Stein, Kathleen 1944–

PERSONAL:

Born 1944.

CAREER:

Science and technology writer and editor. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, teacher of writing and literature.

WRITINGS:

The Genius Engine: Where Memory, Reason, Passion, Violence, and Creativity Intersect in the Human Brain (nonfiction), John Wiley (Hoboken, NJ), 2007.

Contributor to periodicals, including New York Times and Biotechnology Newswatch. Neuroscience editor, Omni magazine, for ten years.

SIDELIGHTS:

Kathleen Stein specializes in writing about science and technology. She was neuroscience editor for the popular science magazine Omni for ten years, and she draws on her knowledge of the human nervous system in her book The Genius Engine: Where Memory, Reason, Passion, Violence, and Creativity Intersect in the Human Brain. In it, Stein attempts to map the mysterious territory of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the brain. Recent research has shown that the PFC is the part of the brain that is responsible for the most uniquely human characteristics, such as humor, insight, and the ability to think of the future. The PFC seems to be a key component in human emotions and the ability to suppress violent urges. Stein illustrates the workings of the PFC through studies of subjects with damaged PFCs. They may appear normal in some ways, yet they are frequently unable to deal with everyday life.

Stein's book ‘reveals the power of the prefrontal cortex and its role in human cognition,’ stated a reporter for Science News. Gilbert Taylor recommended The Genius Engine as ‘an informative introduction’ to the research of top neuroscientists.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 2006, Gilbert Taylor, review of The Genius Engine: Where Memory, Reason, Passion, Violence, and Creativity Intersect in the Human Brain, p. 16.

Internet Bookwatch, June, 2007, review of The Genius Engine.

Publishers Weekly, November 27, 2006, review of The Genius Engine, p. 41.

Science News, March 24, 2007, review of The Genius Engine, p. 191.

SciTech Book News, June, 2007, review of The Genius Engine.