I much enjoyed this book: “Models of the mind” by Grace Lindsay, an account of the uses of theory and mathematics in brain science. The book addresses the general reader, equations are mostly relegated to an appendix, and there are copious citations of technical literature as well. Obviously, conveying mathematics without equations is a challenge, and Lindsay handles it very well, finding many effective metaphors where needed. This all reflects her deep mastery of the material.

Beyond the target audience of curious laypeople, I also recommend this book to professors and students in mathematical neuroscience. For one, the ten chapters 2-11 would make a perfectly reasonable topic list for a 10-week course. While the course lectures and problem sets will focus on technical content and practice, Lindsay’s accompanying chapter can give a historical account of how the ideas evolved to our present understanding. When I try to do this in class, I always feel pressed for time, and the results aren’t satisfying. This book would make a great companion to a technical lecture series.