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Two Heads: A Graphic Exploration of How Our Brains Work with Other Brains
A highly entertaining tour through the wonders and mysteries of the human brain—from a renowned husband-and-wife team of cognitive neuroscientists
Professors Uta and Chris Frith have pioneered major studies of brain disorders throughout their nearly fifty-year career. Here they tell the compelling story of the birth of neuroscience and their paradigm-shifting discoveries across areas as wide-ranging as autism and schizophrenia research, and new frontiers of social cognition including diversity, prejudice, confidence, collaboration, and empathy.
Working with their son Alex Frith and artist Daniel Locke, the Friths delve into complex concepts and explain them with humor and clarity. You’ll learn what it means to be a "social species"; explore what happens when we gather in groups; and discover how people behave in pairs—when we’re pitted against each other versus when we work together. Is it better to surround yourself with people similar to yourself or different? And are two heads really better than one?
Highly original and ingeniously illustrated, Two Heads provides an expansive understanding of how our brains work (and how they work together) and is an irresistible visual delight.
Professors Uta and Chris Frith have pioneered major studies of brain disorders throughout their nearly fifty-year career. Here they tell the compelling story of the birth of neuroscience and their paradigm-shifting discoveries across areas as wide-ranging as autism and schizophrenia research, and new frontiers of social cognition including diversity, prejudice, confidence, collaboration, and empathy.
Working with their son Alex Frith and artist Daniel Locke, the Friths delve into complex concepts and explain them with humor and clarity. You’ll learn what it means to be a "social species"; explore what happens when we gather in groups; and discover how people behave in pairs—when we’re pitted against each other versus when we work together. Is it better to surround yourself with people similar to yourself or different? And are two heads really better than one?
Highly original and ingeniously illustrated, Two Heads provides an expansive understanding of how our brains work (and how they work together) and is an irresistible visual delight.
317 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2022
About the author
Uta Frith
12 books28 followersUta Frith, DBE (Hon), FRS, FBA, FMedSci (née Aurnhammer) is a German developmental psychologist working at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. She has pioneered much of the current research in autism and dyslexia, and has written several books on these issues.
Her book Autism: Explaining the Enigma provides an introduction to the cognitive neuroscience of autism. Among the students she has mentored are Tony Attwood, Margaret Snowling, Simon Baron-Cohen, and Francesca Happé.
Her book Autism: Explaining the Enigma provides an introduction to the cognitive neuroscience of autism. Among the students she has mentored are Tony Attwood, Margaret Snowling, Simon Baron-Cohen, and Francesca Happé.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
November 30, 2023
This sequential-art nonfiction book has a split focus on various psychological and neuroscience phenomena and on married neuroscientists Uta and Chris Firth. Some topics examined include empathy, how we learn, and thinking about thinking (aka “metacognition”). Basically, it’s a book about the brain that engages the brain while still being reader accessible thanks to a lively format that forces condensing. Although each topic is more involved than what’s presented here, the author--Alex Frith, son of Uta and Chris--distills each down to its most pertinent points.
It’s an intellectually stimulating exploration that dives especially deep in chapters on free will, recursive thinking (basically, strategic thinking as used in, for example, chess), and cooperation versus selfishness, to name a few. In one of the most mind-stretching parts, the Friths present some research that seems to indicate that we do not have free will, although further study is needed. As metacognition is concerned, research so far indicates it’s unique to humans.
Two Heads is dense with information, and some parts could have been excluded--namely focus on the personal lives of Uta and Chris. They’re renowned, but I still failed to understand why I should care so much about their lives, including how they met and what their individual offices look like. Alex and illustrator Daniel Locke depicted this couple as friendly, and the cartoon Uta and Chris guide the reader through various lessons and research, a large amount of which is their own. These parts are engaging.
The book is less engaging, though, when it digs into history to spotlight some other prominent scientists and their experiments and discoveries. These parts last for too long, while attention on experiment mechanics is often more technical than is necessary for the everyday, non-neuroscientist reader. Two Heads could probably be half its size, at the very least for pacing reasons. It does slow to a crawl many times.
The most intriguing parts are the straight-up brain information as it relates to our unconscious personal and interpersonal behavior, but the book goes off on tangents throughout. When it’s focused on what’s most interesting, Two Heads is impressively deep for the sequential-art format, dispelling myths, sharing discoveries, examining established truths, and talking about lesser-known aspects of a certain topic. Because of the format, I began this expecting an introductory book, just with illustrations. However, with the more unusual territory it covers, Two Heads is actually well suited to readers who already enjoy brain books.
It’s an intellectually stimulating exploration that dives especially deep in chapters on free will, recursive thinking (basically, strategic thinking as used in, for example, chess), and cooperation versus selfishness, to name a few. In one of the most mind-stretching parts, the Friths present some research that seems to indicate that we do not have free will, although further study is needed. As metacognition is concerned, research so far indicates it’s unique to humans.
Two Heads is dense with information, and some parts could have been excluded--namely focus on the personal lives of Uta and Chris. They’re renowned, but I still failed to understand why I should care so much about their lives, including how they met and what their individual offices look like. Alex and illustrator Daniel Locke depicted this couple as friendly, and the cartoon Uta and Chris guide the reader through various lessons and research, a large amount of which is their own. These parts are engaging.
The book is less engaging, though, when it digs into history to spotlight some other prominent scientists and their experiments and discoveries. These parts last for too long, while attention on experiment mechanics is often more technical than is necessary for the everyday, non-neuroscientist reader. Two Heads could probably be half its size, at the very least for pacing reasons. It does slow to a crawl many times.
The most intriguing parts are the straight-up brain information as it relates to our unconscious personal and interpersonal behavior, but the book goes off on tangents throughout. When it’s focused on what’s most interesting, Two Heads is impressively deep for the sequential-art format, dispelling myths, sharing discoveries, examining established truths, and talking about lesser-known aspects of a certain topic. Because of the format, I began this expecting an introductory book, just with illustrations. However, with the more unusual territory it covers, Two Heads is actually well suited to readers who already enjoy brain books.
February 17, 2022
Excellent graphic nonfiction exploring the brain & mind and how they work, the careers of the Friths, and (very interestingly) going deep into science as a practice. For me, the parts about how they developed ideas, were influenced by collaborators, and created studies and dealt with their limitations were just as interesting to see discussed transparently as were the sections on neuroscience. I'll be reading this again.
**Thanks to the authors, artist, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the authors, artist, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2023
Two Heads was an interesting book. It is a short presentation; the audio clocks in at just 5 hours. However, it is pretty informationally dense, and the author covers a lot of ground in that duration. In a way, its short length would make it a great primer on social psychology for the unfamiliar reader.
Dame Uta Frith DBE, FRS, FBA, FMedSci is a German-British developmental psychologist at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. She has pioneered much of the current research into autism and dyslexia.
Uta Frith:
The presentation of this one is a bit unorthodox for a book. I have both a PDF and an audiobook version. The PDF is presented in an animated fashion, almost exactly like a comic book. Apologies to the author (s), but I can't remember if it was mentioned in there that their son(?) did the artwork. If so, that is pretty wholesome and heartwarming. 🥰
The audio version features many accouterments to the narration: there are different sound effects, and the narrator voices different accents. While I appreciate these efforts, this was pretty heavily flirting with becoming irritating (sorry). Fortunately, I feel that it was mindful of that line, and I didn't dislike it, but I can definitely see how others might not feel the same way.
The book opens with a good intro. Frith mentions that no one really knows how the brain works.
She also covers a brief synopsis of mind/body dualism, while giving the reader a bit of her backstory.
She mentions new research about the brain being a Baseian "prediction machine." This in itself is a super-interesting concept; one that was examined at great length in the book The Experience Machine, which I recently read and enjoyed. I would definitely recommend it to anyone reading this review.
Some more of what is covered in here includes:
• Autism; the "Sally Anne test"
• Basis of empathy; mirror neurons
• Schizophrenia
• Free will
• Theory of mind; meta-cognition
• Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT). [REVIEW NOTE: She sounds like she doesn't like ECT, seemingly out of ethical concerns. However, it can't be argued that ECT has helped countless people who are unresponsive to any other therapeutics. I feel like she gave ECT an undeserved bad rap here]
• In-groups/ out-groups
• Game theory
• Man's inborn pro-social wiring; "social proof," gossip
********************
I enjoyed Two Heads, although almost all of what was covered here was not new to me.
I would still recommend it to anyone interested. As mentioned above, it would be a great intro to social psychology for the unfamiliar.
4 stars.
Dame Uta Frith DBE, FRS, FBA, FMedSci is a German-British developmental psychologist at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. She has pioneered much of the current research into autism and dyslexia.
Uta Frith:
The presentation of this one is a bit unorthodox for a book. I have both a PDF and an audiobook version. The PDF is presented in an animated fashion, almost exactly like a comic book. Apologies to the author (s), but I can't remember if it was mentioned in there that their son(?) did the artwork. If so, that is pretty wholesome and heartwarming. 🥰
The audio version features many accouterments to the narration: there are different sound effects, and the narrator voices different accents. While I appreciate these efforts, this was pretty heavily flirting with becoming irritating (sorry). Fortunately, I feel that it was mindful of that line, and I didn't dislike it, but I can definitely see how others might not feel the same way.
The book opens with a good intro. Frith mentions that no one really knows how the brain works.
She also covers a brief synopsis of mind/body dualism, while giving the reader a bit of her backstory.
She mentions new research about the brain being a Baseian "prediction machine." This in itself is a super-interesting concept; one that was examined at great length in the book The Experience Machine, which I recently read and enjoyed. I would definitely recommend it to anyone reading this review.
Some more of what is covered in here includes:
• Autism; the "Sally Anne test"
• Basis of empathy; mirror neurons
• Schizophrenia
• Free will
• Theory of mind; meta-cognition
• Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT). [REVIEW NOTE: She sounds like she doesn't like ECT, seemingly out of ethical concerns. However, it can't be argued that ECT has helped countless people who are unresponsive to any other therapeutics. I feel like she gave ECT an undeserved bad rap here]
• In-groups/ out-groups
• Game theory
• Man's inborn pro-social wiring; "social proof," gossip
********************
I enjoyed Two Heads, although almost all of what was covered here was not new to me.
I would still recommend it to anyone interested. As mentioned above, it would be a great intro to social psychology for the unfamiliar.
4 stars.
July 7, 2022
A really fascinating look at neuroscience and cooperation. Over my head a lot of times, there was still a lot of information that was readily accessible, especially with illustrations.
I appreciated the focus on cooperation, and how people work together. I was intrigued by the idea that working in a more diverse group is more effective, but less pleasant, and I found myself wondering about the after effects (did people working on a diverse group appreciate having better solutions or just remember the challenging experience of having to work with different people?)
There were also biographical interludes of the two scientists in question, and a lot of related studies.
The whole thing was super interesting.
I appreciated the focus on cooperation, and how people work together. I was intrigued by the idea that working in a more diverse group is more effective, but less pleasant, and I found myself wondering about the after effects (did people working on a diverse group appreciate having better solutions or just remember the challenging experience of having to work with different people?)
There were also biographical interludes of the two scientists in question, and a lot of related studies.
The whole thing was super interesting.
August 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this comic book/graphic novel. With levity but without being superficial it describes decidedly complex processes clearly and effectively.
I am trying to get my son to read it to entice him to explore the fabulous world of the brain.
Questo fumetto/graphic novel, mi é piaciuto veramente tanto. Con leggerezza ma senza superficialitá descrive dei processi decisamente complessi in modo chiaro ed efficace.
Sto cercando di farlo leggere a mio figlio per invogliarlo ad esplorare il favoloso mondo del cervello.
I am trying to get my son to read it to entice him to explore the fabulous world of the brain.
Questo fumetto/graphic novel, mi é piaciuto veramente tanto. Con leggerezza ma senza superficialitá descrive dei processi decisamente complessi in modo chiaro ed efficace.
Sto cercando di farlo leggere a mio figlio per invogliarlo ad esplorare il favoloso mondo del cervello.
March 25, 2022
Two Heads: A Graphic Exploration of How Our Brains Work with Other Brains was written by Uta Frith, Chris Frith, and Alex Frith, and illustrated by Daniel Locke. Professors and husband-and-wife team Uta and Chris Frith have pioneered major studies of brain disorders throughout their nearly fifty-year career. Here, in Two Heads, their distinguished careers serve as a prism through which they share the compelling story of the birth of neuroscience and their paradigm-shifting discoveries across areas as wide-ranging as autism and schizophrenia research, and new frontiers of social cognition including diversity, prejudice, confidence, collaboration, and empathy. Working with their son Alex Frith and artist Daniel Locke, the professors examine the way that neuroscientific research is now focused on the fact we are a social species, whose brains have evolved to work cooperatively. They delve into a wide range of complex concepts and explain them with humor and clarity. You’ll discover what happens when people gather in groups, and how people behave when they’re in pairs—either pitted against each other or working together. Is it better to surround yourself with people who are similar to yourself, or different? And, are two heads really better than one?
Two Heads offers readers a solid understanding of the brain, and all it wonders and misfires. I like that opposing viewpoints are mentioned, and that the fact that these two experts openly admit that they disagree on some topics. I like how the text makes it clear what experts think they know, that there are various schools of thought, and just how much we still have to learn. It is when scientists or experts proclaim that we have all the answers that they loose credibility with me. I thought the illustrations were charming, and I liked the labels, humor, and hidden details which made each page more engaging and interactive. I think it was written in a very accessible style, with humor and explanations that really work. I found the personal touches and side comments made the book more entertaining and broke up some of the more intense teaching moments to help readers process. I think it is honestly approachable to any reader interested in the subject matter. As expected of a book from scholars and professionals, the footnotes and endpages were on point and well done. I think this would be a great addition to libraries, particularly graphic medicine collection (I will be recommending it for my own workplace just for that reason).
Two Heads offers readers a solid understanding of the brain, and all it wonders and misfires. I like that opposing viewpoints are mentioned, and that the fact that these two experts openly admit that they disagree on some topics. I like how the text makes it clear what experts think they know, that there are various schools of thought, and just how much we still have to learn. It is when scientists or experts proclaim that we have all the answers that they loose credibility with me. I thought the illustrations were charming, and I liked the labels, humor, and hidden details which made each page more engaging and interactive. I think it was written in a very accessible style, with humor and explanations that really work. I found the personal touches and side comments made the book more entertaining and broke up some of the more intense teaching moments to help readers process. I think it is honestly approachable to any reader interested in the subject matter. As expected of a book from scholars and professionals, the footnotes and endpages were on point and well done. I think this would be a great addition to libraries, particularly graphic medicine collection (I will be recommending it for my own workplace just for that reason).
August 12, 2022
My favourite type pf graphic novel. One that entertains you while you learn stuff.
November 29, 2023
I found the asides in this book (about prominent researchers and scientists and the experiments they did) felt jumpy and disjointed and ruined the flow of this book for me. I appreciate all the research that went into this, but the actual storytelling was a bit wonky
June 24, 2022
Very entertaining way to learn about neuroscience. I read it a couple times. I like that it covers a wide array of studies I hadn't heard before.
March 20, 2023
A little less brain science than I wanted, but the bits about psychology and game theory were interesting too. And I enjoyed the biographical bits, about two noted scientists who are also a couple and a mum and dad.
Format note: I read the Kindle edition on my iPad. It took me a while to get used to the browsing mode that took me from panel to panel, but in the end I liked it.
Format note: I read the Kindle edition on my iPad. It took me a while to get used to the browsing mode that took me from panel to panel, but in the end I liked it.
June 20, 2023
This review appeared Graphic Medicine.org.
This engaging family project answers some of life’s most probing questions, such as: Why can’t you tickle yourself? How do we trust others? Are two heads really better than one?
Uta and Chris Frith, a renowned husband-and-wife team of cognitive neuroscientists, pioneered major studies of brain disorders over their fifty-year careers. Created with their son, author Alex Frith and artist Daniel Locke, Two Heads: A Graphic Exploration of How Our Brains Work with Other Brains, models one of their proudest discoveries: the power of collaboration among people who think differently. The illustrations demystify complex concepts with humor and clarity, as this charming power couple interact with everyday objects and symbols.
The interplay of relatable personal and professional insights humanize the science. We feel the Frith’s excitement as they geek out over the discovery of a new truth. We can relate to the tedium of boring, repetitious experiments to isolate and prove that truth. And we see how it affects their marriage.
Although the depth and breadth of this 352-page book was sometimes exhausting, the insights were well worth the effort! My chapter summaries include bits that helped me with challenges I often experience as an artist and communicator, as well as serious issues that affect our society.
The Brain - Mind problem
After a brief tour of their home (cluttered) and primary pursuits (consciousness and cooperation), the Friths begin by exploring an age-old unsolved dilemma: What is the mind? How does it relate to the brain? “It’s generally agreed that our brains are physical things, and they somehow cause the experience of having what we call mind.”
What your brain is, what it can do, what it is made of, and all that
This introduction offers scientific facts about the brain: conscious and unconscious functions, neurotransmitters, anatomy, electricity and neural pathways. I loved the metaphor of dancing bees in a hive mind, to show how neurons function individually and as a whole, to make decisions through a fascinating process of predictions and confirmation. To summarize, your brain is a prediction engine that makes assumptions and then tests them with your senses.
The Friths meet at Cambridge, where she studied obsessive-compulsive behaviors and he researched amnesia, hallucinations and delusions.
How brains know what they know: We dive into baby’s brains, facial recognition, curiosity, practice, learning by exploring the world alone and by imitating others. Copying others is more efficient. Fun Facts: What challenging group process lights up most of the brain? Answer: Musical improvisation. What do we all take for granted that reveals much about how we copy each other? Laughter.
Teaching, learning, and social cognition: Humans tend to over-imitate, or to repeat every step we observe, because we want to fit in. We also tend to judge each other if we don't follow the ‘rules.’
Uta studied autism, discovered by Hans Asperger in Germany during World War II. Contrary to Nazi ideology, Asperger wrote about the high value of so-called misfits to society. Later research experiments with children led to the understanding that people with autism don’t have access to what's called Theory of Mind, e.g., knowing what other people are thinking.
A big personal “A-ha!” It's possible I am on the neurodivergent spectrum. I suck at corporate politics, poker, chess, and writing subtext, perhaps because I take what people say and do quite literally. People on the spectrum are not selfish, and do not lack empathy or social skills. Rather, we have difficulty perceiving unconscious social cues. Thankfully, brains can and do change (neuroplasticity).
Empathy. The secret of good communication is to get whatever is in your head into someone else’s. Historically, the brain was studied by mapping neurons. The emerging science of empathy, our mirror system, had a breakthrough - by studying tickling! Today, the challenge is to identify how Mirror Neurons work on individuals and collectively.
How do brains know about ourselves? Our brains appear to make decisions before our conscious minds notice, which was discovered through more research with tickling, and schizophrenia.
Interlude: How hard is it to do science properly? Suppose there are truths, and science is the best way to root out truths, but there are issues with the scientific method. For example, the ways chance and coincidence affect experiments and our desire for certain results. “What we believe has a significant effect on how we investigate the world." There’s also cultural skewing in research.
Another key insight, “Correlation is not Causation!” bears repeating, given the current political influence of misinformation and conspiracy theories.
What’s a neurologic difference between humans and most animals? Metacognition, or thinking about thinking. This becomes a question of confidence: how confident are we about what we know?
Our brains are designed to work with other brains. Up to now, that's been difficult to study. Are two heads really better than one? How can scientists work together to prove it? One difficulty is the tradition of Science Silos (or disciplines). Data shows that two people working together DO get a job done more efficiently. How does collaboration work best? Among several key findings, the Friths reveal it’s a blend of trust, a match of abilities and confidence levels: like the bee dance in Chapter 1.
When Cooperation breeds Confusion: Games are socially important tools of cooperation, but we often don't have agreement about the ‘rules’ - or what’s important. Which can lead to stereotypes. Winning and losing also create issues.
In Free Will and Regret, the Friths explore more research with laughing, fake laughing, and psychopaths.
In-groups and Out-groups: Humans prefer others who are like us (our in-group). However, this leads to lot of ‘isms:’ racism, sexism, ageism, etc. To gain the clear benefits of cooperation among diverse groups, we can learn to shift perspective. Cooperation depends on TRUST. Still, even among the same in-group, some will pretend to be brave yet are actually quite cowardly (e.g., the Cowardly Lion). This offers interesting character studies for graphic novel creators.
Examining issues among couples, the Friths offer a brain basis for why they stay married for so long, despite their differences.
Reputation Matters. Unpacking reputations helped me with a lifelong problem: a sense of not being trusted, that my knowledge, and perspective are not valued by others (often in my own family) who tend to think of me as a ‘crazy artist.’ As a divergent thinker, my heavily-researched intellectual syntheses are met with suspicion by more linear minds. It’s a challenge to bridge the gap, but I’m inspired to persist.
Twitter may appear to be a fact-sharing machine, yet it's actually more related to gossip, a very popular human experience, which greatly affects our reputations. “Signals we get from others…will sway our brains more than our own observations of that same person.”
Are we stronger together?
The Friths draw insightful parallels between configurations of neurons and configurations of humans. The visuals support the understanding that our brains are designed to connect, which makes us stronger. “Social Cognition … is arguably more important than the job of sensing and managing what our bodies are doing – if you’re talking about what gives life meaning.”
Diversity is much more than racial or physical differences. It’s how we think. To recognize and utilize this diversity is powerful. “To progress human knowledge, we need to harness the mixtures of exploiters and explorers, of risk takers and data analysts, of introverts and extroverts, of big thinkers and curious readers.”
In a culture that’s so divided, our differences are truly vital. So, let’s get curious about each other’s perspectives, and hang in there!
_____________________________
Christine Castigliano makes stories to illuminate the ways humans can evolve - even as our personal and planetary poo hits the propeller. Christine’s work has appeared in Time Magazine, feature films and YA novels. “Meet your Monkeys: How to Make Friends with the Brutes and Beasts that Rule your Mind,” her upcoming graphic novel for young adults, blends neuroscience, mindfulness and self-compassion. HeartsQuest.com
This engaging family project answers some of life’s most probing questions, such as: Why can’t you tickle yourself? How do we trust others? Are two heads really better than one?
Uta and Chris Frith, a renowned husband-and-wife team of cognitive neuroscientists, pioneered major studies of brain disorders over their fifty-year careers. Created with their son, author Alex Frith and artist Daniel Locke, Two Heads: A Graphic Exploration of How Our Brains Work with Other Brains, models one of their proudest discoveries: the power of collaboration among people who think differently. The illustrations demystify complex concepts with humor and clarity, as this charming power couple interact with everyday objects and symbols.
The interplay of relatable personal and professional insights humanize the science. We feel the Frith’s excitement as they geek out over the discovery of a new truth. We can relate to the tedium of boring, repetitious experiments to isolate and prove that truth. And we see how it affects their marriage.
Although the depth and breadth of this 352-page book was sometimes exhausting, the insights were well worth the effort! My chapter summaries include bits that helped me with challenges I often experience as an artist and communicator, as well as serious issues that affect our society.
The Brain - Mind problem
After a brief tour of their home (cluttered) and primary pursuits (consciousness and cooperation), the Friths begin by exploring an age-old unsolved dilemma: What is the mind? How does it relate to the brain? “It’s generally agreed that our brains are physical things, and they somehow cause the experience of having what we call mind.”
What your brain is, what it can do, what it is made of, and all that
This introduction offers scientific facts about the brain: conscious and unconscious functions, neurotransmitters, anatomy, electricity and neural pathways. I loved the metaphor of dancing bees in a hive mind, to show how neurons function individually and as a whole, to make decisions through a fascinating process of predictions and confirmation. To summarize, your brain is a prediction engine that makes assumptions and then tests them with your senses.
The Friths meet at Cambridge, where she studied obsessive-compulsive behaviors and he researched amnesia, hallucinations and delusions.
How brains know what they know: We dive into baby’s brains, facial recognition, curiosity, practice, learning by exploring the world alone and by imitating others. Copying others is more efficient. Fun Facts: What challenging group process lights up most of the brain? Answer: Musical improvisation. What do we all take for granted that reveals much about how we copy each other? Laughter.
Teaching, learning, and social cognition: Humans tend to over-imitate, or to repeat every step we observe, because we want to fit in. We also tend to judge each other if we don't follow the ‘rules.’
Uta studied autism, discovered by Hans Asperger in Germany during World War II. Contrary to Nazi ideology, Asperger wrote about the high value of so-called misfits to society. Later research experiments with children led to the understanding that people with autism don’t have access to what's called Theory of Mind, e.g., knowing what other people are thinking.
A big personal “A-ha!” It's possible I am on the neurodivergent spectrum. I suck at corporate politics, poker, chess, and writing subtext, perhaps because I take what people say and do quite literally. People on the spectrum are not selfish, and do not lack empathy or social skills. Rather, we have difficulty perceiving unconscious social cues. Thankfully, brains can and do change (neuroplasticity).
Empathy. The secret of good communication is to get whatever is in your head into someone else’s. Historically, the brain was studied by mapping neurons. The emerging science of empathy, our mirror system, had a breakthrough - by studying tickling! Today, the challenge is to identify how Mirror Neurons work on individuals and collectively.
How do brains know about ourselves? Our brains appear to make decisions before our conscious minds notice, which was discovered through more research with tickling, and schizophrenia.
Interlude: How hard is it to do science properly? Suppose there are truths, and science is the best way to root out truths, but there are issues with the scientific method. For example, the ways chance and coincidence affect experiments and our desire for certain results. “What we believe has a significant effect on how we investigate the world." There’s also cultural skewing in research.
Another key insight, “Correlation is not Causation!” bears repeating, given the current political influence of misinformation and conspiracy theories.
What’s a neurologic difference between humans and most animals? Metacognition, or thinking about thinking. This becomes a question of confidence: how confident are we about what we know?
Our brains are designed to work with other brains. Up to now, that's been difficult to study. Are two heads really better than one? How can scientists work together to prove it? One difficulty is the tradition of Science Silos (or disciplines). Data shows that two people working together DO get a job done more efficiently. How does collaboration work best? Among several key findings, the Friths reveal it’s a blend of trust, a match of abilities and confidence levels: like the bee dance in Chapter 1.
When Cooperation breeds Confusion: Games are socially important tools of cooperation, but we often don't have agreement about the ‘rules’ - or what’s important. Which can lead to stereotypes. Winning and losing also create issues.
In Free Will and Regret, the Friths explore more research with laughing, fake laughing, and psychopaths.
In-groups and Out-groups: Humans prefer others who are like us (our in-group). However, this leads to lot of ‘isms:’ racism, sexism, ageism, etc. To gain the clear benefits of cooperation among diverse groups, we can learn to shift perspective. Cooperation depends on TRUST. Still, even among the same in-group, some will pretend to be brave yet are actually quite cowardly (e.g., the Cowardly Lion). This offers interesting character studies for graphic novel creators.
Examining issues among couples, the Friths offer a brain basis for why they stay married for so long, despite their differences.
Reputation Matters. Unpacking reputations helped me with a lifelong problem: a sense of not being trusted, that my knowledge, and perspective are not valued by others (often in my own family) who tend to think of me as a ‘crazy artist.’ As a divergent thinker, my heavily-researched intellectual syntheses are met with suspicion by more linear minds. It’s a challenge to bridge the gap, but I’m inspired to persist.
Twitter may appear to be a fact-sharing machine, yet it's actually more related to gossip, a very popular human experience, which greatly affects our reputations. “Signals we get from others…will sway our brains more than our own observations of that same person.”
Are we stronger together?
The Friths draw insightful parallels between configurations of neurons and configurations of humans. The visuals support the understanding that our brains are designed to connect, which makes us stronger. “Social Cognition … is arguably more important than the job of sensing and managing what our bodies are doing – if you’re talking about what gives life meaning.”
Diversity is much more than racial or physical differences. It’s how we think. To recognize and utilize this diversity is powerful. “To progress human knowledge, we need to harness the mixtures of exploiters and explorers, of risk takers and data analysts, of introverts and extroverts, of big thinkers and curious readers.”
In a culture that’s so divided, our differences are truly vital. So, let’s get curious about each other’s perspectives, and hang in there!
_____________________________
Christine Castigliano makes stories to illuminate the ways humans can evolve - even as our personal and planetary poo hits the propeller. Christine’s work has appeared in Time Magazine, feature films and YA novels. “Meet your Monkeys: How to Make Friends with the Brutes and Beasts that Rule your Mind,” her upcoming graphic novel for young adults, blends neuroscience, mindfulness and self-compassion. HeartsQuest.com
May 11, 2023
5 stars because it is the first scientific comic I have read and I appreciate the Friths' rendition.
I liked their ability to describe various experiments in a simple way so that we get a clear understanding of the outcomes/findings, as opposed to a lengthy, drawn-out explanation. This read helped me further appreciate the work of psychologists because were it not for them, we would have no way of knowing whether a generally accepted "truth" about human behavior and our brains was, in fact, true. Take home message for me: tough problems are better solved with two (competent) brains put together.
Topics discussed (that I can recall off the top of my head): mirror neurons, in-group vs. outgroup, Theory of Mind, Bayesian model, economic principles, free will, recursion, metacognition, ASD, schizophrenia, amnesia etc.
I liked their ability to describe various experiments in a simple way so that we get a clear understanding of the outcomes/findings, as opposed to a lengthy, drawn-out explanation. This read helped me further appreciate the work of psychologists because were it not for them, we would have no way of knowing whether a generally accepted "truth" about human behavior and our brains was, in fact, true. Take home message for me: tough problems are better solved with two (competent) brains put together.
Topics discussed (that I can recall off the top of my head): mirror neurons, in-group vs. outgroup, Theory of Mind, Bayesian model, economic principles, free will, recursion, metacognition, ASD, schizophrenia, amnesia etc.
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May 17, 2024Graphic novel book group book: May 2024
There are rather a lot of non-fiction graphic novels these days, explaining concepts, history, science et al. Some are very punk and DIY, put together by the subject matter experts themselves. Some are very slick, with established artists brought in to do the art.
In the case of Two Heads, we actually have four heads (insert joke about foreheads here) - two neuro/psych scientists in Dr Uta Frith and Dr Chris Frith, a children's science writer in Alex Frith, and an artist in Daniel Locke. It makes perfect sense that Alex Frith is the glue here, son of the Drs, writer for Usbourne, this feels like a project he conceived and proposed to parents who seemed keen to talk about *everything*.
In art terms, this follows a familiar non-fiction formula. It has its core style, talking heads explaining the science, illustrations ranging from literal depictions of experiments through to flights of fancy, and the obligatory realistic depictions of people of note. What's pleasing is that the core style is really good. Clean line, almost children's book style but not quite, and a lot of good uses of colour. It's one of the most visually appealing non-fiction graphic novels I've seen.
As for content, don't do as I did and try to read it over a couple of days. It's my own fault for wanting to finish it for book group, but I really do think each chapter needs to be read and then digested. There's a lot of big concepts in here, and while it's not difficult to understand, per se, it does require your brain to work with their brains, as it were. I think I need to reread some chapters so I can absorb more fully what was presented.
There are rather a lot of non-fiction graphic novels these days, explaining concepts, history, science et al. Some are very punk and DIY, put together by the subject matter experts themselves. Some are very slick, with established artists brought in to do the art.
In the case of Two Heads, we actually have four heads (insert joke about foreheads here) - two neuro/psych scientists in Dr Uta Frith and Dr Chris Frith, a children's science writer in Alex Frith, and an artist in Daniel Locke. It makes perfect sense that Alex Frith is the glue here, son of the Drs, writer for Usbourne, this feels like a project he conceived and proposed to parents who seemed keen to talk about *everything*.
In art terms, this follows a familiar non-fiction formula. It has its core style, talking heads explaining the science, illustrations ranging from literal depictions of experiments through to flights of fancy, and the obligatory realistic depictions of people of note. What's pleasing is that the core style is really good. Clean line, almost children's book style but not quite, and a lot of good uses of colour. It's one of the most visually appealing non-fiction graphic novels I've seen.
As for content, don't do as I did and try to read it over a couple of days. It's my own fault for wanting to finish it for book group, but I really do think each chapter needs to be read and then digested. There's a lot of big concepts in here, and while it's not difficult to understand, per se, it does require your brain to work with their brains, as it were. I think I need to reread some chapters so I can absorb more fully what was presented.
April 9, 2022
Thank you to publishers @scribnerbooks and @simonandschuster for gifting me an ARC & hardcover copy of Two Heads: A graphic exploration of how our brain works with other brains in exchange for an honest review!
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📝 : Uta Frith, Chris Frith & Alex Frith
🖍 : Daniel Locke
#️⃣ : 352 pages
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This year I have been branching out and diversifying my reading and this book is a lovely graphic novel. I’m someone who does not enjoy reading very scientific things, as I can get lost in the data. This book is so accessible, educational, informational and quirky fun! The Frith family are cognitive neuroscientists who are passionate about teaching people about the human brain and how it interacts with individuals and others. It was fun reading a non-fiction graphic novel and I think the Frith’s do an amazing job of helping readers understand the topic, the format is accessible. The illustrations are colorful, vivid and describes analogies for people who are visual learners! The banter and speech bubbles between husband and wife, societal banter between people and real life experiences are relatable. I enjoyed learning about the social cognitive side of our brains and neuro- diversity. Lastly, I loved the chapter on empathy and understanding how we can relate to others and how our brains help us have empathy for other people 💕
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🌟🌟🌟🌟 |5
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📝 : Uta Frith, Chris Frith & Alex Frith
🖍 : Daniel Locke
#️⃣ : 352 pages
.
This year I have been branching out and diversifying my reading and this book is a lovely graphic novel. I’m someone who does not enjoy reading very scientific things, as I can get lost in the data. This book is so accessible, educational, informational and quirky fun! The Frith family are cognitive neuroscientists who are passionate about teaching people about the human brain and how it interacts with individuals and others. It was fun reading a non-fiction graphic novel and I think the Frith’s do an amazing job of helping readers understand the topic, the format is accessible. The illustrations are colorful, vivid and describes analogies for people who are visual learners! The banter and speech bubbles between husband and wife, societal banter between people and real life experiences are relatable. I enjoyed learning about the social cognitive side of our brains and neuro- diversity. Lastly, I loved the chapter on empathy and understanding how we can relate to others and how our brains help us have empathy for other people 💕
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🌟🌟🌟🌟 |5
August 28, 2022
The premise of the research presented in this book is brains are such that they work best together with other brains, as in the old adage two heads are better than one. Alas, like much of academic research, they manage to take a common sense position and qualify it beyond recognition. But then the material used to buttress that argument comes mostly from psychological studies, so it is no wonder. If 50% of a field's studies are not reproducible, but it is only right to be skeptical.
One of the goals of this book I heartily endorse: the use of the graphic novel format to teach. I once read a graphic novel-style book on statistics, and the author did an amazing job of explaining that field, and had the best ever explanation of how multivariate research works.
What I saw as one of the biggest drags on this book is the tendency to biographical more than a discussion of the actual phenomenon. The feel of the book is it is more about the Friths than it is about the actual research.
For a book that wanted to use the graphic novel format to teach, it was poorly executed. Unfortunate.
One of the goals of this book I heartily endorse: the use of the graphic novel format to teach. I once read a graphic novel-style book on statistics, and the author did an amazing job of explaining that field, and had the best ever explanation of how multivariate research works.
What I saw as one of the biggest drags on this book is the tendency to biographical more than a discussion of the actual phenomenon. The feel of the book is it is more about the Friths than it is about the actual research.
For a book that wanted to use the graphic novel format to teach, it was poorly executed. Unfortunate.
April 12, 2022
This was a surprisingly good overview of the science behind both brain studies and medical psychology, as it explains the studies that have been done and what is still being studied. In addition to pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of existing work, there is the overall theme of what happens when two or more brains are caused to work together. As mentioned in the book, studies are ongoing, and this book took a while to produce, but there have been even more findings related to this book that have come out while the book was being printed. One showed that a human brain working with an A.I. may also produce better results than either working alone.
Some people may not like the very cartoony artwork, but I think that it worked in this case, because it kept the drier parts of the text readable and interesting. Besides, the running gags involving the married couple of scientists were really quite cute in this style.
I feel that I learned quite a bit on the topics covered in this book, and will recommend it to friends.
Some people may not like the very cartoony artwork, but I think that it worked in this case, because it kept the drier parts of the text readable and interesting. Besides, the running gags involving the married couple of scientists were really quite cute in this style.
I feel that I learned quite a bit on the topics covered in this book, and will recommend it to friends.
December 6, 2022
Over ten years ago I had neurosurgery (nothing serious), but it did lead me to be fascinated with how the brain works. So of course a graphic novel like Two Heads: A Graphic Exploration of How Our Brains Work with Other Brains is something that fits right into my interests.
Reading this two things became very clear. The first is how little we actually know about how the human brain works, and the second is how hard it is to actually study the brain. Doing this as a comic was a great choice because some complex stuff is being covered here--not rocket science but close! But the information is organized well to give you a basis before diving deeper into the more complex information.
What also helps is the personal connection. Alex Frith is not just talking to random doctors but his own parents. Does that change the information presented? No, but it makes something that could just be formal information much more relatable. If more information was presented like this we would have a much smarter populace.
Reading this two things became very clear. The first is how little we actually know about how the human brain works, and the second is how hard it is to actually study the brain. Doing this as a comic was a great choice because some complex stuff is being covered here--not rocket science but close! But the information is organized well to give you a basis before diving deeper into the more complex information.
What also helps is the personal connection. Alex Frith is not just talking to random doctors but his own parents. Does that change the information presented? No, but it makes something that could just be formal information much more relatable. If more information was presented like this we would have a much smarter populace.
October 19, 2023
I’ve noticed a phenomenon recently where the title of a work gives me certain expectations…and then the body of the work is quite good—but decidedly different than I had expected—leaving me feeling a bit disappointed by a perfectly good book. That’s how I felt about this book. Based on the title, I thought that there would be a lot of big-picture takeaways about social psychology and evolutionary biology. Instead, it was a mixture of memoir/celebration of two longtime neuroscientists (married to each other!), an overview of the scientific method, and a detailed look at how we know what we know about human brains—I.e. looking at specific experiments. There was a lot of setup…and I don’t think that the book started talking about how brains interact with each other until 2/3rds or 3/4ths of the way through. The book was perfectly lovely! The couple was cute, the book explained big ideas well, and it was interesting. Just very different than I was expecting.
March 1, 2023
Shout-out to my library and it's robust graphic novel section. I probably would have never picked this up if it hadn't been for it being available there.
I loved this book, and intend to buy it as soon as possible so that I can reread it and take many notes and create flashcards for myself. So many dynamic neuroscientific concepts explained visually was immensely helpful in getting me as the reader to grasp them.
And as one who is continuously entranced by narratives that break the fourth wall and have the subject interacting with their author, I loved the storytelling format of the primary authors being the narrators and their son being the vehicle by which they tell their story.
I don't know enough about nonfiction comics to know if this is typical or unique, but I'm hoping for the former because I would love to read more along this vein...
Strong contender for my favorite of the year. Definitely my favorite nonfiction of the year so far.
I loved this book, and intend to buy it as soon as possible so that I can reread it and take many notes and create flashcards for myself. So many dynamic neuroscientific concepts explained visually was immensely helpful in getting me as the reader to grasp them.
And as one who is continuously entranced by narratives that break the fourth wall and have the subject interacting with their author, I loved the storytelling format of the primary authors being the narrators and their son being the vehicle by which they tell their story.
I don't know enough about nonfiction comics to know if this is typical or unique, but I'm hoping for the former because I would love to read more along this vein...
Strong contender for my favorite of the year. Definitely my favorite nonfiction of the year so far.
February 8, 2023
Read this in the same places you might do homework, someplace to concentrate, with just enough distraction that you find it's better to go back to what you were reading.
This is a lecture, after-all. Including the jokes. I love the small philosophizing and explanation of the scientific process, contemporary concerns, and experiment design. There are a good number of studies referenced. It really is like getting a chance to talk with some of the leading experts in their field - engaging, inspiring a desire to learn more, briefly making you consider "why didn't I decide to study this?!"
This is a lecture, after-all. Including the jokes. I love the small philosophizing and explanation of the scientific process, contemporary concerns, and experiment design. There are a good number of studies referenced. It really is like getting a chance to talk with some of the leading experts in their field - engaging, inspiring a desire to learn more, briefly making you consider "why didn't I decide to study this?!"
August 7, 2023
A Magic-School-Bus-like journey into two neuroscientists’ work studying how brains function and cooperate. Quite interesting, although there is so much we don’t know yet, but the presentation is a bit cutesy-wootsy for my liking, with our two neuroscientists don clown makeup for the sections on humor and mime and dance around the pages in attempts to hold readers’ attention. While I am a big fan of nonfiction graphic novels as they are generally a quick way to learn things, this book took me a long time to finish. 😑
May 23, 2022
What an exuberant, intelligent, remarkably entertaining and fun book this was! I’m currently fascinated by theories of consciousness and reading this was a marvellous contrast, accompaniment to Being You by Anil Seth. I’m not a great graphic novel reader, but reading this has certainly expanded my future reading habits.. I laughed, I learned, I wanted to be the authors’ friend. Anyone interested in human beings should read this.
July 8, 2022
For a graphic nonfiction I give this 5/5. If science + comics sounds interesting I would highly recommend. It was entertaining, really well illustrated and had a lot of cool info.
As a book I thought a few sections were unnecessary. For example, they explained the process to get a scientific paper published. This was mildly helpful later when they discussed studies, but didn't seem to fit the thesis. I wanted more info on how our brains work with others!
As a book I thought a few sections were unnecessary. For example, they explained the process to get a scientific paper published. This was mildly helpful later when they discussed studies, but didn't seem to fit the thesis. I wanted more info on how our brains work with others!
September 17, 2022
A fascinating book, discussing the latest theories on how the brain works, with plenty of easily understood examples underpinned by some hard science.
The graphic format makes it very easy to read; in fact, too easy at times - I occasionally found that I'd skipped onto the next panel without fully taking in what I'd just read. I suspect that I'll have to read it again to get the full story.
The graphic format makes it very easy to read; in fact, too easy at times - I occasionally found that I'd skipped onto the next panel without fully taking in what I'd just read. I suspect that I'll have to read it again to get the full story.
June 29, 2023
This was interesting but perhaps tries to do too much. The many references back to previous chapters' content got confusing. I still learned some valuable things and some hard things, like the impossibility of breaking into groups you're out of and how sheltering ourselves from people unlike us can keep us from open mindedness. Overall a good read, and the authors are right that graphic novels are a great medium for nonfiction.
December 15, 2023
It’s incredible this even exists. A 317 page comic about neuroscience? I would have loved to be in that pitch meeting. I learned so much autism, schizophrenia and collaboration. The likelihood of me seeking out this info on my own is close to zero. But now I’m interested and would like to know more. Thanks Frith family!
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March 19, 2022I'm entering this as a review because I know the Goodreads computer will ask me for a review because I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Today I received an open and empty package that I think once contained the book.
May 27, 2022
What a fun way to learn about the brain! I appreciated that the Friths were honest throughout about what to look for when analyzing scientific journals. The drawings were beautiful.
**Thank you to Scribner for my free copy.
**Thank you to Scribner for my free copy.
July 14, 2022
Best book of 2022 so far. Why cannot every nonfiction be like this? This book felt like coming from Bill Bryson if he were a good graphic artist too (sans the jokes!). Utterly delightful, and oh..you will learn the most succinct definition and difference between psychology and psychiatry too.
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