Why is The Tell-Tale Brain written as a narrative rather than as a text book? What is the author able to do or say that he would not otherwise be able to? Would certain topics have to be omitted, or are there other ways in which they could be approached?

This question draws students attention to the fact that though the book may seem dense and instructional at times, the overall tone of the book is fairly intimate, as the author shares a lot of his personal experiences and beliefs with the reader. It also asked them to think critically about the information Ramachandran presents in the book, and make judgments about how much of it they consider proven or reliable.

Why is it important for Ramachadran to discuss evolutionary bases? How does knowing where something came from or how it developed help you better understand how it currently works? Or does it?