Cornerstone Press lands Why We Dream by neuroscientist and brain surgeon Jandial

Cornerstone Press has acquired Why We Dream, a new science of dreams by neuroscientist, brain surgeon and author Rahul Jandial.

Managing director Venetia Butterfield and editorial director Anna Argenio bought world all language rights to the book directly from the author, for publication in hardback, e-book and audio in March 2024.

The publisher says Why We Dream promises to “unveil the new science of dreaming and show us how to harness its powers in both our sleeping and waking life.”

Its synopsis continues: “Dreams captivate us, scare us and inspire us because they are both so real and so surreal. Yet the source of dreams is not mysterious: they are a product of normal brain electrophysiology, follow the circadian rhythms and – following major developments in technology and neuroscience – can now be studied and measured as never before.

“Drawing on cutting-edge research and case studies from his work as a neuroscientist and neurosurgeon, Jandial delves into how the brain works to tackle questions we couldn’t even fathom asking in the past. He reveals how dreams and nightmares can be interpreted, steered and rewritten; how you can train yourself to be a lucid dreamer; and – ultimately – how dreams can be put to use.

“Groundbreaking, compelling and full of surprising revelations, Why We Dream allows us to get closer to understanding the ultimate mystery itself: consciousness.”

Jandial, whose previous books include Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon and Life on a Knife’s Edge (Penguin Life), said: “I am confronted daily with the mysteries of the human mind. During a career that has spanned the operating theatre and the research laboratory, I’ve spent thousands of hours studying the electrified tissue that forms the source of everything we are.

“Yet even after all that time, the brain remains a source of deep fascination for me. I believe our mind’s most creative and mysterious feat is the dreams we produce every night. My hope is that the science, stories and synthesis in this book will leave readers newly informed and amazed by why, how and what we dream.”

Argenio said: “This book is a dream come true – pun intended – in that it manages to have it all: unbelievable-but-true facts, compelling case studies and cutting-edge neuroscience, to form a comprehensive and endlessly fascinating book.

“If you’ve ever wondered why some people remember their dreams and not others, if our dreams have any meaning or significance, whether they affect our creativity or health, or why so many people across the world dream of teeth falling out – then finally here is the book that will explain the real science behind it all. I couldn’t be more delighted to be welcoming Rahul Jandial to the Cornerstone Press list.”