Interesting overview of sleep, dreams and the purpose they may serve. Dealing with scientific studies so only a few anecdotes. There’s an interesting chapter or two on predictive dreams and on lucid dreaming. They refer throughout to their own theory , which I found a bit annoying. ( )

Close friends know of my intense interest (some might be inclined to call it an obsession) in the science of dreaming. I continue to be mystified by the fact that so many people don’t give much or any thought to our sleep lives – an activity that consumes about one-third of most people’s existence. I’ve read at least a half-dozen books on the topic. “When Brains Dream” is among the best. Zadra and Stickgold thoughtfully and credibly present extensive research. In doing so, readers are treated to many fascinating insights and theories. True, there is so much we don’t know about the science of dreaming. In fact, some skeptics might even be hesitant to use the word “science” in the context of dream studies. But the fact that I penned dozens of notes as I read “When Brains Dream” is a testament to the book’s value. ( )

Superb!

This was the most comprehensive book I've read about dreams written by two scholars. Antonio Zadra is a professor at the University of Montreal and a researcher at the Center of Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine. Robert Stickgold is a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Center for Sleep Cognition. Many years of knowledge is included within the pages.

"When Brains Dream" starts with a history of scientist - Freud, Jung and others - who have researched and documented their findings. If follows with over a thousand more recent reports that analyzes sleep for humans and a variety of animals. Then there's a long explanation of why we need sleep with their extensive collection of dream logs.

This is the first time I've read a book with so much detail about sleep as it relates to the brain. It includes the body's function, differences with men and women groups studied and how it shapes our lives. They noted how emotional stress is a major contributor of insomnia and how dreams can be just "bizarre." They said, "just like movies, our dreams have common themes that make us think about ourselves." Dreams have helped solve problems, used to write songs and novels and has been the key to inventions. They also discuss sleep walkers, lucid dreaming and telepathic dreams.

In the end, the authors summarize their findings and provide the reader with a list of suggested reading and resources. For anyone interested in this field with the newest findings, this is a must. For those that need additional excitement, a thriller was recently released by Antonio Zadra: "The Dreamkeepers."

My thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGallery for providing me with an advanced copy. ( )

This book has changed my awareness of my own dreams. It does provide insight into thinking about dreams while clearly demonstrating the ongoing mystery of why we drean and how we dream. The use the acronym NEXTUP to explain something of what dreams do: the creative examination of possible futures and meanings of the past.
It gives an overview of how improved understanding of dreams and the process is developing while clafifying limits of the process.
They do recognize that just as functional MRIs give us a new tool some other technology may or even probably will come along that leads to new insights and even controls for dreaming. I am reminded of the book Wine of Dreamers written by John D MacDonald in the 1950s a SF treatment of where dream control could go. ( )