The Master and His Emissary

One of the best books of 2010 according to The Guardian

For centuries, why the brain is divided has remained a mystery. Drawing on extensive research, the renowned psychiatrist, author, and thinker Iain McGilchrist reveals that the right and left hemispheres offer two comprehensive, coherent, yet incompatible ways of perceiving the world. The detail-oriented left hemisphere prefers mechanisms over living beings and leans toward self-interest, while the right hemisphere is more open, adaptive, and multifaceted.

In his book, McGilchrist also takes the reader on a journey through the history of Western culture, illustrating the tension between these two worlds as revealed in the thought and beliefs of philosophers and artists from antiquity to the present day—from Aeschylus to Magritte. Ultimately, the author argues, despite its weaker grasp of reality, the left hemisphere is increasingly coming to predominate in today's world. The question remains open as to whether this carries potentially catastrophic consequences...

A pioneering study of the differences between the right and left hemispheres of the brain and their impact on society, history, and culture; one of the few modern works deserving to be called a classic.

— Nicholas Shakespeare, The Times

A truly remarkable book... McGilchrist, both an experienced psychiatrist and an insightful philosopher, sees the relationship between our two brain hemispheres in a new light: not just as an interesting neurological problem, but as a key factor shaping our culture... Magnificent, thought-provoking... I couldn't put it down.

— Mary Midgley, The Guardian