Introduction; part I - Is Decision Making Rational or Irrational?; 1. The brain: gambler and logician; 2. Decision making and emotion; 3. The pathology of decision making; Part II - Decision Making with my Second Self; 4. Fight or flight; 5. Walking and balance; 6. Deliberating with one's body: me and my second self; Part III - Perception, Preference and Decision Making; 7. To perceive visually is to decide: the physiology of doubt; 8. Decision making and shape recognition: ambiguity and rivalry; 9. Sensory conflict: perception of movement; 10. Fountains; Part IV - Magical Thinking; 11. The physiology of preference; 12. "I think, therefore I suppress"; 13. The brain as emulator and generator of strategies : the vagabond thought; Epilogue

Alain BerthozDirector, Laboratory of Perception and Action, UMR/CNRS, College de France, Paris, France

`"Decision-making is probably more pervasive and important than many scholars realize. It is not simply the result of deep thought and careful reflection, but rather is required to produce all but the simplest forms of reflexive behavior. This book explores key aspects of the nature of decision making and introduces stimulating new ideas and insights. I recommend it highly for anyone interested in how the brain guides behavior." ' Stephen Kosslyn, John Lindsley Professor of Psychology, Harvard University