Watch the first book video!

Sneak Preview: Test the Test!

With the impending publication of TOP BRAIN, BOTTOM BRAIN: Surprising Insights Into How You Think (Simon & Schuster, Nov. 5), we are soon to launch an online and mobile app that assesses (in 20 easy questions) your dominant thinking mode. Are you a Mover? A Perceiver? A Stimulator or Adaptor? The app version of the test automatically makes the determination (in the hard copy of the book, you need pencil and paper).

Before we publicize the test, I'd like some reader input. And so, I invite you to take the test, and send your comments to us at TopBrainBottomBrain@gmail.com

The test is here. Thanks!

Three Key Points

In Top Brain, Bottom Brain, you will learn about the Theory of Cognitive Modes, which specifies general ways of thinking that underlie how a person approaches the world and interacts with other people. We explain the science behind the theory in detail -- but to start, there are only three key points that you will really need to keep in mind.

First, the top parts and the bottom parts of the brain have different functions. The top brain formulates and executes plans (which often involve deciding where to move objects or how to move the body in space), whereas the bottom brain classifies and interprets incoming information about the world. The two halves always work together; most important, the top brain uses information from the bottom brain to formulate its plans (and to reformulate them, as they unfold over time).
 
The second key point: According to the theory, people vary in the degree that they tend to rely on each of the two brain systems (the top system, and the bottom) for functions that are optional (i.e., not dictated by the immediate situation): Some people tend to rely heavily on both brain systems, some rely heavily on the bottom brain system but not the top, some rely heavily on the top but not the bottom, and some don’t rely heavily on either system. That means that the ways individuals think and behave can be categorized, which can be useful knowledge in understanding oneself and others.

The third key point is that how people tend to rely heavily (or not) on the top and bottom parts of their brain define four basic cognitive modes — general ways of thinking that underlie how a person approaches the world and interacts with other people. According to the Theory of Cognitive Modes, every one of us has a particular dominant cognitive mode, which affects how we respond to situations we encounter and how we relate to others. We have named these the Mover, Perceiver, Stimulator and Adaptor Modes. You will be able to identify your own dominant mode (and those of other people in your life) with the simple test in the book (and soon online, please check back for when the app, which will also work on mobile devices, goes live). And check our Facebook page and our web site for more on the book.

Think of the brain in terms of systems, not dichotomies

When considering large portions of the brain, we need to think about systems—not dichotomies. A system has inputs and outputs, and a set of constituent components that work together to produce appropriate outputs for particular inputs. 

A bicycle is a familiar system: The inputs are forces that push down on the pedals, slight movements of the rider’s body made in the act of balancing, and force that moves the handlebars. The components include the seat, the wheels, the handlebars, the pedals, the gears, the chain, and so forth. The outputs are the bike’s forward motion, keeping upright, and going in a specific direction, all at the same time. Crucially, the components are designed to work together to produce appropriate outputs for the system as a whole—for the entire bike. The handlebar is connected to the front wheel for steering, the seat is over the pedals to make it easy to push down, the gear chain connects to the rear wheel to cause it to propel the bike forward, and so on.

The same is true of the brain: It has different areas that do different things, and the result of the brain areas’ working together is to produce appropriate outputs (such as your avoiding an object) for particular inputs (such as specific sights and sounds). For instance, if you see a car roaring toward you, you jump out of the way.

More on Top Brain, Bottom Brain: Surprising Insights Into How You Think at the book site. 

Coming soon: Take the test

Do you typically think as a Mover? A Stimulator? A Perceiver or an Adaptor?

According to the Theory of Cognitive Modes, people typically tend to have one of these four dominant modes of thinking and behavior, based on their utilization of their top and bottom brain systems. And we have developed a quick, easy and fun app for online and mobile device that with answering 20 questions will automatically score you.

Check back soon for the launch of the app. Won't be long now...

Giveaways!

Stay tuned for details about two giveaway promotions we are planning with Simon & Schuster -- some will be signed copies, given away before the book reaches the shelves (and the ether...)

We should have details within a week or two. Who knows, they could turn out to be collectors' items!

Goodreads page is up

Top Brain, Bottom Brain: Surprising Insights into How You Think by Stephen Kosslyn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Kosslyn is one of the world’s great cognitive neuroscientists of the late 20th and early 21st century.”
– Steven Pinker, bestselling author of The Language Instinct.

"An exciting new way to think about our brains, and ourselves. Original, insightful, and a sweet read to boot."
-- Daniel Gilbert, author of the International bestseller Stumbling on Happiness.

"Kosslyn and Miller have written a lively, informative, and easily assimilated summary of several important principles of brain function for the general reader who does not have the time or background to follow the complexities of neuroscience research but would like a scaffolding on which to place the new facts that dominate each day's headlines."
-- Jerome Kagan, emeritus professor of psychology, Harvard University, and author of the critically acclaimed The Human Spark: The Science of Human Development.

“A bold new theory, with intriguing practical implications, formulated by one of America’s most original psychologists.”
-- Howard Gardner, co-author of The App Generation.


"Right brainers are intuitive, left brainers are analytical, and Kosslyn says it’s all hogwash; there’s no scientific proof. Director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, he challenges the old orthodoxy by arguing that the brain operates according to patterns best described as Mover, Adaptor, Stimulator, and Perceiver. So which pattern fits your brain? Take Kosslyn’s test."
-- Library Journal, Prepub Alert, May 20, 2013.

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