Lehrer argues that many 20th and 21st-century discoveries of neuroscience are actually re-discoveries of insights made earlier by various artists, including Gertrude Stein, Walt Whitman, Paul Cézanne, Igor Stravinsky, and, as mentioned in the title, Marcel Proust. It is really an exploration into the old Science vs. Art debate. As such it has some refreshing and thought-provoking ideas, although they are somewhat speculative. Lehrer takes the reader into the dusty corners of literary history, pondering over the musings of poets, writers, artists and composers in order to prove his theory – not just that Proust was a neuroscientist, but that artists are the innovative crowd in matters of science and, in particular, the human brain. Leher argues that it is through the boundless freedom at the heart of these artists’ work, that they have uncovered truths about science before the scientists themselves have had a chance to catch up. The artistic hypothesis which forms the foundation of the work of these creative thinkers is based on ‘measuring the immeasurable’. They attempt it by treating their art as a living entity – exploring the ‘anatomy of emotion’ rather than treating their art as pure surface matter. In this fascinating and unusual book, Lehrer makes an insightful case for Art triumphing over Science, selecting visionary thinkers to illustrate his very valid points. Whether this speculation holds any water is something else. Even if it does not the book presents an interesting hypothesis and is enjoyable to read. ( )

Interesting collection of essays on how artists explore and illuminate workings of the mind, as later confirmed by neuroscientific data. ( )

A set of interesting biographies about 8 memorable people.

Since I recently finished [b:Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life|19089|Middlemarch A Study of Provincial Life|George Eliot|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309202283s/19089.jpg|1461747] by George Elliot, I found chapter 2 about George Elliot especially interesting as also chapter 2 where we eventually learn that there are really 5 kinds of taste buds and not just four.

My initial reaction to Chapters 6, 7, and 8 is that I won't bother with Stravinski, Gertrude Stein or Virginia Woolf. But having finished each of those chapters, my initial reaction was probably the wrong conclusion. While reading the chapter on Stravinsky, I listened to the Rite of Spring (the only version I had was the Disney Fantasia version), and sure enough it has become accepted enough that it did not feel extreme to me. LIkewise Stein and Woolf might someday be something I want to read.

Chapter 7 on language made me want to reread [b:Language in Thought and Action|567189|Language in Thought and Action|S.I. Hayakawa|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327933982s/567189.jpg|554293]. I know that linguists have more modern ideas, but when I read it, I found Hayakawa delightful.

The author reminds us that fiction so often says things better than non fiction. This was really brought home to me when reading [b:The Oz Principle: Getting Results through Individual and Organizational Accountability|135278|The Oz Principle Getting Results through Individual and Organizational Accountability|Roger Connors|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309282119s/135278.jpg|130362], a book that was rather boring except when it quoted from [b:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|236093|The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)|L. Frank Baum|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327894516s/236093.jpg|1993810]. I stopped reading the boring business book, took a refreshing break to read [b:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|236093|The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)|L. Frank Baum|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327894516s/236093.jpg|1993810] and then went back to finish the modern business book. What a wonderful balance when we can learn more from fiction than non-fiction. Yet, I still read more non-fiction. Perhaps I need to reconsider my ways and get more classics in my diet. ( )

Artists predicting 20th century neuroscience. Another book whose audience I can not imagine. There is not really enough information about the artists for someone who didn't already know them and the science is basic to the point of misleadingly simple. Could have been deeper in both aspects, though it was worth it for the thumbnail sketch of L-glutamate. ( )

I especially liked the invocation of C.P. Snow's Third Culture at the end. ( )