The Book Works Brain-Mind Series

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The Book Works Brain Mind Series

The Book Works has a long history of hosting eminent scientists at the store. Previous author visits have included Francis Crick, winner of the Nobel Prize (The Astonishing Hypothesis); Antonio Damasio (Descartes Error, Looking for Spinoza); and Oliver Sacks (The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat; Awakenings).

In 2006, Lisa Stefanacci purchased The Book Works and formalized the scientific author visits by developing a Mind-Brain Series. Dr. Stefanacci has a Ph.D. in neurobiology and has held positions at UCSD and The Salk Institute. Her expertise in this area, combined with her acquaintances with well-known scientists and their work from all over the world, has brought these events to a new level, with larger attendance and more frequent author visits, all of the highest quality.

In November of 2006, Eric Kandel, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2000, spoke on his memoir, In Search of Memory. Other visitors in 2006 included Helen Fisher (Why We Love), Dr. V.S. Ramachandran (Brief Tour of Human Consciousness), Terrence Sejnowski (Liars, Lovers, and Heroes), and Matt Ridley (Francis Crick: Discoverer of the Genetic Code). The 2007 Mind-Brain series includes David Linden (3/07, The Accidental Mind), Freeman Dyson, an internationally reknowned physicist, member of the National Academy of Science and Fellow of the Royal Society of London (7/07, Scientist as Rebel), Jonah Lehrer (Proust was a Neuroscientist), and V.S. Ramachandran (invited for winter 2008, The Man with the Phantom Twin).

The response to the Mind-Brain Series has been overwhelming. There is a large, first-rate neuroscience community in San Diego, one which is not rivaled in the US, and a correspondent enthusiastic community. Our educated clientele actively look forward to our science events. In turn, the authors consistently comment on the level of participation, the size, and the sophistication of the audience.