How We Decide

Let's get this straight: Plato (428-347 BC) was a famous Greek philosopher, Socrates (470-399 BC) was his teacher, and Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a student of Plato. Furthermore, neuroscience has been around since the 19th century when a German scientist named Wilhelm von Bezold discovered that area of the brain where vision happens is called the visual cortex. Scientists have also been studying human emotions ever since Aristotle described them in his book On the Soul. Therefore, it is not surprising that scientists in neuroscience today are breaking open the black box of our mind with their latest tools and discovering what goes on inside it. With the help of Lehrer's book and tricks from poker players and serial killers, we can learn how to determine when to use different parts of the brain lest we end up like Lehrer's victim--"a science writer for The New Yorker. "