Jonah Lehrer's latest book provides a fascinating survey of the growing body of neuroscience behind the process of making decisions. By examining neural processes involved in decisions ranging from the everyday ('which jam should I buy?') to life or death situations ('how can I land a plane without steering controls?'), Lehrer synthesizes the newest thinking of a centuries-old question, 'How do we make decisions?'.
In the Greek and Renaissance philosophical traditions, decision-making has been framed as competing arguments between the rational and emotional minds. For example, should I eat that Big Mac? I know it's junk laden with salt and sugar (rational), but it tastes good and will improve my mood (emotional). Lehrer aptly borrows Plato's chariot analogy, describing the rational mind as the charioteer directing the path and the wild horses as the more primitive emotional mind, to frame his interpretation of neuroscience.
The book's most fascinating chapters deal with the underappreciated efficiency of the emotional parts of the brain to efficiently make good decisions. He uses story, such as NFL quarterback Tom Brady's final drive of his big Super Bowl victory, to illustrate the way entrained 'gut instinct' can guide split-second decisions backed by scientific literature. In particular, the synthesis of the neuroanatomy influencing decision-making from imaging studies is succinct and well-developed, and the use of clinical research (e.g., autism, sociopaths) highlights the relevance of the book.
While Lehrer provides solid entertainment in combination with the science, the book left me wondering on a couple of points. First, the importance of understanding the advantages and limitations of the emotional brain as a key influence in decision-making was clearly received. However, the manner in which these processes learn to make decisions was not treated with the clarity I desired. In comparison, Malcolm Gladwell's Blink specifically focused on the ways to mold the emotional brain to make split-second decisions through rationally informed training (e.g., training policemen to identify dangerous gunmen).
Despite the chapter on the moral mind in his chapter describing the brain make-up of sociopaths, the moral dimension of decision-making received relatively less attention. While the philosophical tradition has largely focused on the moral question, 'What is a good decision?', Lehrer delves into the less controversial scientific question of 'How does the brain make decisions?'. While it is certainly useful and important to gain a better understanding of human behaviour through this lens, this approach does leave me less than fully satisfied.
Also recommended, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.
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