As human beings, we cherish our individuality yet we know that we live
in constant relationship to others, and that other people play a
significant part in regulating our emotional and social behavior.
Although this interdependence is a reality of our existence, we are just
beginning to understand that we have evolved as social creatures with
interwoven brains and biologies. The human brain itself is a social
organ and to truly understand being human, we must understand not only
how we as whole people exist with others, but how our brains,
themselves, exist in relationship to other brains.
The first edition of this book tackled these important questions of
interpersonal neurobiology--that the brain is a social organ built
through experience--using poignant case examples from the author's years
of clinical experience. Brain drawings and elegant explanations of
social neuroscience wove together emerging findings from the research
literature to bring neuroscience to the stories of our lives.
Since the publication of the first edition in 2006, the field of social
neuroscience has grown at a mind-numbing pace. Technical advances now
provide more windows into our inner neural universe and terms like
attachment, empathy, compassion, and mindfulness have begun to appear in
the scientific literature. Overall, there has been a deepening
appreciation for the essential interdependence of brain and mind. More
and more parents, teachers, and therapists are asking how brains
develop, grow, connect, learn, and heal. The new edition of this book
organizes this cutting-edge, abundant research and presents its
compelling insights, reflecting a host of significant developments in
social neuroscience.
Our understanding of mirror neurons and their significance to human
relationships has continued to expand and deepen and is discussed here.
Additionally, this edition reflects the gradual shift in focus from
individual brain structures to functional neural systems--an important
and necessary step forward. A great deal of neural overlap has been
discovered in brain activation when we are thinking about others and
ourselves. This raises many questions including how we come to know
others and whether the notion of an "individual self" is anything more
than an evolutionary strategy to support our interconnection.
In short, we are just beginning to see the larger implications of all
neurological processes--how the architecture of the brain can help us to
better understand individuals and our relationships. This book gives
readers a deeper appreciation of how and why relationships have the
power to reshape our brains throughout our life.
