Brain Science Under The Swastika

80 years ago the greatest mass murder of human beings of all time occurred in Nazi occupied Europe. This began with the mass extermination of patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. This book is the only comprehensive and scholarly published work regarding the ethical and professional abuses of neuroscientists during the Nazi era.

Eighty years ago the largest genocide ever occurred in Nazi Europe. This began with the mass extermination of patients with neurologic and psychiatric disorders that Hitler's regime considered "useless eaters". The neuropsychiatric profession was systematically "cleansed" beginning in 1933, but racism and eugenics had infiltrated the specialty long before that. With the installation of Nazi-principled neuroscientists, mass forced sterilization was enacted, which transitioned to patient murder by the start of World War II. But the murder of roughly 275,000 patients was not enough. The patients' brains were stored and used in scientific publications both during and long after the war. Also, patients themselves were used for unethical experiments. Relatively few neuroscientists resisted the Nazis, with some success in the occupied countries. Most neuroscientists involved in unethical actions continued their careers unscathed after the war. Few answered for their actions, and few repented. The legacy of such a depraved era in the history of neuroscience and medical ethics is that codes now exist to protect patients and research subjects. But this protection is possibly subject to political extremes and individual neuroscientists can only protect patients and colleagues if they understand the dangers of a utilitarian, unethical, and uncompassionate mindset. Brain Science under the Swastika is the only comprehensive and scholarly published work regarding the ethical and professional abuses of neuroscientists during the Nazi era. The author has crafted a scathing tour de force exploring the extremes of ethical abuse, but also ways that this can be resisted and hopefully prevented by future generations of neuroscientists and physicians

"The swastika and similar symbols were employed by the ancestors of the modern-day Germans. With the Nazi seizure of power, studies of such ideographs became directly supported by the state. The Science of the Swastika is the first theoretically informed study of the relationship between an academic discipline and what the Nazis termed their Weltanschauung. It surveys the fate of Old Germanic studies under the Nazis, a discipline of especial interest to the forces of German reaction. German swastika studies also gave rise to the SS-Ahnenerbe, the antiquarian research organization through which medical experiments were later to be performed on the inmates of concentration camps. The Old Germanic studies of the Nazi period proved to be a creative foil to the almost overwhelmingly destructive side of National Socialism."--BOOK JACKET.

The Hypothalamus is an important area of the brain for understanding a variety of neurological disorders. This volume summarizes for readers the anatomy and physiology of the anterior hypothalamus, to better understand pathology and treatment of hypothalamus related disorders. In addition to anatomy and physiology in humans, cytoarchitecture and chemoarchitecture in rodents is provided. The volume explores the role of the hypothalamus in disorders of eating, sleeping, anxiety, and mood, as well as its role in sexual behavior and gender identity. Coverage includes how Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders relate to the hypothalamus. Reviews the anatomy and physiology of the anterior hypothalamus Provides cytoarchitecture and chemoarchitecture from rodents Discusses hypothalamic related disorders of eating, sleeping, anxiety, and mood Covers how Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders relate to the hypothalamus Explores the role of the hypothalamus in sexual behavior and gender identity

“A dense and scholarly book about . . . the relationship between the Nazi party and the occult . . . reveals stranger-than-fiction truths on every page.”—Daily Telegraph The Nazi fascination with the occult is legendary, yet today it is often dismissed as Himmler’s personal obsession or wildly overstated for its novelty. Preposterous though it was, however, supernatural thinking was inextricable from the Nazi project. The regime enlisted astrology and the paranormal, paganism, Indo-Aryan mythology, witchcraft, miracle weapons, and the lost kingdom of Atlantis in reimagining German politics and society and recasting German science and religion. In this eye-opening history, Eric Kurlander reveals how the Third Reich’s relationship to the supernatural was far from straightforward. Even as popular occultism and superstition were intermittently rooted out, suppressed, and outlawed, the Nazis drew upon a wide variety of occult practices and esoteric sciences to gain power, shape propaganda and policy, and pursue their dreams of racial utopia and empire. “[Kurlander] shows how swiftly irrational ideas can take hold, even in an age before social media.”—The Washington Post “Deeply researched, convincingly authenticated, this extraordinary study of the magical and supernatural at the highest levels of Nazi Germany will astonish.”—The Spectator “A trustworthy [book] on an extraordinary subject.”—The Times “A fascinating look at a little-understood aspect of fascism.”—Kirkus Reviews “Kurlander provides a careful, clear-headed, and exhaustive examination of a subject so lurid that it has probably scared away some of the serious research it merits.”—National Review

Despite the enormous amount of material about Nazism, there has been no substantial work on its emblem, the swastika. This original contribution examines the popular appeal of the archaic image of the swastika: the tradition of the symbol.

"Forces even the most sophisticated to rethink and rework their ideas of how images work in the world."--School Library Journal.* Traces the history of the swastika, from religious symbol to reviled symbol * More than 175 illustrations * Powerful examination of the impact of one graphic symbol on society. This acclaimed examination of the most powerful symbol ever created is now available in paperback. The rise and fall of the swastika, and its mysteries and misunderstandings, are fully explained and explored. Readers will be captivated by the twists and turns of the symbol’s fortunes, from its pre-Nazi religious and commercial uses, to the Nazi appropriation and misuse of the form, to its contemporary applications as both a racist and an apolitical logo. In a new afterword, author Steven Heller discusses the controversy around ideas to ban the symbol and public reaction to the book since it was first published. This is a classic story, masterfully told, about how one graphic symbol can endure and influence culture for generations. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.