Descartes' Error
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In Descartes' Error, neurologist Antonio Damasio shows that rational thought depends upon emotions.
Descartes' Error takes the reader on an enthralling journey of scientific discovery, starting with the case of Phineas Gage--a construction foreman who in 1848 survived a freak accident in which a 3 1/2 foot iron rod passed through his head--and continuing on to Damasio's experiences with modern-day neurological patients affected by brain damage. Far from interfering with rationality, Damasio's research shows us, the absence of emotion and feeling can break down rationality and make wise decision making almost impossible.