovery is shaking up numerous scientific disciplines, shifting the understanding of culture, empathy, philosophy, language, imitation, autism and psychotherapy."

Mirroring People is the first book for the general reader on this revolutionary new science.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - DoingDewey - LibraryThing

Mirror neurons are the part of our brain which allow is to interpret other’s emotions, predict their intentions when they begin an action, and probably enable our ability to communicate using language ...

MIRRORING PEOPLE: The New Science of How We Connect with Others

User Review  - Kirkus

An intriguing but often impenetrable look at mirror neurons, specialized brain cells that the author believes enable us to empathize with others.Mirror neurons are the chameleon cells of the brain ...

Contents

• Body: 3
• Back Matter: 273
• Back Matter: 281
• Back Matter: 301
• Index: 303
• Back Cover: 324

About the author

Marco Iacoboni is a neurologist and neuroscientist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He has appeared on Good Morning America, the Early Show, and Morning Edition, among other TV and radio programs.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Mirroring People: The New Science of How We Connect with Others
• Author: Marco Iacoboni
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009
• ISBN: 1429990759, 9781429990752
• Length: 320 pages
• Subjects: Psychology / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition