Description

“Dennis Cass ventures into the terra infirma that is neuroscience, and returns with a fascinating, funny and touching tale. I recommend it for anyone who owns a brain.” -- AJ Jacobs, New York Times Bestselling author of The Know it All

In the tradition of Supersize Me, Dennis Cass becomes a human guinea pig in a darkly comic journey to understand the human brain and find out what makes us who we are

Infiltrating the world of neuroscience, Cass offers his own brain up to science, subjecting his mind and body to electric shocks, mind-numbing attention tests, stress tests of his own devising and cigarettes. In the spirit of George Plimpton and early Tom Wolfe, his exploits reveal the intricacies of fear, attention, stress, reward and consciousness from the inside out. Along the way, he weaves in the story of stepfather’s manic depression and drug addiction, as well as his own troubles with stress and depression, giving neuroscience a personal touch along with the clinical facts.

Cass attacks the subject of the human brain with wit and candor, turning popular science into something distinctly human. Head Case is an imperative read for anyone who’s ever asked themselves why they are who they are.

About the Author

Dennis Cass has been a journalist for ten years, writing for Harper's, Spin, Mother Jones, and Slate.com. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and son.

Praise For…

“Dennis Cass ventures into the terra infirma that is neuroscience, and returns with a fascinating, funny and touching tale. I recommend it for anyone who owns a brain.” — New York

“Armchair quarterbacks had George Plimpton’s Paper Lion, wannabe bikers had Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels, and now anyone curious about their own brain has Dennis Cass’ Head Case, a compulsively readable and witty account of his quest to understand what makes him--and us--tick. Neuroscience has never been examined in quite this way, and it’s certainly never been so funny.” — Adelaide Advertiser

“[A] fast-reading story with educational tidbits snuck in....Mr. Cass relates his ideas in a breezy, conversational style...a fun and informative read.” — Washington Times