The Dopaminergic Mind in Human Evolution and History

by Fred H. Previc

Overview

What does it mean to be human? There are many theories of the evolution of human behavior which seek to explain how our brains evolved to support our unique abilities and personalities. Most of these have focused on the role of brain size or specific genetic adaptations of the brain. In contrast, in this text, Fred Previc presents a provocative theory that high levels of dopamine, the most widely studied neurotransmitter, account for all major aspects of modern human behavior. He further emphasizes the role of epigenetic rather than genetic factors in the rise of dopamine. Previc contrasts the great achievements of the dopaminergic mind with the harmful effects of rising dopamine levels in modern societies and concludes with a critical examination of whether the dopaminergic mind that has evolved in humans is still adaptive to the health of humans and to the planet in general.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780511738838
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/14/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	943 KB

About the Author

Fred H. Previc is currently a science teacher at the Eleanor Kolitz Academy in San Antonio, Texas. For over 20 years, he was a researcher at the United States Air Force Research Laboratory where he researched laser bioeffects, spatial disorientation in flight, and various topics in sensory psychology, physiological psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. Dr Previc has written numerous articles on the origins of brain lateralization, the neuropsychology of 3-D space, the origins of human intelligence, the neurochemical basis of performance in extreme environments, and the neuropsychology of religion.

Table of Contents

1. What makes humans special?; 2. Dopamine in the brain; 3. Dopamine and behaviour; 4. Dopamine and mental health; 5. Evolution of the dopaminergic mind; 6. The dopaminergic mind in history; 7. Relinquishing the dopaminergic imperative.

Editorial Reviews

"One of the challenges of evolutionary theory is to explain how we humans have come to occupy our exalted place on earth. What other species can even begin to speculate on its own evolution? Most accounts have focused on such characteristics as brain size, language, tool use, or cerebral asymmetry. In this extraordinary book, Previc puts the onus on the dopaminergic system, and builds the case from there. Written with enthusiasm and verve, this book will cause us to rethink our ideas about where we came from, and how we got here."
—Michael Corballis, The University of Auckland


"Whether you agree with Fred Previc's theories or not, his astonishingly ambitious history of the role of dopamine in the development of human consciousness is one of the most thought provoking and deeply informed science books I've read in years. A bold synthesis of evolutionary theory, genetics, and musings on war, technology, culture, and mental illness, this book will shake you up and make you see the timeline of human development - and the dynamics of your own mind - in startlingly fresh ways."
—Steve Silberman, Senior Writer for Wired Magazine

From the Publisher