The Routledge International Handbook of Neuroaesthetics

Considering how important to us are aesthetic experiences of all sorts-art, music, architecture, food and more-it is remarkable how long it took for early threads of scientific inquiry into their neural basis to start to be woven into whole cloth. This engaging handbook provides a wonderfully comprehensive overview of the current state of neuroaesthetics across modalities, across empirical and theoretical means of investigation and analysis, and across the implications for well-being and health. No serious student of the discipline should be without it. Peter Dayan, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics In this very timely and comprehensive volume, editors Martin Skov and Marcos Nadal have brought together a wealth of empirical findings and theoretical points of view on the topic of neuroaesthetics. It's remarkable that there is so much excellent material to cover, considering that the term neuroaesthetics itself is rather new, and the field is still nascent to some extent. But this handbook will contribute greatly to the future development and consolidation of this exciting research area by bringing together scholars and research themes that fall under its umbrella. Students and established investigators alike will find much to like in the remarkable breadth of topics, covering not only basic sensory processes that contribute to aesthetic experiences, but also research on a variety of art forms, including visual art, music, dance, poetry, architecture and more. It's the kind of book that I expect we will keep handy on our shelves (virtual or otherwise): to look up a quick fact, to learn about a new area, or to ponder enjoyably on a winter's night. Robert J. Zatorre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University When I was in grade 9, the National Gallery of Canada spent 1.76 million dollars on a painting of a red stripe on a blue background (Barnett Newman, Voice of Fire). As Canadians, my family was outraged at the misuse of taxpayer money. Twenty years later, having followed my own passion for painting, I found myself giving a tour of the Gallery's prized collections. I entered the room housing the painting and lost my breath. The artwork hasn't changed-my brother still thinks it's a waste of funds-but my experience of it has surprisingly metamorphosed and I now consider it a masterpiece. Meanwhile, the last twenty years has witnessed the maturation of neuroscience as a discipline, enabled by new ways of measuring brain function and new theories that link brains and behavior that have given birth to another surprise: neuroaesthetics. This book brings together the leading experts in this gangly teenager of a discipline, which is still figuring out what kinds of questions it can ask yet full of potential to make real an ultimate promise of neuroscience-to explain what makes us human and why we can find an experience aesthetic. Bevil R. Conway, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health