The brain is an evolutionary triumph of neural engineering. Its ability to seek knowledge and form general concepts is limitless. In this innovative study, Semir Zeki explores the incredibly sophisticated and effective mechanisms that the brain uses to analyze its products in creative fields, and discovers whether this complex system offers different answers to problem-solving in unrelated domains.

"The Grandeur and Misery of the Brain," a title derived from a novel by Balzac with a similar title, delves into the defining functions of the brain for acquiring knowledge and creating concepts about the world. While these functions have been more extensively documented in traditional fields of neurobiology - physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, mathematics, and computer science, to name a few - Zeki goes beyond these fields to scientifically examine the brain's products in literature, music, art, and other domains. Through the study of these fields, Zeki demonstrates that it is possible to draw significant conclusions about the brain's functioning and the common processes that take place within it. He also examines the heavy price that must be paid in terms of human happiness, a price that accompanies the brain's exceptional ability and shows how misery can ultimately be transformed into an advantage, due to its close connection with creativity.