‘Forget the hype you’ve heard about “brainwaves.” Read R. Douglas Fields’s facile account of the role of brain electrical activity in mind and behavior.’ – Joseph Ledoux, author of The Deep History of Ourselves With modern instruments, neuroscientists can eavesdrop on electrical transmissions flashing through your brain. The most intimate details of your mind are theirs to see. They can read your thoughts before you have them. They can watch your brain learn. All by tracking your brainwaves. Analysing brainwaves, the imperceptible waves of electricity surging across your scalp, has been possible for nearly a century. But only now are neuroscientists becoming aware of the wealth of information brainwaves hold about a person’s life, thoughts and future health. From the moment a reclusive German doctor discovered waves of electricity radiating from the heads of his patients in the 1920s, brainwaves have sparked astonishment and intrigue, yet the significance of the discovery and its momentous implications have been poorly understood. Written by R. Douglas Fields, a premier neuroscientist on the cutting edge of brainwave research, Electric Brain tells a fascinating and obscure story of discovery, explains the latest science and looks to the future – and the exciting possibilities in store for medicine, technology and our understanding of ourselves.