Projections

“Because of his experiences as a physician and researcher, Dr. Deisseroth recognizes the limitations of science and medicine and the transcendent value of elemental human connection… . In life’s most difficult moments, it might be everything.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Deisseroth achieves the difficult feat of moving and enlightening the reader at the same time.”—The Guardian

“[Karl Deisseroth’s] imaginative narrative flows effortlessly… . There is a first love of reading and writing and hints of a literary imagination that draws on James Joyce and Toni Morrison… . His narratives are always sensitive… . An admixture of fact and fiction, reality and imagination, damage and desire.”—Science

“Poetic, mind-stretching, and through it all, deeply human.”—Daniel Levitin, New York Times bestselling author of The Organized Mind

“Karl Deisseroth intertwines neuroscience and human stories in a way that is altogether new: technical, lyrical, and deeply compassionate all at once.This is a crucial book for anyone who loves science, anyone who loves someone who is suffering from a disorder of the brain, or anyone who, like so many of us, loves both.”—Lucy Kalanithi

“Projections asks probing questions about some of our most fundamental human traits to shed light on the origins of our emotions. Why, for instance, do we shed tears? How did this show of weakness survive millennia of evolution? Deisseroth writes of heartbreaking and desperate medical cases with a doctor’s knowledge and a novelist’s skill for narrative. I was fascinated, and could not put this book down.”—May-Britt Moser, Nobel Laureate

“We are living during a revolution in our understanding of the human brain, and Karl Deisseroth has been at the forefront of these advances. This magisterial work, Projections, shows that not only is he one of our leading scientists, but also a gifted writer and storyteller. With precise yet luminous prose, he merges stories of cutting-edge neuroscience with a deep reverence for his patients’ humanity.”—Neil Shubin, author of Some Assembly Required

“Unique and utterly riveting … This is a masterpiece written for each and every one of us.”—Patricia Churchland, author of Conscience

“I’ve known Karl as a colleague, a scientist whose discoveries in the lab have been breathtaking and revolutionary. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised to discover he’s also a stunning writer … Projections is a tour de force.”—Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone

“An engaging, accessible blend of psychology and science, which sets itself apart with Deisseroth’s lyrical writing and the empathy of his storytelling.”—Library Journal (starred review)

Karl Deisseroth is a professor of bioengineering and psychiatry at Stanford University. He is the winner of the Kyoto Prize and the Heineken Prize. Deisseroth has five children and lives near Stanford University, where he teaches and directs Stanford’s undergraduate degree in bioengineering. He also treats patients with mood disorders and autism. In 2026, he received the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.