Since Descartes famously proclaimed, "I think, therefore I am," science has often overlooked emotions as the source of a person’s true being. Even modern neuroscience has tended, until recently, to concentrate on the cognitive aspects of brain function, disregarding emotions. This attitude began to change with the publication of Descartes’ Error in 1995. Antonio Damasio—"one of the world’s leading neurologists" ( The New York Times )—challenged traditional ideas about the connection between emotions and rationality. In this wondrously engaging book, Damasio takes the reader on a journey of scientific discovery through a series of case studies, demonstrating what many of us have long suspected: emotions are not a luxury, they are essential to rational thinking and to normal social behavior.

美國南加州大學戴維·多恩西弗神經科學與心理學教授、腦和創造力研究中心主任，同時擔任索爾剋研究院及衣阿華大學兼職教授。作為當今世界公認的神經科學研究領域的領袖，他還是美國國傢科學院醫學研究院院士，美國藝術與科學院院士。他曾獲得多項榮譽（其中幾項與同為神經科學傢和神經病學傢的妻子漢娜·達馬西奧共同獲得），其著作《笛卡爾的錯誤》、《感受發生的一切》（The feeling of what happens）、《尋找斯賓諾莎》（Looking for spinoza）備受贊譽，成為世界各國高校及研究機構的必讀書目。