Projections

Starred review from April 5, 2021
Deisseroth, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, melds the personal with the clinical in his masterful debut on how the human mind works and what can be learned when it goes awry. Using case studies that capture “the central mystery of feelings in the mind,” Deisseroth tells moving stories of patients suffering from such maladies as eating disorders (the most mysterious, he writes), psychosis (which can’t be reasoned away), and dementia (which means more than just amnesia). Deisseroth relates these stories to his experience as a psychiatrist: the central challenge of psychiatry, he writes, is “to perceive, and experience, unconventional realities from the patient’s perspective.” He also discusses the emerging field of optogenetics, which allows scientists to examine the workings of individual neurons. As a pioneer in this field, his reflections are particularly noteworthy; he accessibly breaks down the science behind the technology and makes a case for its importance, as it “allow us to link the local activity of individual cells to the global perspective of the brain.” Deisseroth also argues for the importance of science, touting the value of research and the significance of “scientific truth—a force that can rescue us from weaknesses of our own construction.” Writing with abundant empathy, Deisseroth brings his patients’ struggles to life as he educates about both neuroscience and humanity. This is a must-read.