"Stories can inspire love, anger, fear and nostalgia-- but what is going on in our brains when this happens? And how do our minds conjure up worlds and characters from the words we read on the page? Rapid advances in the scientific understanding of the brain have cast new light on how we engage with literature. This book-- collaboratively written by an experienced neuroscientist and literary critic and writer-- explores these new insights. Key concepts...

"Examines the role of the humanities, particularly rhetoric, in neuroscience, showing how the brain is enmeshed in the body, in culture, and in discourse. Uses examples of studies on sex and gender, political orientation, and affect to argue for a rhetoric-based approach to neuroscience"-- "Humans have always been fascinated by the workings of the mind and now, more than ever, neuroscience has become a popular area of inquiry. While neuroscience...