The Mystery of the Mind: A Critical Study of Consciousness and the Human Brain

A classic account of the relationship between the human brain and the human mind

Can the mind be explained by what we know about the brain? Is a person’s being determined by their body alone or by their mind and body as separate elements? In this incisive and engaging book, Wilder Penfield, whose work pioneered such research, shares insights into these and other questions, providing an in-depth look at the function of the brain and its relationship to the action of the mind. With a foreword by Charles W. Hendel, an introduction by William Feindel, and reflections by Sir Charles Symonds, The Mystery of the Mind is Penfield’s compelling personal account of his experiences as a neurosurgeon and scientist observing the inner workings of the brain in conscious patients.

Wilder Penfield (1891-1976) was founder and first director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and a renowned neurosurgeon who revolutionized our understanding of brain. His books include No Man Alone: A Neurosurgeon’s Life and (with Lamar Roberts) Speech and Brain Mechanisms (Princeton).