Mirroring Brains How we understand others from the inside

Mirroring Brains combines neuroscience, psychology and philosophy to provide a comprehensive account of one of the most intriguing discoveries of the last 30 years--the discovery of mirror neurons. These neurons are characterized by firing both when someone performs an action, and also when they observe the same action being performed by others. Whereas it was widely regarded as characteristic of only a small subset of neurons, recent discoveries have shown that the mirror property is a fundamental principle of the functioning of the whole brain. Exploring this discovery, Rizzolatti and Sinigaglia explain how we are able to immediately understand others' actions and emotions, providing a deeper understanding of how we relate to each other and introducing the idea of 'understanding from the inside'.

Mirroring Brains provides a new interpretation of the property and function of mirror neurons, allowing readers an insight into a fundamental principle of brain function. Rizzolatti and Sinigaglia provide a rich survey of the main neuronal and psychological findings concerning the mirror mechanism, plus an extensive discussion of its potential role in social cognition. It is an essential read for neuroscientists, psychologists, philosophers, sociologists, and anyone who is interested in understanding how we relate to each other.

Giacomo Rizzolatti, Director of URT Parma, CNR Neuroscience Institute,Corrado Sinigaglia, Full Professor in Philosophy of Science, University of Milan

Giacomo Rizzolatti is Director of URT Parma at the CNR Neuroscience Institute. He is renowned for the discovery of mirror neurons and known worldwide for his ground-breaking studies of the cognitive functions of the motor system. He is a member of Academia Europaea, of Accademia dei Lincei, and an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of the French Academy of Science and of the Royal Society. He is recipient of the Golgi Prize for Physiology, the George Miller Award of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society and the Brain Prize Lundbeck Foundation Award.


Corrado Sinigaglia is Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Milan. He is internationally known for his efforts to integrate the philosophy of mind with cognitive neuroscience. His research currently focusses on the role of motor processes and representations in making sense of self and others. He is the author (with G. Rizzolatti) of the book Mirrors in the Brain: How Our Minds Share Actions, Emotions, and Experience (Oxford University Press 2008) as well as many scientific and philosophical articles.