Peter Lund Madsen is a Danish neurologist (MD with a career in sleep research), who entered the public life in Denmark through his collaboration with his brother, Anders, who is a well-known journalist and comedian. PLM has since, with his brother and alone, taught the Danish public about neurology (and sometimes other topics) as a guest speaker, through television, both as an expert and as an entertainer, and even in several appearances in the theater. Sooner or later, as he himself points out in this book, there was bound to come a book.

This is a brilliant introduction to the basic facts in neurology. He manages to weed out all the boring details and still give a good impression of how the brain works. His evolutionary approach also gives a good flow, where each new capability the brain displays as we move through the evolution from one-celled organisms to modern culturalized human beings is like a suspense story.

In the light of this you may say his frame story about the Russian/German/Danish Stasi-agent Zukaroff was not necessary. But it does give an extra interest in the story and this story about a tormented soul actually gives an extra perspective about our human condition, and it is clearly this understanding of our 'human condition' which the author wants to show that studying neurology may give us. Actually this usage of literary cliches allows him to deliver his message without falling into pop science. Altogether a recommendable book for all types of readers. (But why are neurologists so ignorant when it comes to linguistics: his blue-eyed belief in Chomskys "Aspects" is so naive that it would make even chomskians ashamed.) ( )

Bogen er en sjov blanding af spænding, gode historier og reel viden om hjernen. Madsen mener han har bestræbt sig meget på at gøre stoffet både vedkommende og let forståeligt. Herudover står der - for de der skulle have brug for det - også en hel del mellem linjerne. Først når man har læst og forstået denne bog, ved man, hvem dr. Zukaroff er, og hvorfor bogen tjener som hans testamente skriver Madsen. Personligt er jeg dog ikke helt så sikker på jeg er helt sikker på hvem denne doktor nu er efter at have læst bogen.
Vælger man at give sig i kast med bogen, skal man bestemt ikke være bange for fremmedord. Man skal være beredt på ord som: sekundære synscortex, associative sanse cortex, temporal lap, cromati constans osv, men det hele bliver godt forklaret og skåret ud i pap.
Jeg syntes bestem bogen er læseværdig, men det er ikke en bog man skal læse hvis man er træt eller uoplagt. Den kræver en del koncentration. Man skal desuden have en vis nysgerrighed omkring hjernen og hvordan den fungerer da bogen til tider godt kan blive lidt lærerbogs agtig. ( )