"What accounts for the remarkable ability to get inside another person's head - to know what someone else is thinking and feeling? "Mind reading" is the very heart of what it means to be human, creating a bridge between self and others that is fundamental to the development of culture and society. But until recently, scientists didn't understand what in the brain makes it possible. This has all changed in the past decade. Marco Iacoboni explains the research into mirror neurons, the "smart cells" in our brain that allow us to understand others. From imitation to morality, from learning to addiction, from political affiliations to consumer choices, mirror neurons seem to have properties that are relevant to all these aspects of social cognition. Mirroring People is the first book for the general reader on this revolutionary new science."--BOOK JACKET.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [273]-292) and index.