February 2024 MBR The Psychology Shelf

The Psychology Shelf

Footprints of Schizophrenia
Steven Lesk, MD
Prometheus Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781633889286, $28.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Footprints-Schizophrenia-Evolutionary-Mental-Illness=
/dp/1633889289

Synopsis: Of all the mental illnesses, schizophrenia eludes us the most. No=
 matter the strides scientists have made in neurological research nor docto=
rs have made in psychiatric treatment, schizophrenia remains misunderstood,=
 almost complacently mythologized. Without a reason for the illness, patien=
ts feel even more alienated than they already do, families are left hopeles=
s, and doctors struggle to provide accurate care.

Dr. Steven Lesk, though, after a medical career dedicated to those affected=
 by schizophrenia and a determination to find the answer to its existence, =
presents "Footprints of Schizophrenia: The Evolutionary Roots of Mental Ill=
ness", describing and explaining a groundbreaking theory that will forever =
change the lives of the mentally ill.

In "Footprints of Schizophrenia: The Evolutionary Roots of Madness", Dr. Le=
sk threads evolutionary evidence with neurological evidence, turning the my=
steries of our minds into a tapestry of logic. With his breakthrough theory=
 and this unprecedented book, Dr. Lesk will invite necessary cultural dialo=
gue about this stigmatized illness, provoke new psychiatric and pharmacolog=
ical research, and provide unequivocal comfort to those afflicted and affec=
ted by schizophrenia.

Dr. Lesk's "primitive organization theory" is based in human evolution, fro=
m Neanderthals to Homo sapiens, and the specific changes to our brains afte=
r the emergence of language. We have existed in human-like form for six mil=
lion years, but we've only had language for 50,000; within the vast span of=
 evolutionary time, that's hardly any time at all.

Additionally, Dr. Lesk elucidates us to the hormones affected by language, =
especially dopamine, and with brilliant clarity, connects human evolution, =
our brain affected by language, and those with schizophrenia whose dopamine=
 doesn't flow in our new, adaptive way. In other words, the twenty million =
people who have schizophrenia in the world don't suppress dopamine in the w=
ay evolution has trained us, so their brains don't process language well an=
d function as if they're in a hallucinatory, delusional dream state.

Not only will Dr. Lesk's theory focus treatment efforts for schizophrenia, =
but it will also affect that of other dopamine-related mental illnesses lik=
e Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's chorea, Tourette's, ADD, and more.=
 Publishing Lesk's work will usher in a new era of psychiatric understandin=
g, one that the field and the public desperately needs.

Critique: An inherently fascinating, challenging, comprehensive, informed a=
nd informative study, "Footprints of Schizophrenia: The Evolutionary Roots =
of Mental Illness" by Dr. Steven Lask will prove of immense interest to med=
ical professionals and non-specialist general readers who have an inerest i=
n medical/psychological pathologies in general, and schizophrenia in partic=
ular. Exceptionally and impressively written, organized and presented, "Foo=
tprints of Schizophrenia" is especially and unreservedly recommended for pe=
rsonal, professional, community, and college/university library Popular Psy=
chology collections and supplemental Schizophrenia curriculum studies lists=
.

Editorial Note: A practicing psychiatrist for thirty-seven years, past Dire=
ctor of Inpatient Psychiatric Services and chairman at the Brooklyn VA Hosp=
ital, and assistant professor at the hospital's affiliated medical school, =
Dr. Steven Lesk has a life of experience observing and treating the mentall=
y ill. His commitment to patients and the subject extends beyond complacenc=
y with the existing knowledge of schizophrenia; with well-supported investi=
gation, he pioneered new, better knowledge. (https://stevenleskmd.com)

A Brain for Innovation
Min W. Jung
Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu
9780231213363, $35.00, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Innovation-Neuroscience-Imagination-Abstract/d=
p/0231213360

Synopsis: What sets humans apart from other animals? Perhaps more than anyt=
hing else, it is the capacity for innovation. The accumulation of discoveri=
es throughout history, big and small, has enabled us to build global civili=
zations and gain power to shape our environment. But what makes humans as a=
 species so innovative?

With the publication of "A Brain for Innovation: The Neuroscience of Imagin=
ation and Abstract Thinking" Professor Min W. Jung offers a new understandi=
ng of the neural basis of innovation in terms of humans' exceptional capaci=
ty for imagination and high-level abstraction. He provides an engaging acco=
unt of recent advances in neuroscience that have shed light on the neural u=
nderpinnings of these profoundly important abilities. Professor Jung examin=
es key discoveries concerning the hippocampus and neural circuits that have=
 demystified the processes underlying imagination and abstract thinking. He=
 also considers how these capacities might have evolved as well as possible=
 futures for intelligence.

Bringing together disparate findings in neuroscience, psychology, anthropol=
ogy, and artificial intelligence, "A Brain for Innovation" develops a unifi=
ed perspective on the mechanisms of imagination, abstract thought, and crea=
tivity. Presenting cutting-edge neuroscientific research in a way that is a=
ccessible to readers without a background in the subject, "A Brain for Inno=
vation" from the Columbia University Press is essential reading for anyone =
interested in the biological basis of one of the most fundamental aspects o=
f human nature.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusio=
n of two Appendices (Dentate Gyrus & Value- Coding Neurons), twenty-two pag=
es of Notes, a twenty-page Bibliography, and a nine page Index, "A Brain fo=
r Innovation: The Neuroscience of Imagination and Abstract Thinking" will p=
rove of immense value for both professional and non- professional readers w=
ith an interest in Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuropsychology. Exceptionally =
well written, organized and presented, and also available in a digital book=
 format (Kindle, $19.24), "A Brain for Innovation" is a seminal study that =
is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and coll=
ege/university library Psychology collections and supplemental Neuroscience=
 curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Min W. Jung is a vice director of the Center for Synaptic B=
rain Dysfunctions at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea and a p=
rofessor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Korea Advanced Ins=
titute of Science and Technology. He received his PhD from the University o=
f California, Irvine. His primary interests are the neural mechanisms of me=
mory, imagination, and decision making.

Neurocomputational Poetics
Arthur M. Jacobs
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839987700, $110.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Neurocognitive-Poetics-Literature-Bibliotherapy-Well=
-Being/dp/1839987707

Synopsis: With the publication of "Neurocomputational Poetics: How the Brai=
n Processes Verbal Art ", Professor Arthur Jacobs introduces the new and th=
rilling field: Neurocomputational Poetics. The is the scientific combinatio=
n of cognitive poetics, data science and neuroscience.

The goal of neurocomputational poetics is to uncover the secrets of verbal =
art reception and to explain how readers come to understand and like litera=
ry texts. For centuries, verbal art reception has been considered too subje=
ctive for quantitative scientific studies and till date many scholars in th=
e humanities and neurosciences alike view literary reading as too complex f=
or accurate computational prediction of the neuronal, experiential and beha=
vioural aspects of reader responses to texts.

"Neurocomputational Poetics: How the Brain Processes Verbal Art " will chan=
ge this view in the field of cognitive psychology.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an inform=
ative Introduction, sixteen pages of Notes, and a fourteen page Index, "Neu=
rocomputational Poetics: How the Brain Processes Verbal Art" is a seminal a=
nd ground-breaking work that will hold a special interest for psychology st=
udents, researchers and practitioners in the field of cognitive psychology =
and verbal communications. Expertly written, organized and presented, as we=
ll as being readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.99), "N=
eurocomputational Poetics: How the Brain Processes Verbal Art" is unreserve=
dly recommended as a significant addition to personal, professional, clinic=
al, and college/university library Cognitive Psychology/Verbal Communicatio=
ns collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Arthur Jacobs is Professor of Experimental and Neurocogniti=
ve Psychology at Freie Universitat Berlin (FUB). He is also the co-author o=
f more than 250 scientific publications in the fields of reading research, =
psycholinguistics, affective neuroscience and neurocognitive poetics, among=
 which is "Gehirn und Gedicht" (Brain and Poetry, 2011; with R. Schrott). (=
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3D0QFr5KEAAAAJ)

Decolonizing Therapy
Jennifer Mullen, PsyD
W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9781324019169, $43.99, HC, 480pp

https://www.amazon.com/Decolonizing-Therapy-Oppression-Historical-Politiciz=
ing/dp/1324019166

Synopsis: An essential work that centers colonial and historical trauma in =
a framework for healing, "Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trau=
ma, and Politicizing Your Practice" by Jennifer Mullan, Psy.D illuminates t=
hat all therapy is (and always has been) inherently political.

To better understand the mental health oppression and institutional violenc=
e that exists today, we must become familiar with the root of disembodiment=
 from our histories, homelands, and healing practices. Only then will reade=
rs see how colonial, historical, and intergenerational legacies have always=
 played a role in the treatment of mental health.

"Decolonizing Therapy" is the emotional companion and guide to decolonizati=
on. It is an invitation for Eurocentrically trained clinicians to acknowled=
ge privileged and oppressed parts while relearning what we thought we knew.=
 Ignoring collective global trauma makes delivering effective therapy impos=
sible; not knowing how to interrogate privilege (as a therapist, client, or=
 both) makes healing elusive; and shying away from understanding how we as =
professionals may be participating in oppression is irresponsible.

Critique: Expertly organized and presented, impressively enhanced for the r=
eader's benefit with the inclusion of 15 B/W figures, 2 tables, a 26 page l=
isting of Practitioner Resources, a 12 page Glossary, a 28 page list of Ref=
erences, and a 23 page Index, "Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical=
 Trauma, and Politicizing Your Practice" is a clarion call to action for al=
l professional therapists to politicize their practice through an emotional=
 decolonial lens. While unreservedly recommended as a critically important =
addition to professional and college/university library Popular Psychology =
& Pathology collections and supplemental curriculum lists, it should be not=
ed for the personal reading lists of students, academia, practitioners, and=
 non-specialist general readers with an interest PTSD counseling that "Deco=
lonizing Therapy" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindl=
e, $22.99).

Editorial Note: Jennifer Mullen, Psy.D (https://www.decolonizingtherapy.com=
) created the Decolonizing Therapy Instagram in December 2017, which has si=
nce grown a large, enthusiastic following and profoundly shifted the world'=
s understanding of therapy and mental health. She continues to lead the cha=
rge - challenging how therapists are educated and how they practice. Dr. Mu=
llan has educated thousands of therapists, psychologists, social workers, a=
nd helpers as they UNLEARN & UNDO colonial & Eurocentric methods of helping=
. Dr. Mullan received her doctorate in clinical psychology from California =
Institute of Integral Studies, and Master's in Counseling & Community Agenc=
ies from New York University. Through her research, teaching, therapy, pers=
onal and professional experiences, she developed expertise in anti-oppressi=
ve practices in clinical practice child & adolescent wellness & trauma; com=
munity mental health; the politicization of mental health; intergenerationa=
l & historical trauma transmission; ancestral healing; energy medicine; fam=
ily dynamics and personal development; sacred rage as medicine; and peer su=
pport & supervision.

LATER: The Neurophysiology of Decision-Making
Roger H. S. Carpenter, author
Imran Noorani, author
Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
9781108827041, $59.99, HC, 190pp

https://www.amazon.com/LATER-Roger-H-S-Carpenter/dp/1108827047

Synopsis: Why is deciding to do something sometimes so slow and difficult? =
How do we make decisions when lacking key information? When making decision=
s, the higher areas of the brain deliberately suppress lower areas capable =
of generating much faster but ill-considered responses while they develop o=
nes that are more sophisticated, based on what can be gained in return.

With the publication of "LATER: The Neurophysiology of Decision-Making", co=
-authors Roger H. S. Carpenter and Imran Noorani explore the increasingly p=
opular neural model that may explain these mechanisms: the linear approach =
to threshold ergodic rate (LATER).

Presenting a detailed description of the neurophysiological processes invol=
ved in decision-making and how these link to the LATER model, this is the f=
irst major resource covering the applications in describing human behavior.=
 With over 100 illustrations and a thorough discussion of the mathematics s=
upporting the model, "LATER: The Neurophysiology of Decision-Making" is a r=
igorous yet accessible resource for psychologists, cognitive neuroscientist=
s and neurophysiologists interested in decision-making.

Critique: A seminal work of meticulous and detailed scholarship, "LATER: Th=
e Neurophysiology of Decision-Making" is especially and unreservedly recomm=
ended for personal, professional, college and university library Neuroscien=
ce, Neurology, and Psychology collections and supplemental curriculum studi=
es lists. It should be noted for students, academia, practitioners, and non=
-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "LATER: Th=
e Neurophysiology of Decision-Making" is also readily available in a digita=
l book format (Kindle, $54.84) as well.

Editorial Note #1: Roger H. S. Carpenter was formerly Professor of Oculomot=
or Physiology, University of Cambridge and Tutor, Registrar and Director of=
 Studies in Medicine, Gonville & Caius College. He was the creator of EPIC =
(the Experimental Physiology Instrumentation Computer) and NeuroLab, a set =
of interactive demonstrations on the working of the human brain. He was an =
influential scientist and passionate teacher of neurophysiology, collaborat=
ing with Dr Noorani on the project before his death in 2019. Professor Carp=
enter made lasting contributions to the field of neurophysiology and is wid=
ely regarded as an exceptional mentor by a plethora of his former students.

Editorial Note #2: Imran Noorani is a Neurosurgery NIHR Clinical Lecturer a=
t University College London (Institute of Neurology). He worked closely wit=
h Professor Carpenter to advance the LATER model to more complex decision p=
rocesses in the laboratory, such as antisaccades. Dr Noorani has won multip=
le awards for his research, including the European Association of Neurosurg=
ical Societies Award for Best Laboratory Research 2020, and in addition to =
clinical and research interests, has a strong interest in teaching undergra=
duates.

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