In this British neurologist’s book, the first of the seven deadly sins he deals with is Wrath. There are apparently endless causes, some genetic, some environmental, and many unknown. There are also many studies quoted that confuse correlation with cause, including the finger length ratio. But there are few suggestions on how to modify aggression. And we once again meet the old standby Phineas Gage. «In prisoners, the severity of psychopathy correlates most strongly with loss of grey matter in the temporal lobes and limbic systems. » Dare I ask what came first?
The second deadly sin, gluttony, is introduced with examples including Prader-Walli syndrome, grizzly bears, and the increasing use of fecal transplants to modify the gut biome. There is evidence that obesity is a social diseases spread, not solely explained by genetic factors or by viruses and that GLP I and lectin levels are critical in modifying the obesity epidemic, particularly as it relates to prenatal exposure. One begins to see that the author is never going to blame any individual for their problems, a prerequisite for the final chapter.
In the 50 page chapter on Lust, there are many theories about mate selection, the diffences between men and women, the effects of some drugs, and various paraphilias, but few concrete conclusions. By now it seems certain that he will argue in the final chapter that free will does not exist. «The division between the mind and the brain is grey, perhaps even nonexistent. »
In the short chapter on Envy, he notes how the meaning of the word has changed over time to become more benign, and makes the hairsplitting distinction between envy and jealousy.
In Sloth, a detailed anatomical picture of the devastation of Huntington’s chorea is presented as well as the effects of traumatic brain injuries, and sloth is equated with apathy. Building to his conclusion about free will, he states flatly: «Our brains and mind are the same thing. »
In Greed, he acknowledges that there are no known neuropathological correlates but goes on to speculate for 15 pages about both the good and evil aspects of greed.
In the last chapter of sins, Pride is distinguished from hubris and there are endless inevitably undergraduate elaborative psychological studies to draw iffy conclusions.
Not to disappoint, the concluding chapter named Free Will, does indeed conclude that it may not exist. But then in a wordy work around he manages to align himself with the so-called compatiblists like the philosopher Daniel Dennett who through mental gymnastics that I can’t follow, maintains a belief in right and wrong, good and evil, even in the face of a deterministic universe. As a rank amateur, I have no opinion about the existence of free will, but I firmly believe that we should live our day-to-day lives as though it exists.
This is yet another deep dive into the world of neuroanatomy and neurochemistry that will be of interest to a select few readers.
3.5/5
Thanks, Goodreads.
The Passionate Reader 