Sunday, June 04, 2006

Modische Atlas der Anatomie No. 4
(2000)


Modische Atlas der Anatomie No. 2
(2000)


Modische Atlas der Anatomie No. 1
(2000)


by the Amsterdamian artist
Koen Hauser


"Imagine the brain, that shiny mound of being, that mouse-gray parliament of cells, that dream factory, that petit tyrant inside a ball of bone, that huddle of neurons calling all the plays, that little everywhere, that fickle pleasuredrome, that wrinkled wardrobe of selves stuffed into the skull like too many clothes into a gym bag."

Thus opens Diane Ackerman’s newest work of non-fiction, entitled An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain, based on the latest developments in neuroscience. I’m a huge fan of Ackerman’s non-fiction, especially A Natural History of Love, and A Natural History of the Senses. She blends beauty and information so suavely, with apt analogies and interesting metaphors, that I can't help but try to push her work on everyone I meet. In fact, I used A Natural History of the Senses as a text last semester in one of my composition classes, and my students seemed to love it. I bring it up here today at random as a means to encourage people to take a chance with Ackerman. Look into her. You’ll find that she presents science in a very accessible way, with riveting imagery and poetic language. You could learn a lot and have a really good time doing it. Click here to be introduced.