"Do we see the world as it really is, or is the world of our experience mere illusion?" That question has fascinated reflective people since ancient times. Modern neuroscience has finally provided the definitive answer -- it's both -- and "The World According To Homo Sapiens" explains how this comes to be so.

Aimed primarily at a sophisticated general readership interested in how the human brain works, Homo Sapiens is written in a good-humored conversational style, using only the occasional well-explained technical term. At the same time, however, it clearly has innovative things to say to...