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Rating: 
Summary: An outstanding review of the research on brain asymmetry
Review: Hellige does a superb job of reviewing the field of hemispheric asymmetry. This book is well written and has much to offer to the serious researcher or just the laymen interested in the brain. I am looking forward to a new edition, that will include the more recent research on the topic.
Rating:
Summary: Great and timely edition.
Review: This book originally apeared in the prespectives in cognitive neuroscience series in 1993, and is the best introduction and review into the subject of hemispheric asymmetry. My earlier concerns were that it was a bit dated, but it is a cornerstone in the field nevertheless.
Hellige points out that every model of hemispheric asymmetry will have to deal with five main points: The cognitive differences between individuals, general computation diferences between hemispheres, the view of the brain as an integrated unit, the development and evolution of hemispheric asymmetry and the fact that there is asymmetry in other species as well.
The book presents extensive data and studies that illuminate aspects of all of these points, and much more. Speculation is reserved for evolutionary discussions, but the author makes sure to present only hard evidence, and to warn the reader when there is controversy. It is not very technical, and for that it is a better exposition of such a complex subject.
Now the best parts of the book are when the author sets out to undermine (still current) popular beliefs about hemispheric asymmetry. There is no simple way to say that there are right or left brained people. This is a gross simplifiation of the facts. For example, Hellige notes that since every task uses multicomponent processing and modules, and since it regullarily activate distribuited locations of both hemisphers, there is no clear division within tasks of hemisphers (perhaps with the exeption of language). Sure, there is metacontrol, but that is another interesting subject. There is also no single dichtonomy between modes of processing of diferent hemisphers. Sayng that left is analytic and linguistic and right visuospatial is another gross simplification. Computation styles vary between tasks themselves. Finally, it is also not the case that there only exists hemispheric asymmetry in humans because of language and tool use. There is evidence for it in rats, birds, old world monkeys, among other species.
This is a great book from a great series, very informative, direct, uncontroversial, as well as a good read. Anyone interested in neurosciences at all should enjoy it. IT is also conforting to see hard science taking the spotlight and not cheap self help psychology. Maybe it is my left brain speaking.
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