Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain, by David Eagleman Shane O’Mara is both fascinated and disappointed by a bold attempt to provide an ‘overarching framework’ for how the brain works By Shane O’Mara 2 September
The Idea of the Brain: A History, by Matthew Cobb Shane O’Mara considers the many different and always inadequate metaphors we have used to analyse our mental functioning By Shane O’Mara 5 March
The Neuroscience of Emotion: A New Synthesis, by Ralph Adolphs and David Anderson This unusual and intellectually invigorating book should be an essential starting point for feeling our way ahead in this field, says Shane O’Mara By Shane O’Mara 20 September
Into the Grey Zone: A Neuroscientist Explores the Border Between Life and Death, by Adrian Owen An unsettling study of patients in comas reveals that consciousness endures, says Shane O’Mara By Shane O’Mara 12 October
From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds, by Daniel C. Dennett Shane O’Mara on a profound and humorous exploration of human consciousness By Shane O’Mara 27 April
A Field Guide to Lies and Statistics: A Neuroscientist on How to Make Sense of a Complex World, by Daniel Levitin Look at the data. The truth is out there, but all must face what they find, says Shane O’Mara By Shane O’Mara 2 February
The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High‑Tech World, by Adam Gazzaley and Larry D. Rosen Are our mental faculties really too unevolved to keep us afloat in an ocean of digital distraction? asks Shane O’Mara By Shane O’Mara 1 December