The first four chapters cover the basics, explaining the structure and basic functions of the nervous system and what is inside our skull. Then the ‘goodies’ come, the chapters on the more interesting and mysterious aspects of the functioning of the brain.
Chapter 1 introduces the basic elements of the gigantic neural system: neurons, axons, dendrites, and how they make up the amazing network we call the nervous system. By the end of the chapter, the reader will have a rough map of the brain so that when he comes across terms like the amygdala, hypothalamus, frontal lobe, or grey matter in this book or in a scientific article, he will be able to place them in context.
In Chapter 2, we learn how the neuron works and the amazing mechanism that causes nerve cells to fire and neural impulses to run. We will find out what makes firing fast and how the impulses leap, and which less well-known but just as important other cells make it possible.
Chapter 3 is about the building blocks of neurons, or more specifically, the substances that the brain consists of. It will also be presented how the program contained in our genes determines the structure of the brain. We will also talk about blood sugar, the brain’s fuel.
Chapter 4 describes the systems that protect our brain but also play a key role in its functioning, such as the meninges that surround it like a helmet, the brain chambers that hide deep inside it, the special structure of the blood-brain barrier, and the brain’s immune system. The chapter concludes with a description of devices and procedures used to study the brain, such as MRI.
Chapter 5 looks at neuroplasticity, a wonderful feature of our brains that has been discovered over the last few decades. As well as explaining how it works, it includes many interesting practical examples, including how our memory functions, which is also based on plasticity.
In Chapter 6, we first look at what controls the daily cycles of falling asleep, waking up, and dreaming. We also look at how caffeine helps us to become more alert. The second part of the chapter is about brainwaves: what they are, what types they are, how they can be measured, and how they can be used to improve brain function using neurofeedback techniques.
Chapter 7 is devoted to what is known as the ‘happy compounds’—dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and the endogenous opiates—which, as their collective names suggest, are crucial to our well-being and mood. It also explains how different psychoactive substances affect our nervous system. (See it as an example chapter.)
The first half of Chapter 8 describes the neurological background of one of our most important physiological functions, the stress response, and its more severe form, the trauma, followed by the mechanism of action of psychoactive substances, which are essentially sedative. It ends with a section on the harms of substance use.
Chapter 9 discusses neurogenesis, the development process of the brain, and its aging process. Then we turn to the dilemma of ‘nature or nurture’: in what proportions is our fate determined by our hereditary traits and/or the external influences that we experience?
Finally, Chapter 10 contains some scientifically grounded lifestyle advice grouped around four themes: daily rhythm, managing stress and anxiety, improving happiness, and slowing down the aging process of the brain.
