The Second Brain

What Hacker News says

1. rramadassApr 2026
   The symbiotic relationship between Humans and their resident Microbiome (especially the gut microbiome) is already a well-studied subject. But it can certainly do with more popularization :-)

   Some References:

   1) Role of the Microbiome in Human Development - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6580755/

   2) Human Microbiome Project - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Microbiome_Project

   3) The Human Microbiome Project: Exploring the microbial part of ourselves in a changing world - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3709439/

   4) The Human Microbiome: From Symbiosis to Pathogenesis - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3731629/

   5) The Second Brain: A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine by Michael Gershon. This is a must-read neuro-psychology book.

   6) Gut: The inside story of our body’s most under-rated organ by Giulia Enders. Another must-read book.

   7) Finally; i came to know (have not browsed/read) of this definitive textbook Fundamentals of Microbiome Science: How Microbes Shape Animal Biology by Angela Douglas (via her Microbiomes: A Very Short Introduction Oxford series book) - https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691160344/fu...

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2. rramadassSep 2024
   Rather trivial article.

   But the subject is important and worth studying from various perspectives viz. Yoga(Kanda)/Qigong(Dantian)/Zen(Hara)/Modern Science(nerve plexus). The following two books are a good place to start from;

   1) The Second Brain by Michael Gershon.

   2) Hara : The Vital Center of Man by Karlfried Durckheim.

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3. rramadassNov 2023
   See also:

   1) The Second Brain by Michael Gershon.

   2) Gut: The Inside Story Of Our Body's Most Under-Rated Organ by Julia Enders.

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4. rramadassJun 2023
   Very Interesting. See also Michael Gershon's The Second Brain.

   In Yoga (and other Eastern physical disciplines) the gut area is often given a prominence that is lacking in Western physical cultures. I have myself felt a distinct difference in my mood/performance on those days that i practice Nauli/Uddiyana Bandha/Mula Bandha. And of course diet plays a crucial role.

   I sincerely hope Modern Science unravels more and more of this connection so that we can all live healthy and better lives.

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5. daniellarussoOct 2020
   Also, this book, The Second Brain, is a bit older, but relevant:

   https://www.amazon.com/Second-Brain-Groundbreaking-Understan...

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6. dillonmckayAug 2020
   The gut is a second brain, kinda...I have always been fascinated by this book:

   The Second Brain

   https://www.amazon.com/Second-Brain-Groundbreaking-Understan...

   Author is Michael D. Gershon M.D., chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.

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