Stephen Kosslyn

One of the world's leading neuroscientists teams up with an accomplished writer to debunk the popular left-brain/right-brain theory and offer an exciting new way of thinking about our minds.For the past fifty years, popular culture has led us to believe in the left-brain vs. right-brain theory of personality types. Right-brain people, we've been told, are artistic, intuitive, and thoughtful, while left-brain people tend to be more analytical, logical, and objective. It would be an illuminating theory if it did not have one major drawback: It is simply not supported by science. Dr. Stephen M. Kosslyn, who Steven Pinker calls "one of the world's great cognitive neuroscientists," explains with cowriter G. Wayne Miller an exciting new theory of the brain. Presenting extensive research in an inviting and accessible way, Kosslyn and Miller describe how the human brain uses patterns of thought that can be identified and understood through four modes of thinking: Mover, Perceiver, Stimulator, and Adaptor. Once you've identified your usual mode of thought, the practical applications are limitless, from how you work with others when you conduct business, to your personal relationships, to your voyage of self-discovery. The second edition of Top Brain, Bottom Brain includes expanded practical applications and highlights how readers can harness the theory to succeed in their own lives.

The first book that fully integrates information about the brain and neural processing into the standard curriculum in cognitive psychology. Based on a need for a text that could accurately, productively, and seamlessly integrate information on both the brain and neural processing, Edward E. Smith (Columbia University) and Stephen M. Kosslyn (Harvard University) created Cognitive Psychology: Mind and Brain 1.e. Without question, the study of cognition has progressed enormously over the past decade. Most importantly, much of the recent progress in cognitive studies has come from the advent of cognitive neuroscience, which uses neuroscientific methods and data to address psychological issues. However, throughout years of academic teaching, the authors came to realize that no currently available book was able to summarize and make accessible the major findings, theories, and research the field had produced. Now, in this text's first edition, these issues have been addressed. Using findings in neuroscience to illuminate and motivate key distinctions in cognitive psychology, the authors have written a cognitive psychology book that is informed by neuroscience - the first of its kind and one poised to set a new standard in undergraduate cognitive studies.

Giving good presentations is not just common sense. Cognitive neuroscientist Stephen M. Kosslyn shows how to make presentations work better based on how our brains work. Where many books focus on how to create a first draft, Better PowerPoint gives you quick steps to improve one you already have. BL 8 key rules that are easy to remember and use BL Clear principles about how to design effective slides based on well-established scientific data BL Quick steps to sharpen and strengthen your presentation BL Easy-to-use checklists guide you through each aspect of your presentation BL Chapters are structured to help you prioritize the most effective edits BL Memorable examples and illustrations to show what works, and what doesn't BL Lessons in what to fix can also help you create better first drafts faster. If you have a PowerPoint presentation that is not giving you the results you want, take advantage of what scientific research can tell you about how your audience is seeing and thinking about what you have to say.