The schizophrenic patient presented to the public in sensational press reports and lurid films bears little resemblance to reality of the illness. This book describes what schizophrenia is really like, how the illness progresses, and the treatments that have been applied. It also summarizes the most up-to-date knowledge available about the biological bases of this disorder. Finally it attempts to give some idea of what it is like to have schizophrenia and what this disorder tells us about the relationship between mind and brain.

Human beings have the unique ability to mentalize, that is to perceive and communicate mental states such as beliefs and desires. One of the key problems in science is to uncover the biological mechanisms underlying mentalizing and to show how these mechanisms evolved. The Neuroscience of Social Interactions is an important first step in uncovering the biological mechanisms underlying social interactions--undoubtedly one of the major programs for neuroscience in the 21st century.