Neurodynamics of Personality

In Neurodynamics of Personality, Grigsby and Stevens present a thoughtful case for commonality between neuroscience and personality theory and development. These authors propose a model to "permit the integration of seemingly disparate approaches to understanding and changing personality functioning."

The authors state at the outset that "personality reflects the emergent properties of a dynamic, hierarchically ordered, modular, distributed, self-organizing functional system, the primary objective of which is the successful adaptation of the individual to his or her physical and social environment." The remainder of the book is devoted to presenting material from neuroscience and other scientific disciplines, which the authors synthesize into a conceptual framework for understanding stability and change in human personality.

The model they develop, they note, "is not quite a personality theory, but it represents an intricate web of theory and evidence, spun from findings in a number of scientific disciplines with which we believe any adequate theory of personality must be consistent." They draw from a variety of fields of study—physics, chemistry, dynamics, evolutionary biology, ethology, cognitive psychology, functional neuroanatomy, and cognitive neuroscience—all of which, they say, "have shed considerable light on who we are as human beings." Piecing together a coherent model from these diverse sources is a lofty goal. Fortunately for the readers, the authors succeed in presenting a model that synthesizes these complex and varied fields of study. The chapters all follow a similar pattern, and the book is structured for a clear presentation.

Recent neuroscience research and theory are presented in a format accessible to readers who have a scientific background but are not neuroscientists. Similarly, the authors give an overview of personality theory, including temperament and character, that does not presume prior knowledge of personality development. Although the full body of literature on neuroscience and personality theory could not be reviewed in a book of this type, sufficient research and theory are presented to support the authors' model. As a neuropsychologist, I found these chapters to be very informative, and stylistically they are more like well-presented college lectures than dry scientific writings.

The authors remark that this book is intended primarily for mental health clinicians and neuroscientists who deal with the relationship between the mind and the brain and for personality researchers. However, the inclusion of these complex topics should not deter the general mental health professional from reading this fascinating book. Readers who are interested in personality development or neuroscience will find that Neurodynamics of Personality provides an informative overview as well as a thought-provoking synthesis.

My only criticisms are minor and have to do with the book's appearance. Given the state of technology today, the quality of the print gives this book the appearance of being outdated. The graphics are primitive and sparse, and several look hand-drawn and childlike. The acid-free paper is yellowed, which gives it an unpleasant and aged appearance. I mention these flaws because initially I was put off by them. In the end, though, the content and the comfortable writing style more than made up for my first reaction to the book's appearance.