The Age of Insight

The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind, and Brain, from Vienna 1900 to the Present

By: Eric R. Kandel

Narrated by: James Anderson Foster

A brilliant book by Nobel Prize winner Eric R. Kandel, The Age of Insight takes us to Vienna 1900, where leaders in science, medicine, and art began a revolution that changed forever how we think about the human mind - our conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions - and how mind and brain relate to art.

At the turn of the century, Vienna was the cultural capital of Europe. Artists and scientists met in glittering salons, where they freely exchanged ideas that led to revolutionary breakthroughs in psychology, brain science, literature, and art. Kandel takes us into the world of Vienna to trace, in rich and rewarding detail, the ideas and advances made then, and their enduring influence today.

©2012 Eric R. Kandel (P)2018 Tantor

I liked this book even more the second time through

I loved this book, I’m probably going to start listening to it again within the next six months.

Marvelous! A work of art as much as of science.

One of the best books I have read in many years. The analysis of creativity in art and/or science with profound knowledge and encyclopedic information, yet elegantly written.

An amazing achievement

This intertwined narrative of history, art, and neuroscience actually works. It is worth reading just for the insights into Vienna at the turn of the twentieth century, but there is so much more. Another magnificent gift Dr. Kandel has given us.

Incredible!science and artistic insight!

Highly recommend this to serious artists and others seeking insights on the working of the mind and the effect of and on artistic practice, understanding and enjoyment of seeing!

masterwork

This is one of the greatest collections of works cited I've ever come across. Beautifully and comprehensively presented, this is a gold mine of brain science and classic art. I will return to this often.

History

I disliked the reading tone of this book by the narrator. It was uncomfortable to my ear. The writing and history interests me but I can’t carry on!

An incredible journey from imperial Vienna to modern brain science

I was predisposed to liking this book given my love for Vienna and its history. But I was wowed by the scope of this intellectual tour de force. From Klimt and Schiele to Freud to discussions of the workings of the hippocampus, this is not an easy beach read. I often had to go to the Internet to look for maps of the brain. But it was well worth it. This kind of book stays with you and forever changes your perceptions of reality.

Exceptional Book

In this thought-provoking book, the author surveys and reflects on the trends in modern medicine, arts, science, and philosophy. This is a masterful and intriguing examination of the interactions between the
various manifestations of the human thought and creativity. The main idea of the project transcends this book by setting up a promising paradigm for further investigations.

Marin Smillov, Ph. D.

A crash course in history , art and science. As relevant today as when it was written.

After college we need refresher courses to keep up alert and active. This book requires the listener to pay attention and absorb the information. Wonderful!!!

Worth the listen

A well written and fascinating read that bridges art, psychology, and biology. My only qualm is that the only women mentioned are models, case studies, and fictional characters... and maybe one scientist. Have there really been no women from 1900 to 2012 who made contributions to this conversation through their own art and study?