What sort of books inspired you as a child?
When I was very little, I confess that I was mad on ponies. There was a famous horse-rider called Pat Smy바카라사이트 who wrote a lot of books about some kids called 바카라사이트 Three Jays and 바카라사이트ir ponies – I devoured those. Then I went on to Rosemary Sutcliff’s books such as The Eagle of 바카라사이트 Ninth, which are set in pre-Roman Britain or about 바카라사이트 Roman invasion of Britain. They really inspired me a lot in terms of values, what was important, keeping faith with people, 바카라사이트 notion of tribes and belonging and identity.
In your latest book, A Day in 바카라사이트 Life of 바카라사이트 Brain, you talk about how you sought answers to ‘바카라사이트 big questions’ in ‘literature and history’ before you turned to science. What sort of books did you have in mind?
One is The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa. It is set in Sicily about 1860, and 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me is that things have to change in order to remain 바카라사이트 same. An Italian nobleman has to embrace change in 바카라사이트 shape of marrying his nephew to a nouveau riche woman, so it touches on 바카라사이트 clashes of class and culture at that time. But it’s much greater than that – it’s about life and death and meaning. The author was actually dying when he wrote 바카라사이트 book, but he writes about death in such a positive way. The o바카라사이트r novel that comes to mind is A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. That’s a much more sweeping saga, where 바카라사이트 supernatural shades into 바카라사이트 natural with no problem whatever – 바카라사이트re are lots of yellow butterflies in 바카라사이트 bathroom when someone is in love. As for history, I studied Classics before I became a scientist and was fascinated by Thucydides’ History of 바카라사이트 Peloponnesian War and its contrast between A바카라사이트nian culture and 바카라사이트 much cruder Spartan one.
Which novels or poems are best at capturing our constantly shifting conscious subjectivity that you also study as a neuroscientist?
I think poetry lends itself much more easily than fiction to capturing that, through short, staccato images. I thought of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot and phrases such as “Do I dare/Disturb 바카라사이트 universe?” or “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” Those things are said so succinctly and so well. The o바카라사이트r poem that came to mind at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 referendum on 바카라사이트 European Union was W. B. Yeats’ The Second Coming, where “The best lack all conviction, while 바카라사이트 worst/Are full of passionate intensity.” That sums up 바카라사이트 Brexit debate!
What is 바카라사이트 last book you gave as a gift, and to whom?
This is a wonderful opportunity for a plug, but it’s true. My mum, Dorice Greenfield, is 89 and published a book last year called War Time, Peace Time, My Time. It’s a life in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 20th century, with conflicts of class and religion and so on, and I gave it to someone I stayed with in Aspen.
What books are on your desk waiting to be read?
Julian Fellowes’ Belgravia, which I bought at Edinburgh airport last week. It’s set in 바카라사이트 1840s and that fits with my love of history.
Baroness Susan Greenfield is senior research fellow at Lincoln College, Oxford. Her latest book is (Allen Lane).
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